Epiphany

Ch. 03 : Blinding Lights

A few weeks of getting to know Bruno Bucciarati, after your first lunch with him, you two became such close friends. There are times when he would invite you over in his new apartment near your place, or he would come over at yours to drink a cup of tea.

This time, the two of you decided to walk around the city after drinking coffee at your favorite local coffee shop. It is near midnight now and the surrounding is starting to get quiet. Only the crickets and a few cars passing by can be heard aside from your footsteps.

You were in deep thoughts and feeling frustrated because you can't help but feel those flutters in your stomach when you're with Bruno again. You are trying to ignore it every time you would feel it because you do not want to overstep any boundaries as his friend.

Bruno's hand suddenly grabbed yours and you were stunned. You looked at him with wide and surprised look but he scoot closer to you, whispering "Do not say anything. We're being followed"

As if on cue, 2 figures appeared in front of the both of you. They're stands and probably a short range one. The fact that the both of them just appeared like that, their users are possibly hiding nearby. The other stand is about to attack when Bruno Bucciarati shouted "Sticky Fingers!" And a beautiful blue humanoid stand appeared, attacking the one who's about to grab you.

You snapped out of reality and summons your stand "Blinding Lights" A short humanoid stand, only 4ft in height appeared next to you. Pearl white in color, it has no other facial features aside from its three golden eagle eyes and it illuminates because of the street lamps or anything that shines whenever they hit its exterior. Your stand Blinding Lights isn't a powerful stand or even a fighting stand, but it can be lethal with its repetitive kicks that can stun another stand for a few seconds. It is a short range stand with an ability to manipulate someone's mind to speak whenever it touches them. Telling nothing but only the truth, it is effective for interrogations and getting information from enemies and criminal alike.

You focused on the other stand user, it is tricolor and has the ability to turn parts of their body into snakes, probably venomous ones. But before it can attack anyone, your stand gave its might to kick the vipers, jumping and kicking in the air to hit every snakes till they dropped dead and detached from the stand's body. You hurriedly grabbed your anti-stand gun, a creation by the Speedwagon Foundation that only affects a stand. Its purpose is for the non-stand user officers of SPW (Speedwagon Foundation) incase they battle with a stand user to protect themselves. Usually those who can't see a stand or the non stand users SPW agents are given a apecial eyewear by the SPW that has the ability to show a thermal form of stands by calculating the heatwaves and unknown energy forces in the wind that a naked or normal human/ non stand user's eyes can't see.
But luckily, even if you're a stand user, you were given by the SPW the anti-stand gun to protect yourself from a much powerful stands than yours.

You gave the viper creating stand multiple shots before it drops to the ground. It maybe swift but you saw how Bruno fought the other one. The way he would divide himself to dodge an attack and his stand would punch the enemy's stand, dividing its body parts into pieces in elegant strides made your jaw dropped. He could be an experienced fighter. Him and his stand's movements are uniform, and his fast reflects are eye catching. After Bruno defeated the last enemy stand, you both heard someone coughing or choking maybe from their blood behind the tall bushes next to an establishment just a few meters away from the both of you.

Bucciarati went to the suspicious bush, uses his stand Sticky Fingers to pull out two figures. The two men is completely beat-up from the fight, one is bleeding probably from the gunshot. You immediately contacted the SPW to invite them arrest these two.

It only took 2 mins for the SPW agents to arrive and they caught the two users. They asked you a few questions and in return, you told them that you'll interrogate the two users tomorrow once the head agent Prosciutto Nero finally hear about this matter. The agents offer you and Bruno a ride home but Bruno declines and told them that it isn't needed. They agreed about it and bid their goodbye.

When the SPW agents left, only you and Bruno are standing next to each other. Bruno grabbed your face and noticed the small cut on your lips from getting your stand Blinding Lights head-butted in the face.

"Does it hurt?" Bruno asked. There is a look of worry in his eyes and his thumb brushed gently against your drying lips.

"A little" you answered then chuckled to show him that you aren't fragile. And he gave you a smile in return. His unblemished face is looking more ethereal by the moonlight. It's quite unfair how the world works its beauty. But as beautiful as Bruno's soul, he deserves to be beautiful physically.

"You did great. You have such a wonderful stand." You felt your cheeks heated up by the compliment because you aren't used to someone giving your abilities such a comment. Other stand users would always think that their stand is better because they hold such formidable ones and yours is nothing special compare to theirs. But here you are, getting compliment by Bruno. And your stomach flips again, doing their silly stunts. You can feel yourself helplessly falling... sadly, you don't want to ruin the friendship that you and Bruno already have.

"Let me take you home" Bruno offered. And before you can even answer, he grabbed your hand, intertwining both of your fingers. He isn't saying anything during the walk so you kept your lips shut as well. The only thing you can hear at the moment is your heartbeat getting crazy.

"We're here." You finally broke the silent. Bruno stopped walking and stand in front of you, leaning forward and gave you a kiss on your forehead.

"I know it's inappropriate to ask you this. But can I... sleep over yours? I am getting tired and my place is 2 km walk from here. I hope you don't mind, cara mia" if your cheeks was burning a few moments ago, hearing Bruno calling you something in Italian made your whole body set on fire. You do not usually listen to Narancia when he's teaching you to speak in his native tongue, but you picked up a few words that he's always blabbering whenever he's trying to please women.

"I uhm.. yes! Of course. I'll take the couch since you are my guest!" You sound like you were rapping with how fast you spoke those phrases. But you feel like you're about to pass put with all the mixed signals that Bruno is giving you tonight and you do not want to assume any longer so you walked past him and unlocks the door of the condominium after you pressed the password in the door lock. When the AI accepted the password, the door opened and you can hear Bruno's footstep following you.

Slamming your fist softly against your chest, you are internally wishing that it will help to calm your heart. And when you entered the lift with Bruno, both of you were quiet.

After pressing the button, only the sound of the lift going up can be heard. And you thought your internal conflict is done but Bruno decided to break your sanity once again by wrapping his arms around your waist.

"I hope I am not making you feel awkward" