Chapter Text
Narancia was happy about the cookies. He shoved three of them in his mouth as fast as he could get the lid off of the container. He was also happy to admit that yeah, he’d made up something to get Leone back to the bakery because Bruno was falling apart. It had worked out excellently in the end, so Leone couldn’t scold him, but...
He really did need to figure out some way to teach the rat something resembling morals.
Later though. Right now, he was taking far too much time in the shower to think about Bruno. Bruno, sweet Bruno, he'd finally let himself want it. Finally. God, Leone wanted to see him again already. Wanted to touch him again. They hadn't had near enough time together, not really. Leone wanted to do so much more to him, wanted to hear him beg for it, wanted so badly the taste of Bruno on his tongue, because damn he'd tasted as good as Leone thought he would. The softer sounds that Bruno had tried to stop, the no-holds-barred wailing at the end of it, everything in between, it repeated in Leone's head like a broken record, replaying those perfect noises over and over again. Leone had to grit his teeth to keep his own voice too low to carry over the sound of the water that beat on his head, whole body shivering with the force of his self-given end.
God, how he wanted.
He shut off the water and stumbled out to dry himself, a glow of contentment just beneath his skin. He just wished Bruno were here. Shaking his head as he patted the water from his hair, he focused instead on the issue of his two kids' Christmas presents. He'd have to go out alone to get them today and hope that he could either have the store wrap it for him or that he could hide it from them when he returned and somehow wrap them himself in a way that reached Narancia's standards. Pulling on his clothes and focusing on his reflection in the mirror, Leone did his makeup as he pondered what each kid would like. What could he get Narancia that the rat couldn't just steal for himself? Cooking things? Some kind of toy? Clothes? No, definitely not clothes, he'd probably just get dragged for getting the wrong color.
Sighing, he applied a coat of lipstick and shoved the tube in his pocket. He didn't know what to get Fugo either. Did he even like things?? Leone had never once heard him mention an interest. In fact, the only thing he seemed actually interested in was Narancia and he couldn't very well give the kid something he already owned. With a deeper sigh, he went back out to the living room, pausing to reach a hand into the box of squirming puppies and pet them as they frantically tumbled over each other to receive a pat. At least he knew what Fugo didn't like. He couldn't seem to stand animals (though he had gotten less afraid of Chapel touching him). That didn't help much though… Maybe he'd just get the brat a mug and call it a day. "Hey kids!" There was a scuffling and then Narancia shot out of the bedroom and barreled straight into him, damn near taking him down.
"Yeah?! What is it?"
Patting Narancia's hair (did he ever brush it?), Leone looked up at Fugo, hiding behind the doorframe. "I'm going to work, but I've got some chores after so I won't be home for a while." Narancia whined. "Yeah, yeah, I know. If I'm too late, don't worry about waiting for me to have dinner. See ya later."
"See ya." Narancia squeezed him then let go, prancing back to Fugo and tugging him out of sight. Shaking his head, Leone headed out, wondering if he could just ask Bruno what to get the kids.
It was slightly less cold out today, but he was still freezing his ass off. As he walked, arms crossed, head down, he wondered if it was actually as cold as he thought it was. Was he just so used to warm weather that this slightly-colder-than-average weather was ending him for nothing? There hadn't been any talk of snow of TV, so it couldn't be that cold, right? Wasn't snow the coldest?? Fuck if he knew. He wasn't a weather reporter. Sighing and watching his breath billow out in a cloud, Leone narrowed his eyes against the cold wind and sped up at the sight of the bakery and the promise of warmth.
Just holding back a moan at the immediate difference in temperature, he stumbled/walked towards the kitchen, humming at the additional heat of working oven and shrugging off the coat he'd clung so desperately to just moments before. The room was empty save for Bruno and Leone threw his coat on the nearest empty counter and all but ran to him. Bruno turned, eyes widening slightly when they caught sight of Leone, but he had both arms raised enough for it to be easy for Leone to pick him up and spin him around once they were close enough. He kissed him briefly, hardly a real kiss at all, before setting Bruno back on his feet and stepping back. They couldn't do this for long. They had to be professional. Just a worker and his boss. That was all. That was all…
Looking around, making sure they were, indeed, alone, Leone muttered, "How are you? Was- Was yesterday still okay to think about today?"
Bruno's cheeks pinked, a small smile softening his face as he went back to cutting out cookies from a mat of dough. "Yes, Leone. I still enjoyed it."
He let out a breath of relief. "Thank God."
Laughing softly, Bruno glanced at him, warmth in his eyes that heated Leone's body so much quicker than the ovens or heaters. "Were you really that worried about it? I told you, I enjoyed it. If- If there weren't so many people who could walk in on us then…" His cheeks went closer to red then and he ducked his head as though trying to hide between his shoulders. "A-Anyway, could you- could you go and help Trish out front? It's about to be that late breakfast rush we get early on in the week, she'll need help."
"Yeah. Yeah, of course." He stared at Bruno for a second longer, just enjoying the beauty of his flushed face. "Um, Bruno?"
"Yes?"
"You might uh, wanna wipe your mouth? L-Lipstick and all…"
With a soft squeak of shock, Bruno hid his mouth against the back of his hand, truly red-faced now. "Th-Thank you, Leone."
