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[Bruno intertwines his fingers together, resting them on his thigh once Polnareff's taken the pencil from him, but he only tightens his grip marginally at the question. He should be looking at Polnareff, but his eyes dart away to somewhere else instead as he thinks of what to say. If he should say.]

[Ci si sente come se ho perso il mio cuore.]

[That's what he had told Giorno shortly after it happened. A few days after that one day when Abbacchio simply was no longer there. And it still feels that way sometimes if Bruno lets himself think about it — which he doesn't. Not often anyway. And he tells himself it's because he's still holding onto the firm belief that he will come back. He follows Bruno everywhere, he'll follow him again here. No matter how long it takes or what he has to go through to get there. Looking at it from any other way... Well, Bruno simply won't.]

He probably would have hated you, [he says with a small puff of laughter, gaze dropping a moment to the floor before he looks at Polnareff again to watch his progress.] Which wouldn't really have been anything personal. He didn't really like many people, and hated newcomers most of all. So, he put them through hell to prove their loyalty. After a while, he'd back off, but he never really went out of his way to be kind to anyone. It's why he never really warmed up to Giorno. Giorno took all the shit Abbacchio gave him and didn't make a fuss out of it.

[And then he had more reasons when he came here, when he found out what happened to Bruno and Giorno took the brunt of the blame against Bruno's wishes to make things more comfortable for Abbacchio. If there was ever one thing that Bruno wishes he could do over...]

He was older than me by a few months, so he didn't really relate as well to the others, but it was obvious they looked up to him at least some because he stayed focused on the missions and followed orders no matter. [Bruno shakes his head a little.] But he wasn't some kind of mindless drone. Abbacchio was the only one on the team who ever openly disagreed with me.

[What Bruno doesn't say is that he was really the first one to follow because he was also the first to fall. The first to fall and Bruno had no other choice but to leave his body there for someone to find. Someone who didn't know him and never would. Someone who would probably look at him and assume he got what he deserved once the initial shock and horror died down. Someone who wouldn't understand the light that went out when he took his final breath. He'd have been carted off to a morgue to wait until Giorno came to collect him and give him a funeral service that Abbacchio probably would have scoffed and sneered at if he wasn't the one they were burying.]

[He was a good man and he had deserved so much better than what had been handed to him.]

He was never easy to like even on his good days, but I think you would have anyway.

[He knows the notes of Bruno's tone, because it's the same voice he'd used when he'd spoken about Abdul. It's grief, still raw and hurting, an ache in your heart that you're always aware of, every hour of every day-- but there's a yearning to speak, rather than tuck the pain away. You want to talk about them, make sure their memory isn't forgotten, even if it kills you to talk about them, because they deserve to be remembered. Because they died doing what was right, and that ought not to be forgotten.

Yeah, he knows that tone. In some ways, he thinks, Bruno is stronger than him-- he can speak of Abbacchio without his voice wavering, without choking with grief or charging past the subject. That's more than Polnareff can say about himself.]

I probably would have.

[He doesn't often use a soft tone of voice, preferring to blast his emotions full-volume-- but exceptions can be made. He murmurs the words and glances up from the mirror-- meeting Bruno's eyes, his own soft with shared sympathy.]

I won't say I'm sorry, because I never liked hearing that, but--

[He pauses, glances away for a moment, trying to find the right words.]

He was here, and then he wasn't. And I don't know if I could take that, if it was me and my friend. [A beat.] I know I couldn't take that.

[The softness surprises Bruno. Not that he thinks Polnareff is incapable of being soft, but it's the first time he's really seen it before. At least like this where there feels like complete (albeit unfortunate) understanding. In some ways, it feels familiar and warm, but in some ways it feels alien and uncomfortable. The two sensations sit side-by-side one another and don't vie with one another for Bruno's absolute attention, giving him at least a small moment to acknowledge them both in turn, his grip in his lap relaxing.]

