risorto | {ic inbox}

[Bruno's smile doesn't exactly return, but something obviously in his eyes perks up at the question.]

Oh, anything by Miles Davis, even the albums I don't like as much as the rest, [he says with a small wave of his hand,] were still brilliant in their own right. I had every single one of his albums.

[It's not unusual for Bruno to sound proud, but it's certainly unusual to hear even a hint of it when it's directed towards anything to do with himself. But that collection of records is — was important to him.]

Bitches Brew was my favorite though. I can't even tell you how many times I listened to that over and over.

[Oh. That's cute, he thinks, and it's a word he can finally apply to Bruno. That's cute, that pride, and he makes a note of both that album name and the musician, just in case.]

If you ever find it, first thing you gotta do is let me listen to it with you, all right? I might as well pick up an appreciation of jazz while I'm at it.

[It's a joke, yeah, but it's also not-- he really will listen to the album, if Bruno ever gets it. Why not?]

That-- for me, it was Beggars Banquet. By the Stones, you know? It came out when I was a kid, but I picked it up when I was fifteen and I'd play it over and over. My papa-- he hated it, I don't know, he didn't like rock that much. So he got me a set of headphones, just so I wouldn't bother him.

[There's a start of a smile again when Polnareff says he wants to listen to it. It doesn't matter much to Bruno whether it's polite interest — which he doesn't think it is because Polnareff's simply not the type, he thinks, to put himself through something he doesn't like for the sake of manners — or because it's the friendly thing to do. That he offers at all is what puts the small smile on his face.]

[It widens when Polnareff shares his own favorite album though. It sounds like they managed to reach a good compromise with one another.]

I never listened to much rock. Though if Giorno had control over the radio, that's what he preferred to listen to. I didn't mind it if only because it didn't cause as many complaints with the others as Mista's easy-listening always did.

[Just one of the consequences of being a mom to rowdy children.]

Well, I don't blame them. Who wants to listen to the same shit they play in elevators? At least jazz or rock is actually music.

[A beat, and his grin returns. Not as shit-eating as some of his previous ones, but he's definitely amused.]

Kakyoin always used to-- well, actually, I don't think he minded the music, he just got pissy because I'd sing along. But we were driving all day, I don't know what he expected.

[It's obvious from Bruno's smile that he tries not to laugh at the elevator music comment, but the idea of Polnareff singing along with the music — and knowing him well enough to know that it'd be loud even if it was off-key and there was probably occasionally some percussion tossed in — is too much and Bruno turns his head a little, laughing behind the back of a hand.]

That's very brave of you to do something you know is going to irritate him in such a small, enclosed space.

Nah, that's the brilliance of it! He can't Emerald Splash when we're all packed in a car-- all he could do was pull a little face, like--

[He pinches his face, pulling an imitation of Kakyoin irritated. He's seen it often enough, it's not a bad imitation.]

And he always looks like that around me, I'm immune to it by now.

[Bruno's been with his team long enough to know that laughing always encourages that sort of thing. So, he knows better than to laugh at Polnareff's imitation of Kakyoin. But when it's that close to the real thing, what is he supposed to do?]

I can't imagine why he would.

He has to hide his love for me.

[It's always encouraging to see Bruno laughing-- and, much like Abdul, once he starts, Polnareff feels the need to keep egging him on.]

He says he's into Jotaro, but I know the truth. I mean, who could blame him, I'm five years older and way cooler, no wonder he's into me. The day I sang along to Madonna was the day he lost his heart.

[Fortunately, Polnareff doesn't seem to have to try all that hard once he gets Bruno started even if all his laughter is quiet and subdued.]

Madonna? Oh, well, [Bruno says with a small shake of his head,] then there's absolutely no way anyone could possibly resist you.

[Okay, he walked into that one. He knows he did. He'd known it even as he said it, but he'd said it anyway, because he couldn't help it, his impulse control has never been good at the best of times, but shit.

Shit, he thinks, because it's entirely unfair, Bruno saying that after Polnareff's realized what he did; it's unfair when Bruno has his hair in his eyes and Polnareff's present in his hair, when his voice is laughing and teasing and god damn it, this is unfair.]

[Not that he allows any of that to register on his face. There's half a second of a caught breath, maybe, a moment where he just lets those words settle in-- and then it's off to the races once more, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.]

It's option number three on my seduction technique. Although I really sound good with the Stones, that's where my true talent lies. If I ever get Beggars Banquet, watch out.

[Just because he knows this is a bad idea doesn't mean he's going to stop.]

[Once again, that brief hesitation goes with very little notice from Bruno. Polnareff's recovery is too swift for Bruno to think that it was anything other than just a moment of surprise that his humor often inspires.]

In the event that happens, I'll keep a close watch on my heart. [Bruno pats his chest just above his heart lightly with a hand.] But if you do manage to steal it, you have to promise not to break it.

[Bad idea. Definitely a bad idea. Absolutely, definitely a bad idea, he should beat a tactical retreat, he definitely should switch the topic, they're on his bed and he's two feet from Bruno and--]

You think I'm that callous? Believe me, you give me your heart, I'll be the best boyfriend you ever had. Flowers, chocolates, all that crap. You'll be so romanced you'll forget your own name.

[YOLO.]

[Bruno snorts.]

And how many people have you made that promise to, Casanova?

Not the point. [He jabs a finger over at Bruno, mouth pursed in false indignance.] Whether it's one or a hundred, it's still true. I'm amazing at romance-- you oughta ask Jotaro, I'm his sherpa up sex mountain-- the one who guides him through all the weird questions sex brings up.

[--oh, shit, he probably shouldn't have said that. Not even because of crush-related reasons; it just seems like something not cool to talk about when it's someone not in your core bro circle.]

--don't. Tell him I told you that.

[Sherpa up sex mountain... Bruno holds up a hand.]

I'm perfectly content to forget I ever heard it.

[Okay, wait--]

It's not weird-- what, you're my age and you hang out with a bunch of teenagers too, nobody ever asked you weird sex questions?

You're joking, right? Those boys would rather pretend like they know exactly what they're doing and fumble their way through it than ask anyone questions.

You'd know that if you'd seen the way they were falling all over themselves around Trish.

[Because you know, just because Bruno ignored it doesn't mean he didn't notice it. It'd be like failing to notice two trains colliding as it was happening three feet in front of you.]

[He laughs-- not cruelly, exactly, but definitely amused.]

Ahh, and here I thought they'd be comfortable asking their mama anything. Did they all try to flirt with Trish, then? At least Jotaro's confident enough to ask.

[A beat, and then he meets Bruno's eyes.]

Thank god we're not teenagers anymore.

[That might be the most honest thing he's said all night.]

[Who can say why it is this time, but this time, Bruno doesn't look away when he chuckles quietly.]

Calling what they were doing flirting would be an abuse of the word. [He tips his head a little.] I'd like to imagine either one of us would have managed better than that at their age.

[It's definitely new, that open laugh-- quiet, yeah, and brief, but it's still progress, and he definitely notices it.]

Yeah? I know I did-- what about you? Was seventeen year old Bruno constantly going out with all the pretty Italian gi-- people, or what?

[He was about to say girls. That much is completely obvious even if the word barely started to come out before he changed it to people. He lifts his chin some, tilting his head just a little more. Normally, he might not have thought much of it. Polnareff's from a few decades back and things have progressed a long ways since then. But at the same time, it wasn't that long ago he was talking about a pretty French girl and granddaughters, and only a pretty French girl and granddaughters.]

It wasn't constantly, but it's not like being a gangster meant I took a vow of celibacy.

. . . and?

[Bro, come on. They're not two glasses into wine, but they're friends now; that means you get interesting gossip. Polnareff leans back on his elbows as he regards Bruno with an expectant expression.]

Come on, you can't just leave it at that.

[Bruno shrugs a shoulder.]

I wouldn't think it'd be all that interesting to hear. It was rarely ever anything serious, especially before I was made a team leader.

Gossip's always interesting! Especially if you're gonna defend yourself as more romantically competent than your team.

[He really does mean that, too; he likes hearing gossip, because who doesn't? But it'd be a lie to say there's no ulterior motive as well-- ie, are there any male names in that list of previous paramours.]

I mean, you can say you were better at seventeen, Bruno, but I dunno if I believe it.

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