"Of course." He wanted to kiss him again, hard. To get his lipstick on more than just his mouth, wanted to haul him onto that counter and leave marks across his beautiful thighs and chest and stomach and-
He turned and left before that train of thought became a problem, looking over his shoulder before he left the kitchen. God, he hated this. But maybe being here would help Bruno figure out how to come out to his dad. Explain to him once and for all why a wife wasn't a possibility. Maybe it would help if Leone took him to a hotel and-
Nope! No. Not thinking of that. At all. Not at all.
Keeping his head down, Leone focused on just getting his story straight in front of Paolo. He lived with Narancia and Fugo. They moved in with him because they liked him and wanted to give Bruno more living space. Leone had never been further than the kitchen in Bruno's home. He had never touched Bruno. He had never kissed Bruno. Bruno did not love him.
"Hey. You alright?" Trish was looking at him, something close to concern briefly going across her face. She stepped back when Leone nodded. "You sure? You went pale for a second. Well, paler. Thought you were gunna fall."
Leone shrugged, glanced at the door to check for customers on habit. "You know about the situation, yeah?"
"Pops acting like you two aren't fucking?"
He choked but covered it up well enough. "Um. Y-Yeah, that. It's just, uh, stressful. Upsetting." In a slip of emotion he immediately regretted, Leone muttered, "I miss him."
"I would too."
Looking back at her in surprise, Leone made eye contact with Trish for a few heartbeats, the longest connection they'd ever had. Then she looked away with a shrug. "I mean, I think I would. Never really had someone that close. Is it as good as they say?"
Still shocked that she was talking to him, Leone floundered for a moment before coming up with a reply. "It- It's wonderful. He makes me feel safe."
"Hmm." Either he said something wrong or that was meant to be it regardless. Whichever it was, Trish turned her back on him and Leone knew by now that he shouldn't push. Instead, he focused on checking the display case and, when he found something lacking, went to the kitchen to get it. It was still empty, save Bruno. Leone loved the way Bruno wriggled when he saw that it was Leone who'd come to see him, blue eyes close to desperate.
"Leone-"
"Here for cookies. Display case."
"Y-Yes, of course." God, he loved making that pretty body squirm.
He got what he needed and paused before passing Bruno. "If it's walk-ins you're worried about, we could always get a hotel." Leone was expecting Bruno to get flustered or to blush. The look of hope and want that he got instead was a helluva lot better.
"There's a place not far from here actually. We could walk."
God, he sounded so damn eager. Leone almost wanted to drop everything and drag him off now. But, there were things that needed to be done. So, he leaned down to lay his cheek against Bruno's (couldn't kiss him with this damn lipstick), before murmuring, "Tomorrow?"
One of Bruno's hands grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled a button open and slid beneath the cloth to touch his bare chest. "Why not tonight?"
"I've got other plans."
A soft huff, Bruno's hand continuing to draw patterns on his skin, neither of them moving away from the other. "Can't you cancel?"
He shut his eyes, breath coming out shaky. "Yeah, I can." He broke immediately of course. Who was he to deny Bruno anything? "When do you want to go?"
"Mmm…" Bruno shifted closer, his breath warm on Leone's ear. "I'll come get you when I want you, mmkay?"
"Y-Yeah."
Smiling (finally), Bruno buttoned Leone's shirt back and smoothed it down, standing on the tips of his toes to gently kiss Leone's forehead. "Thank you, Leone. You can take those cookies to the front now."
"Uh-huh." A little shaky, Leone obeyed, more in love than turned on. He wanted so badly to be able to hold Bruno now. He wanted to kiss him without having to worry about the stains that left behind. Wanted to hug him without having to look over his shoulder first. He really just wanted to go home. He went out into the shop and restocked the cookies. The day passed expectedly slow after that. No furries, no ruckus, no weird pink or green-haired people. Just… Nothing. Mista had entirely abandoned his post, frolicking around Giorno mostly, though pausing to greet his friend when he arrived, the same one he'd been literally bench pressing not too long before. The only thing really interesting was that Narancia showed up with Fugo. They were carrying all of the gifts they'd accumulated (except the pups, of course). Those were carried upstairs. Clearly Narancia wasn't going to accept any other outcome than them all together on Christmas day.
When Bruno slid in close to him, the backs of their hands brushing, Leone's face warmed by Bruno's breath, he almost squeaked in surprise. Pressed against him, Bruno murmured, "Leave in about thirty minutes, wait for me around the corner, please. I'll bring you a coat." Then he was gone, chatting easily with Trish, and Leone shakily continued his cleaning of the display case (so many fingerprints). Half an hour. That was, what, an hour earlier than his usual clock out? He wondered what Bruno wanted him to do. What he wanted to do for himself. How did he like to be talked to? Soft and sweet? Or dirty? Both? What was he wearing under those clothes? Leone wondered, more than idly, what Bruno would allow. Was he ready for more? Or did Bruno just want the… Less intimate things, was the only way Leone could think to put it, but there really wasn't any way to compare the different ways of touching the person you loved. Did he just want Leone to spoon him, a hand between those pretty thighs, get him off that way, or would he want him on his knees again? Would he take Leone up on his offer to allow him to ride his chest? Maybe he didn't want any of that. Maybe Bruno was just being Bruno and that, as usual, implied more than there was. Maybe he just wanted to take off all (or nearly all) of his clothes and get as close as possible so he could finally get some sleep. Maybe he just wanted to be kissed and held and reminded that he was so, so loved. Leone found that he would like that quite a bit too.