[He knows why it feels uncomfortable because it always is when he feels like he's being seen. It doesn't matter if he's the one pulling back the curtain or not, it always happens where he doesn't exactly feel ready to crawl out of his own skin, but he wants to fidget and move away despite never doing either. As to the other... Well, it's not often that Bruno feels this way with another person, where they simply seem to understand whether it's because he let them or they figured it out first. But it's because it's rare that he's so attentive to it that it feels remembered as something would be if it were familiar. Like remembering the melody of a favorite song or the way the sky looks when the sun's beginning to dip below the horizon created by the ocean.]

I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. [He holds his hand out for the pencil.] You still came back.

[Truthfully, Bruno doesn't know if he should have said that because talking about lost friends is one thing and family is another, but he felt it needed saying. Maybe Polnareff and Bruno don't survive in the same way, but Polnareff is still here and maybe even in ways that Bruno isn't even now.]

[He tips his head in acknowledgement-- he did, yeah, bloodied and numb with grief, but he'd come back-- and hands the pencil back to him.]

And you're still here.

[So they both managed to survive and keep going, even if there were times when neither of them wanted to. Polnareff offers a slight smile, sad and soft all at once, and lets it linger for a moment. Someday, he thinks, he'll tell Bruno about Abdul and Sherry. Both of them deserve to be talked about-- not just in the light of grief, but fondly, just as he'd once regaled Giorno with stories about his sister.

That smile lingers for just a few moments, though. There's no sense in they both of them wallowing for their loved ones gone. Polnareff pushes his smile into becoming something stronger, something a little more teasing.]

So how do I look, hm?

[The effect, for the record, isn't horrific. There's a clear difference between the left and right eye, and he was admittedly distracted by their conversation, but at least the liner is on there, and it's all one line, so . . . progress. But his smile invites teasing, because of course he's not very good at this at all, and doesn't he know it.]

[And you're still here.]

[It's almost strange how it really wasn't that long ago that was being called in question. Repeatedly and by a number of people even if not all of them had the ability to say as much to Bruno. Sometimes he does still wonder whether or not he's here, but he thinks if someone like Polnareff noticed that he is, then he must be. At least right now, if nothing else. And that counts for something.]

[Bruno lets his attention be pulled back into makeup and looks between the two eyes. It's obvious which one of them has a more practiced hand for this sort of thing, but Polnareff managed well enough. He exhales sharply through his nose, turning his head a little with a smile.]

Close your eyes again, [he says like he isn't going to bring himself to answer that question seriously, and the only thing he can do is pretend like he didn't hear it.]

[But he's only teasing. It's really not that bad for someone who hasn't worn eyeliner all that much.]

That bad, huh?

[He grins as he obediently closes his eyes. Funny, isn't it, how he's perfectly fine with all this. A month ago, he'd been terrified to even try this with Jotaro-- he'd had to make sure all the doors were closed, because god forbid anyone walk in and see him. But now . . .

It's not that he's so much more comfortable with the concept itself. He's definitely going to wipe this off before he goes outside. But it's easy to relax around Bruno. It's easy to just be around Bruno.]

Hey, don't let me forget-- I got something for you, when you're done with this.

[Bruno starts drawing the other side of the wing's outline with the pencil. He raises an eyebrow.]

You did? What for? [He sets the pencil aside for the moment and picks up the liquid liner. As he's opening it, he warns,] This is going to feel cold at first. If you flinch, any stray marks will be completely your fault.

Not really for anything.

[Man, him and Kakyoin with the reasons needed for presents. Polnareff keeps himself as still as he can, though now he's a little tense thanks to that warning.]

What, I gotta have a reason to give a friend a present?

[Bruno's careful in putting the liquid liner on, only doing a little with the first stroke of it just in case Polnareff does flinch. From there, he does longer strokes, but he still takes his time in going over the line on his lash line and filling in the wing to a sharp, thin point.]

Most people do. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. [A beat.] Ulterior motives, bribery.

[He's kidding about the last couple, okay. Bruno is nowhere near that paranoid.]

[That tone sounds teasing, but still his mouth purses a little in indignance.]

Well, I don't. And I don't want to wait until-- hey, when is your birthday, anyway?

It's not for a couple months. [He comes to a halt with speaking since he's on the very tip of the wing and his full concentration is needed here. But with that complete, he continues,] September 27th.