Whatever Bruno wanted, he would give. Whatever he needed, he would provide. He loved Bruno. That's all there was. For perhaps the thousandth time, Leone glanced over at Bruno, wondering idly if he knew, how easy it was for someone to start needing him. He looked up at the clock. Show time. He looked at Trish until she caught his eye, raised a hand in farewell as he stepped out from behind the counter. "See ya, Mista."
"Heading out?" The big man looked up from Giorno and Leone nodded. "A'ight. See ya later man. Be good."
"No thanks. Gunna rob a bank later, actually. Make sure Narancia remembers to bring the fire power this time, would ya?"
"Oh, absolutely." Waving perhaps less enthusiastically than Mista was, Leone continued his journey towards the door, pausing to gently lower Narancia to the floor and tell him to shut the fuck up please before kissing Fugo's hair and bidding both boys farewell. He got out without Narancia trying to follow (thank God that boy loved stealing sweets so much), sighing with relief when he was out of sight of the building's front door. He leaned against the nearest wall, arms crossed, eyes closed, trying to think about anything other than how cold his arms were and how frozen his feet felt through his boots.
"Leone!" Bruno's grin warmed him right up. The thick coat he threw over his shoulders also helped.
"Bruno. How'd you get this out?"
"Told Papa it was Nori's and I was going to bring it back to him, maybe stay a while, they've met." Bruno seemed so damn proud of himself that Leone could do nothing but smile at him as he pulled on the coat before finally getting the chance to tip that pretty head up and kiss Bruno's lips, hard and fierce, making damn sure that he was wearing as much lipstick as Leone was. When he pulled back, Bruno looked pleasantly dazed, a lazy smile on his dirtied lips. Tilting Bruno's head one way and then the other, deciding that that wasn't nearly enough, he released Bruno, pulled the tube of lipstick from his pocket and reapplied, a feeling of satisfaction settling in his chest at the way Bruno watched him do it. He shoved the tube back in his pocket, rubbing his lips together for a second before grabbing Bruno's face against and kissing him with the desperation of a man long-denied the one thing that would keep him alive. The effects of this… Second coat, were much more satisfactory.
"Now where are we going, Bruno?"
"Hmm?… Oh. Oh! Right, this way." Snapping out of whatever trance Leone had managed to put him in, Bruno linked their arms together and led the way, chattering on about the very minor things that Leone had missed during his time away. Chapel slept in the bed now (inevitable), Narancia had gotten very into some pet website that he apparently used the library's computers to play (why had only Bruno been given this information??), there had been nothing but fish for dinner since Paolo returned and Bruno had resorted to sneaking food from his own kitchen late at night to avoid hunger-sickness (Leone was ready to destroy every fish on the planet for doing this to his Cookie).
They arrived at the hotel (nicer than Leone thought it would be) long before he was done with hearing Bruno talk. Bruno handled everything, so Leone ignored any conversation between him and the man behind the counter, just holding one of Bruno's hands in both his own very carefully until Bruno was tugging him away, down a hall, into an elevator, up two floors, down a hall, then another one, then their room. It was nice. Nicer than what Leone thought of when he thought 'the hotel you go to for sex'. The carpet was clean, the walls a pleasant blue, the paintings were cute and the bed looked clean and freshly made. He'd never been in a hotel room this nice.
"Do you want room service?" Bruno was already kicking off his shoes and sitting on the edge of the bed, a happy grin on his face.
Leone felt… Weird. Like he wasn't himself, of maybe this wasn't his body or something. He looked at Bruno without answering for a moment. Then he made himself shuffle forward, wrapping his arms around Bruno's head and immediately crying into his dark hair.
"Oh, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Bruno was trying to hug him back but the angle made it impossible so Leone fell on him (smooth). Bruno squeaked as he was forced to lay back on the bed, wheezing slightly from Leone's full weight. He just kept patting him and Leone just kept crying and after a good ten minutes he was finally able to stop crushing the life out of Bruno, rolling off of him and wiping his face. "Leone? What is it Bear?"
"I don't fucking know, sugar. I don't…"
He kept his hands over his eyes. He heard Bruno sigh a bit before the bed shifted and he felt the baker kiss his cheek. "I'll order room service. What do you want?" Leone couldn't even begin to imagine what a hotel good enough for room service would even have. He just shrugged. "Okay. I'll order for you." Bruno got off the bed and Leone whimpered, still without looking (good God, he was seriously becoming embarrassed for himself). The phone clicked when Bruno picked it up and then the bed dipped when he sat, one hand going to gently pet Leone's arm. Bruno was speaking but Leone tuned out the words, focusing only on the sound of Bruno, taking measured breaths to calm whatever the hell had gripped him. By the time Bruno was done talking to whoever it was on the other end of the phone, Leone was in control of himself enough to sit up. Bruno kissed him on the lips, carefully. "You alright?"
"Yeah." He nodded, said it again to be sure he could. "Yeah. I'm fine, I don't know why… Thanks for putting up with me."
"My pleasure, darling." He kissed him again, longer. "Mm~ Leone?"
"Mm?"
"Could you- Could you lay down? Under?" Bruno pulled the comforter on the large bed as up as he could, blue eyes bright as Leone complied. As quick as he could get himself close, Bruno cuddled up to him, getting one of Leone's legs between his own and laying his head on Leone's chest. "God, I missed this."
"I did too."
"Goddammit, I missed you, Leone."
Slightly less steady, "I missed you too." Bruno held him tightly, Leone held him tighter. They didn't move at all other than to kiss until there was a knocking at the door and Bruno got up to bring the food in. Leone sat up, the covers bunched up over his legs and let Bruno feed him with little resistance. It was some kind of pasta. Leone couldn't begin to imagine what kind (Narancia would probably know). Sitting there, letting himself be fed like he was a toddler and not a grown man, he watched Bruno eat too and found he kind of liked it. Not for any sex reason, it was just… Comforting to see him eating, taking care of himself. By the time the food was gone and the plates piled on the nightstand, Leone was more than ready to hold him again. And hold him he did. Laying down, pressed chest to chest, Leone and Bruno didn't need anything else but the warmth of the person in their arms and the feeling of the other's heartbeat.
Time became meaningless, or close to it. Leone felt no connection to the past, no recognition of a future, there was only now. Only Bruno.
So he wasn't entirely sure how much time passed before Bruno shifted, clearly grinding against Leone's leg, between his own, and just as clearly trying to pretend that that wasn't what he was doing. Leone decided to act like he didn't notice and see what happened. Sure enough, not too much later, Bruno again rocked against Leone's thigh, his breath coming out shaky. Then he kept going, the time between his attempted humpings becoming less and less until he wasn't trying to hide it anymore, rubbing down against Leone in a slow rhythm. "Leone…" Bruno whispered his name so quietly that Leone wondered if he was even meant to hear it.
He answered regardless, a soft "Hmm?" of question.
Bruno's hands slid beneath the coat Leone still wore (it was getting rather hot, actually). "Take it off."
Leone wasted no time with games, did not removed only the coat in an attempt to get Bruno to beg. He knew what Bruno wanted. He wanted it too, far too much to delay. Slipping out of Bruno's arms, he stood and started to remove his clothes. He heard the bed creak and wondered if Bruno was getting up to do the same. By the time he got himself naked, Bruno was as undressed as he could get himself, laying out on the bed in- in a different pair of lingerie than he'd had the first time (how many did he have?). This one fit much the same, but the lace was wound into a pattern of roses. Leone crawled over to him, got himself above that pretty body and then just looked. "Oh, Bruno."
Cheeks red, looking away, Bruno's shyness was catching up to him. "Do you like it?"
"You have to ask?" The question was genuine, but Bruno didn't answer. "Sweetheart…" Lowering himself, kissing Bruno on the neck exactly where Leone knew he liked, Leone murmured, "You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life."
"Th-Thank you, Leone." One of Bruno's hands gently ran over Leone's hair and Leone kissed him harder in response, making a noise that was not quite a moan. A soft laugh and Bruno's voice was more amused than embarrassed. "You like that?" Another pet, Bruno's nails just scraping his scalp and if Leone could purr he would be. He settled with nearly biting Bruno, letting himself fully down so they were pressed together, wishing immediately that he'd gotten Bruno naked first. Kissing at Bruno's neck, finally having the freedom to mark him as he saw fit, Leone reached down and tried to get Bruno's lingerie off his hips, fumbling a bit in his haste. "I've got it." Leone froze, shifting slightly off of Bruno to watch as he did it himself. He didn't bother with stopping the small whimper of want that came with seeing Bruno's cock. Bruno was blushing to his ears.
"Bruno." Leone kissed him, wriggling with impatient delight. "Bruno, what do you want?"
"Eventually? Everything." Bruno kissed him back before pressing those lips to his neck and Leone's whimper came out a pit more high-pitched than he intended. "Hmm~… But now, I haven't the slightest idea." He giggled before Leone could make some kind of response, one hand going to lay against Leone's throat. He tensed up, but Bruno made no move to apply pressure of any kind. "I see why you like kissing me so much. It's kind of fun to leave lipstick all over you."
Backing himself out of Bruno's hold, he laid close to his baker, murmuring in the safety of his hair, "Please don't grab my neck like that. I don't- Choking isn't a pleasant thought for me."
"Oh, sweetheart!" Bruno's arms wrapped around his chest, one hand petting down his spine over and over until Leone relaxed with a shaky sigh. "I apologize, I didn't mean- I wouldn't ever do that to you, Leone."
"Thank you." Leone kissed Bruno's neck again.
"Mm~ I love you, Leone."
"I love you too."
Hands started to wander again, breathing got heavier, wanting noises from them both, a sort of desperation building until Leone slammed a palm to the headboard and growled, "Dammit, Bruno, what do you want?"
"I-I don't know, I don't-"
Leone kissed him hard, fumbling under him for the clasp that held his bralette on, damn near tearing the thing off him when he got it. "What do you want, Bruno?"