You can open them again.

Good to know.

[He says that as he opens his eyes, blinking a few times. Immediately he focuses on his reflection, and:]

Hey, look at that! Pretty damn handsome, if I do say so myself-- shit, you are good at this.

[Bruno smiles at the compliment, picking up the pencil and holding it out with the liquid liner to Polnareff.]

Draw the other side of your wing with the pencil, trace over your lines with the liquid liner, and fill in. Just take it slow until you get the hang of it.

All right.

[This is significantly harder to do on oneself, he figures, but what the hell, this is a safe space. Polnareff sets the mirror up on the bed again, angled towards his eyes, and gets to work.]

So--

[This is kind of muttered, as he goes through the various facial contortions necessary to apply liquid liner.]

If somebody was to get you some stuff on your birthday, are you the kind of guy who prefers it left outside their door, or are you okay with actually getting it in person and all that? Just so we're clear. Ah, fuck--

[Talking and applying liquid liner: not even once.]

[Bruno doesn't laugh when Polnareff messes up at least, though his smile widens briefly.]

That'd be easy to fix if I brought a cotton swab with some makeup remover or you could just thicken your lines on both eyes if that was too much of a hassle. You're doing fine.

[But to the actual question:]

In-person is fine. Besides, if last year was any indication, Giorno probably won't let it go by without something being done for it. I didn't have much say in the matter.

[Which isn't to say he didn't appreciate it in some small ways. He didn't really want any fuss to be made over his birthday — not when it hardly mattered anymore — but the small reminders of home that Giorno and Mista put together for him... It meant a lot.]

Thank god.

[He lowers the liner for a moment to meet Bruno's gaze.]

I'm getting good at the whole leave-presents-in-front-of-a-person's-door jazz for their birthday, since apparently half this house likes it better that way, but I'd hate to do it for you too. I would, but I'd rather do it in person--

[And back to the eyeliner it is, and he glares a little as he keeps going. There's a jarred line in the middle, but whatever! It's fine, it's fine.]

I understand both sides of it. [Not everyone has enthusiasm for their birthday for legitimate reasons, but it's also a little awkward just leaving a present outside a bedroom door.] It's good that you're willing to listen to what they want though. No amount of good intentions would probably smooth that over if you did otherwise.

Yeah, and Giorno's one thing, but Kakyoin really might break my nose if I did shit for him.

[Which, actually-- he gets why Kakyoin doesn't want a huge celebration. He doesn't agree with it, he'd be the opposite if their positions were reversed, but he understands it enough not to push the issue. But it's easier to say he might break my nose than the real reason.

Anyway. Eyeliner semi-successfully navigated, Polnareff blinks a few times.]

How come so much makeup is wet, Christ--

[It's not really a question. And now that his hands are free, he digs into his pocket and pulls out--

Two barrettes. They're metallic black ones, the kind you snap into place, each inset with a small emerald. They sit in the palm of his hand, offered with a little smile.]

[Bruno's smile at the commentary about makeup fades a little into an openly surprised expression when Polnareff reveals the barrettes. For a brief moment, he makes no motion to take either one of them and seems almost content to just look at them or perhaps like it hasn't registered somehow that they are for him. But then Bruno does take one of them to inspect it a little closer, running his thumb over the small emerald and his smile starts to grow again. Wordlessly he then reaches up to take out one of the barrettes already in his hair to replace it with the one in his hand.]

[He reaches for the second one in Polnareff's hand, closing his fingers around it, but he doesn't immediately take it out of Polnareff's palm. Instead, he leaves it there for a few seconds as he smiles at Polnareff in a way that's almost a little shy, but no less sincere.]

They're beautiful, Jean. Thank you.

[And then he takes his hand back with the new barrette to finishing replacing the barrettes in his hair.]

Yeah.