"I don't-" Bruno's words choked off into a squeak when Leone ducked his head and got one of Bruno's nipples in his mouth, pawing blindly at the other, body shaking with the urge to just rut against him until they both came. "I don't know, I don't know, Leone, please, Leone, just do whatever you want to me." For a moment he froze entirely, but when Bruno whimpered and arched his back in an attempt to get Leone to do something, he managed to move again. Part of him wanted to do exactly as his body willed, to press their bodies together and not stop until Bruno was screaming his name, but without anything to put down there, well… Spit would have to do. Bruno briefly tried to stop him when he pulled away from his chest, but any resistance vanished immediately when Bruno figured out where he was going. Shifting in impatience, Bruno wrapped his legs around Leone's neck the second he was low enough.
"So impatient…" Bruno's legs tightened around him and he hummed understanding, bowing his head to lick Bruno's cock from base to head, groaning almost at the same time Bruno did. He was careful with how much pressure he gave in each measured stroke of his tongue, far more interested in getting him wet than getting him off. Bruno's hands were both gripping his hair, his hips shifting slightly in an effort to help, perhaps, or maybe he didn't even realize he was doing it. Bruno complained loudly, if wordlessly, when he stopped. "Shh, shh, I know…" Unwinding Bruno's legs, Leone crawled back up him, laying their bodies together with a shaky groan of relief (he was aching he wanted him so badly).
"Leone~" Bruno smiled up at him in a way that was almost sleepy, wrapping his arms around Leone's neck and pulling him down for a kiss, further smearing lipstick on both their faces, already trying to roll his hips against Leone's despite being hardly able to move beneath the larger man's weight. "It's okay, it's okay, please touch me, Leone."
Laughing weakly, getting his arms around Bruno to hold him close, Leone felt warmed by Bruno's reassurance that this was fine. Bruno wanted this too. It's okay.
He started off slow, careful, thinking only of what Bruno would be able to take, rubbing their cocks together in a gentle rhythm until Bruno's hands were pulling at him, the few words he managed to form, desperate orders for more, and Leone complied a little bit at a time. But it was becoming clearer and clearer that Bruno just liked things rough. By the time Bruno only gave moaned encouragements, the force with which Leone rutted against him was enough to make the bed creak beneath them, the headboard occasionally making loud contact with the wall behind it. God, he wanted to just flip him over and fuck him, wanted it so badly, but that would take time (he would never hurt Bruno, no matter how hard he wanted), time neither of them could be bothered to give, so he just clung to him with all the strength he had and focused on the force his body could give and the breathless laugh of euphoria that tumbled from Bruno's lips before he kissed him with a smile still curling his mouth upwards.
He'd dreamed of this, but nothing could ever truly live up to the truth of Bruno's flushed and smiling face, or replicate the feeling of Bruno telling him, over and over, that he loved him, loved him, loved him, his voice coming faster and louder as he came closer to the end of this, back arching against the pressure of Leone's weight, hands pressed to the headboard, and he was so damn beautiful, eyes wide, lips parted in an empty gasp for breath that led-
That led to a long and low moaning of Leone's name, Bruno's whole body relaxing in the aftermath of his orgasm, blue eyes fluttering shut. Leone raised himself off of Bruno, just looking down at him, spent and shivering, cum on his stomach. He got himself off easily enough, but Bruno's brow furrowed when Leone spilled on his already-wet stomach. "Leone, do not- Hrrmmmm, too late…" Laying an arm over his eyes, Bruno sighed with a note of contentment. "God, I needed that though…"
Leone whimpered, a desperate note of apology that was depressed enough to get Bruno to look at him, both hands on Leone's cheeks as he squished his face. "Oh, sweetie, it's alright. You're fine." Leone tried to say something but Bruno had his face smooshed up too much for the words to be coherent. "It's okay baby~ You're fine, I don't mind, really. It… Actually isn't as bad as I was expecting."
"'M still sorry…"
"Well, it's the thought that counts I suppose… Be a dear and carry me to the shower, I do not want to get this on the carpet."
Leone was barely able to hold himself and he was still swaying, on all fours. How could Bruno bounce back so fast…? Shaking his head in an attempt to knock his thoughts back into order, he shuffled to the edge of the bed and managed to get his feet under himself. Taking a moment just to breathe, Leone found himself wishing Bruno had just passed out like the first time. Oh well. With a prolonged and disgruntled whine, Leone got his arms under Bruno and hauled him up, cradling him close to his chest. God, he was so beautiful, naked and glowing, finally relaxed, lipstick smeared across his lips, his face, his neck, his chest. He was so damn beautiful. "Bruno."
"Leone." Bruno wrapped his arms around Leone's neck, leaning his head against his shoulder with a sigh.
Leone carried him to the shower, just keeping him close and moving where necessary to let Bruno reach the shower's knobs, holding him until it warmed and he could set him on his feet beneath the water's stream before stepping in after. Bruno, predictably, couldn't make himself look at the mess on his skin, nor could he touch it, so Leone grabbed the closest washcloth and started to wipe him down. He didn't bother stopping at just the obvious parts, he rubbed all over, clearing away the lipstick before going down his legs. He was on his knees, trying to get Bruno to raise his leg so he could wash his feet when Bruno bothered to say something. "You really don't have to do that."
"I know." Another tug to his leg, trying to pull from behind his knee this time, hoping it would give out. It didn't. "I want to."
"Stand up, Leone." He obeyed and Bruno took his face in his hands, just looking at him for a moment, expression soft. "Oh, Leone." Nuzzling his face against the hands that held him, Leone shuffled in expectation. Bruno just giggled. "You're so sweet. And cute." Standing on the tips of his toes, he kissed him briefly and Leone hummed.
Am I a good boy?
Jesus Christ, he was glad he hadn't said that out loud. That would have been mortifying.
"What is it, Leone? You're wanting something, I can tell."
Oh no. He shook his head. "It's nothin'…"
"It's something, now tell me. Tell me and I'll let you do whatever you want, alright?"
Leone shut his eyes, a shiver working its way up his spine at the implications. Bruno probably meant that he'd let Leone wash him. That was not at all what it had sounded like. Shifting closer, slumping down enough to hide his face against Bruno's neck in shame, he muttered, "Will you tell me I'm a good boy?"
Dear lord, that sounded infinitely worse when he actually said it out loud, he was already cringing, waiting for Bruno to laugh at him or-
Gently, Bruno's hand stroked the back of his head as, just loud enough to hear, he purred, "You're such a good boy, Leone."
Dammit. He wrapped his arms around Bruno, holding him as close as he could get him, still trying to hide. And Bruno kept petting him, running a loving hand over his wet hair and telling that he was good boy, a very good boy. Dear God, he wanted to pin Bruno to the wall and fuck him till he forgot his own name, wanted to kiss him very gently and tell him that he loved him more than anything. He went with the second one. Bruno returned the words with a soft smile. Leone only kissed Bruno once, but apparently that wasn't enough for his touchy baker, because Bruno got both hands in his hair and did not stop kissing him until the water started to run cold.
"Oh, oops." Cranking the dial until it heated up again, Bruno gave Leone a sheepish look. "I guess we should finish and get out." He agreed dumbly and let Bruno wash his hair, fighting back whimpers the whole while, before returning the favor. Again, Bruno let Leone dry him off and pranced out ahead to get dressed. Leone dried himself as quick as he could, following nervously, acutely aware that he would be the only one naked now. Bruno didn't seem to mind. He just handed him his clothes and waited patiently while he dressed, dragging him back to bed as soon as he could to cuddle.
Humming, head on Leone's chest, Bruno looked up at him with a grin. "Hi, Leone."
He smiled back. "Hey, Cookie."
A pleased silence that lasted only a few minutes before Bruno shifted, getting closer, and said, "What other plans did you have today? Oh, I hope it wasn't pressing."
Kissing the top of Bruno's head, Leone absently rubbed his side while he answered him. "Nah, nothing really. I was just gunna try and get the kids something for Christmas. It's almost here and all." Bruno made a soft noise, hand pulling gently at the buttons on Leone's shirt like he wanted to pull it off again. Leone struggled to stay on subject. "I-I got something for the others, but Narancia and Panna' were with me so I couldn't really get their gifts, uh, so, yeah." Clearing his throat, Leone sat up, pulling Bruno with him. "A-Anyway, we should probably go, complain about the room until they give you your money back."
"Hmm? Why?" Bruno shifted away, genuine confusion on his face.
"Because- This was all you wanted, right? And you have to get back home?"
Now they were both confused. For a second they just looked at each other. Then Bruno sighed and took Leone's face in his hands, kissing him softly on the lips. "Oh, Leone…" Wriggling from the tone in that beautiful voice, Leone's breath caught in his throat. "Did you think I just wanted to-… Leone, I just wanted to spend time with you." Bruno kissed him again and Leone just melted against him. "I wanted you to hold me, Leone." Whimpering, Leone reached up to get his arms around Bruno, shaking. "I don't want to go back there yet, Leone, I want to go to bed with you."
And he was weak, he was weak, he was weak.
Voice shaking as hard as his hands, Leone managed to say, "Okay."
"Thank you." Said like Leone was the one doing a favor. Then Bruno kissed him again, pushing him down till he was on his back, and Leone could feel him smiling. They were both too spent to do anything more, but then, Leone didn't really think he could take anything more anyway. Eventually, they slowed down, just held each other, Bruno's hand running absently through Leone's hair. "Mm… Leone? It isn't that late, we could still go get the kids their things. Wrap them here, so they don't see them. Then…" The way his voice trailed off embarrassedly was enough for Leone to understand what Bruno wanted.
He held him close for a moment longer, squeezing him just shy of too tight. "Alright. That sounds nice."
"Like, I have never seen him express interest in anything. Literally. Nothing at all." Leone made a vague gesture with the lollipop Bruno had bought for him. "He's like a robot. Or something."
"Something is right." Bruno leaned his head against Leone's shoulder, shifting his grip on his arm. "Isn't there something generic we could buy? What's something kids like?"
"How the fuck would I know that Bruno."
"Well, I just thought…" He huffed. "I don't know either, actually… Well, I know we shouldn't get him any of those stupid smart kid things, those are awful. Nothing second hand either, he despises dirt and germs and such. Spend more time cleaning the thing than using it."
Did he? Explained his aversion to the dogs, at least… "There is no way in Hell he'd like anything cutesy, right?"