[His fingers linger there, in Polnareff's palm, for just a few seconds. It's nothing, really; Bruno's just pausing to focus the entirety of his sincerity towards Polnareff. And yet his fingers linger there, warm and noticeable, and his smile is sweet, and--

Oh, boy, Polnareff thinks. The words flash into his brain, bright and loud, unmistakable in their noticeability, a jolt that floods his entire system. Oh, boy, and even as his heart starts pounding harder his smile doesn't fade, not a bit. This isn't something to be feared. It's a complication, certainly; it's confusion and worry and potential grief and a lot of crossed lines, it's going to make everything very much for a while, and god, but he's going to have to talk about this with Jotaro and maybe Kakyoin too, it's going to take a lot of thinking and maybe panicking, and god only knows how it'll all turn out, maybe it's nothing, maybe nothing will happen and maybe something will, but--

He sees that smile, and he gets the same excited electric shock he once got from earning someone else's smile. And that's no bad thing.]

They look good on you.

[That comes out easily enough, though there's a panicky-excited knot in the center of his chest.]

Although that's me out of a birthday gift idea-- at least I've got til September to figure it out, right?

[As for Bruno, he remains oblivious to the shift that's just occurred for Polnareff. Bruno drops his barrettes into his makeup bag followed by his eyeliner. The mirror, on the other hand, is only going to be put back once Bruno's had a moment it look at what he can of his reflection to see how they look in his hair. He runs his fingers through the ends of his hair a few times for some minor adjustments. Polnareff's right, they do look good. He'll have to see about getting a suit with the right shade of green for accents that would match it better than any of the ones he has now.]

Well, if you really get stuck, [he says, closing the mirror and dropping it into his bag before zipping it up,] I'm alright with considering these a very early birthday present.

[Because as would likely be anticipated, Bruno is probably the least likely to be all that fussed about needing or wanting anything for his birthday let alone be the sort of person who would demand and expect something to be given to him on the exact day. And he only says as much without any sort of explicit acknowledgement that he really doesn't particularly need or want anything because to him, it's really not about him or necessarily what he wants. He knew at the time that marking his birthday with something was important to Giorno and Mista, so he acquiesced for their sakes. Polnareff appears to be much the same way, so Bruno doesn't bother with protesting even if he's fairly certain that if he pushed it hard enough, he could likely make Polnareff abandon the idea at least temporarily.]

[Besides, it's not like Bruno doesn't understand what it feels like to do something for someone else and how important that feeling is. He'd be a hypocrite if he asked anyone to sit on that feeling against their wishes.]

Nah, nah, I can do better-- these are just a regular gift.

[He's intensely aware of what words are coming out of his mouth. He's a little giddy, reeling off his revelation-- and while he's not about to become some kind of tongue-tied idiot in front of Bruno, it's going to take a bit for his feelings to settle into something manageable. So, until then: very much aware of what he's about to say.]

Though if there's something you've always wanted in terms of jewelry, now's the time to say so. Since apparently that's what I can do now, make people earrings and barrettes and junk.

[Bruno sets his makeup bag back down beside him as he crosses his ankles on the floor in front of himself.]

So let me get this straight. [He holds up a finger to enumerate each item. He sure is going to have to make use of both hands.] You've perfected your skill at pool. You've been picking up little pieces of other languages. You've had time to teach yourself how to make jewelry, including earring and barrettes. I assume you're reading, [he says, gesturing the nearby stack of books.] You're learning how to put together a boat and you're learning how to pick on makeup that in all likelihood you might wear on a few rare occasions. And you've got time to come up with and make birthday presents for people whether they ask for them or not. But even with all that, you say you don't have much to do with your time.

[Bruno shakes his head with a small laugh as he lowers his hands, leaning back on one a little.]

No wonder Giorno and you get along so well. Neither one of you can sit still to save your lives.

[What is this slander, this libel, this teasing-- Polnareff stares at Bruno, caught between laughter and indignance. He's never seen this kind of teasing from Bruno before-- at best, he's heard a few jokes, quiet and wry, but this is something else entirely.

(Oh boy, he thinks again, giddy and terrified both).]

Hey-- hey! You're building this boat with me, you can't use that against me-- that's practically our second child, don't use the boat against me. The jewelry doesn't count, that was just-- that takes like five minutes, it's not hard. Besides--

[His grin fades into a smile, something a little softer.]

I haven't had this much free time in years. You want the truth, I don't really know what to do with it.

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