"Right."
"Sooo, no stuffed animals, or stickers, or something stupid that Narancia would like."
"Mmhmm."
"I got it." Leone patted Bruno's arm, grinning past the lollipop. "We'll get him a knife."
"No."
"A sword."
"Absolutely not."
"Spoil sport…"
"I would just rather you not get decapitated by our son, Leone. I like you with your head attached." Bruno was laughing though, squeezing his arm in the closest thing he could get to a hug while they walked. Reaching up, he stole Leone's lollipop and before Leone could demand to have it back, Bruno was kissing him, standing on the tips of his toes, leaned awkwardly forward. He seemed about to fall, so Leone wrapped his free arm around him to make sure he didn't, leaning down to make it easier on him. When they parted, Bruno grinned and stuck the lollipop in his own mouth. "You really are adorable you know."
Pouting, trying to get his candy back, Leone grumbled, "I most certainly am not."
"You are. Now let's look in here, I'm sure Narancia would love another tea set."
Bruno pulled him in the direction of some old-stuff-thrift-store that was probably run by a hundred year old fossil of a human being. "A-Another tea set?"
"Yes, the last one… Broke." The bell above the shop's door was not nearly as pleasant as the one in Bruno's bakery. It was too loud and too… Clang-y. Leone gave it a look of distaste as he passed under it. The shop was cluttered and for some reason was predominately brown. Why were old things always brown? Why did old people like wood so much?? It was stupid. God, the dust was already making him want to sneeze. He glared at an old table, just wanting to be angry. Bruno looked back at him and Leone tried to fix his face quick enough. He most certainly failed. Expression turning to that of a scolding mother, Bruno reached up to tug his ear. "Now, Leone, don't go acting grumpy. These places aren't that bad. You can actually find some nice things in them."
"Sorry, Bruno…" He shook himself free of Bruno's tugs. "It's just dusty and I want to sneeze."
"Then sneeze, no one will judge."
Leone made a face at the back of Bruno's head as he turned and continued to make his careful way through the small path through the store, flanked on both sides by Things. God, Narancia would have loved it in here. Items, large and small, piled nearly to the roof in some places, stacked, placed, cluttered, pushed, full to the brim with stuff that absolutely no one was watching. He had half a mind to steal some himself. Call it payment for being forced to endure the tiny makeshift hallways. But no. He couldn't do it and he knew it. Narancia would have been so ashamed.
"Oh, there's the cash register." Bruno turned a corner and vanished. "Hello there!"
Leone shuffled forward, peeked around the edge of a massive bookshelf to find his lover (hehehe). Bruno was talking to a pleasant looking man who was actually very young, not at all what Leone had expected. They seemed to be getting on rather well, so Leone looked over the books while he waited, running his fingertips over the spines. Something brighter than the rest caught his attention (colors yay) and he pulled it out with something resembling a smile. It was some silly kids book he'd wanted to read when he was younger. Something to do with cats. His dad hadn't let him. He started to put it back, a sour taste in his mouth, when something caught his attention in the space behind the books. He forced the books further apart, reached in and pulled out… A fuckin' electronic brick? Some blue shit was stuck in the back. He knew what it was, of course, anyone who passed a TV knew what this thing was. That new toy thingie from Japan, the uh. The. Um. He read the name printed on the thing. GameBoy. Yeah. That thing.
"Leone?" Bruno poked his head around the shelf. "The man behind the counter- his name is Connor- he said, um, that what you're going to want is twenty bucks? Do you know what that means?"
"Uh." Leone held up the GameBoy. "Is he talking about this? He knows what this is, right?"
"Maybe." Bruno shrugged, entirely unimpressed. "C'mon, he said tea sets were this way." Then he just pranced off like he hadn't just told Leone he could get a seventy dollar object for twenty.
"It's a game, Bruno, you stick little, uh, squares in it and it plays different things."
"That's neat."
"It also came out last year and is expensive as hell."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Leone followed him into a place that was at least marginally more ordered, tea sets set out carefully on tables. "Do you think Fugo would like games? Maybe give him something to do in his spare time."
"I'm sure he wouldn't dislike it. Well, maybe." Bruno picked up a cup and held it up, examining it with eyes narrowed. "Leone darling, come help me look at this one, I want to check it for cracks." Leone shoved the game in his pocket and went to pick up a tea cup, looking at it carefully. Whatever Bruno wanted.
Most of the sets seemed fine, at least to Leone, but Bruno seemed dissatisfied with every one they looked over. They were looking at the last one now and Leone was getting nervous. It was a pretty enough set, he supposed, not that he knew too much about design (as Narancia was always eager to point out) but one of the cups was wrong. The set itself wasn't what Leone would have called the usual (or at least, not the first and only image that arose when he thought tea set). It was all red glass with gold rim, handles, and decoration. From the cups, to the saucers, to the little sugar box. All of it except for one cup. One of them, for some reason, was blue and silver. "There's a cup wrong, Cookie. Will he want that, or will he just make fun of us?"
Bruno's expression was soft as he picked up the odd cup out. "I think he'll like it just fine, Leone. Come on. We'll stop at a clothes store and get something like a scarf for Panna'."
Handing Leone the majority of the glassware, Bruno led the way back to the cash register while Leone tried desperately not to break anything. Connor smiled at them both. "Told ya you'd like the blue one."
"That you did, though I must admit, I thought you meant that all of it was blue."
Connor shrugged, a surprisingly sophisticated movement when he did it. He just had… An aura. "Here you go." A box, pushed across the counter. "You can put it in there, darling. I'll ring you up. What's in your pocket too, yes?"
Oh shit, Leone had forgotten about that thing entirely. "Uh, yeah. Thanks." He carefully started transferring the glass to the container while Bruno paid, putting Fugo's game in there too and carefully closing it up.
"There we are. Come on, Leone. Could you carry it?"
"Of course, Bruno." He picked it up and followed behind as Bruno began to lead the way back through the confusing store.
Behind them, Connor called out, "Come back and see me sometime!"
They left the store and Leone breathed in the cold air gratefully. "Thank God, I hate cluttered shops like that."
"I don't mind them so much. At least the cashier was helpful."
Yeah. The… The cashier. What has his name been? What… What had he looked like? Leone bit absently at the inside of his cheek, trying and failing to remember the man's face. He could picture, vaguely, a fur coat and blue eyes, but… Who was he thinking about again? Beside him, Bruno started humming and Leone forgot that he had forgotten anything in the first place.
It was relatively easy to pick up what would clearly be an afterthought gift, going into the nearest clothes shop and buying a simple orange scarf. The person behind the register wrapped it for them and readily agreed to wrap the GameBoy and box of tea set as well. With quite a bit of thanks from Bruno, they departed and hurried back 'home', hiding in the shelter of their hotel room with relief.
Bruno locked the door behind him and Leone watched as he headed for the bed, unbuttoning his shirt and shrugging it off before turning on his heel to fall back onto the bed with a sigh. "Leone~" He held his arms up towards the ceiling and Leone nearly smiled. "C'mere." He obeyed, of course, kicking off his shoes and going to lay next to Bruno, nearly on him, leaning down to kiss his baker on the lips, smiling into the kiss when Bruno made a soft sound of happiness and wrapped his arms around his neck. For a while they just stayed that way, kissing softly, touching gently, until Leone pulled away and looked at Bruno's face for a moment.
"Bruno?"
"Ye~s?"
"What do you want me to do?"
"Mm?" Bruno's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I mean-" Leone shifted till he was above Bruno fully, holding himself up with one arm with the other hand went to pull at the button on Bruno's pants. "Do you want me to fuck you? Because I'm going to have to go get some things if you do." Bruno's face went scarlet and he covered it with his hands, squeaking something that was both too quiet and too high-pitched to hear. Laughing, Leone leaned down to kiss his neck, getting another squeak. "I can't hear you, baby."
"I said," Bruno peeked out at him from between his fingers, clearly attempting to glare. "That I just wanted to kiss you Leone, why must you always-" He made a disgusted noise and went back into hiding while Leone tried mostly successfully to not laugh at his discomfort.
"You're the one that was desperate to get it earlier, why so shy now? Hmm?" He started to kiss at Bruno's hands, leaving lipstick all over them, until Bruno scolded him for it, then kissed him for it too.
"You're insufferable," Bruno murmured sleepily against his lips, tipping his head to kiss him deeper, almost lazily getting his tongue in Leone's mouth, making out with him with as little effort as possible. "Absolutely… Insufferable."
Leone kissed him back in the same slow manner, trying not to let the smile he couldn't stop get in the way. Eventually they had to stop. Leone leaned back, considered Bruno's happy face and kissed him gently on the forehead. "You look beautiful. But if you want to sleep, I suggest we get that lipstick off your face and mine." Bruno agreed and let Leone pull him up, letting him clean him off as well before attempting to return the favor. Leone had to finish it seeing as Bruno didn't seem to know how makeup cleaned off and was getting a little too rough in his scrubbing for Leone's tastes. He carried Bruno back to the bed, helped him undress, and pulled the covers back for him before laying down at his side. Bruno wriggled closer as soon as he could, snuggling against Leone's chest with a happy sigh and immediately kissing his neck. "Do you wanna sleep or not?" Leone grumbled.
"I do, I do, sorry…" Bruno shifted again before settling down and Leone reached over to turn off the lights. Light from street lamps illuminated the room enough to see, but it wouldn't be enough to keep them awake. "Um… Leone?"
Okay, not going to bed just yet after all. "Yeah, Cookie?"
"What- What did you mean earlier? About needing to go get things?"
Of course he waited until it was dark to ask. Leone ran his hand absently over Bruno's hair as he spoke. "Just the usual things, you know. Lube so it's wet enough that I don't hurt you, or you me, if you wanna be on top. Condoms to make it cleaner. If you don't want it on you I kind of doubted you'd want it in you, soooo…" Leone shrugged.
"Could they have given these stupid things more awkward names?" Bruno grumbled the words almost angrily, rolling over so his back was to Leone.
Laughing softly, Leone moved with him, wrapping an arm around his waist and dragging him close till they fit together. Bruno grabbed his hand, wound their fingers together. Leone decided not to grace Bruno's question with an answer. He probably didn't want one anyway. Instead, he just kissed his hair and held him close, falling asleep easily for the first time since they separated.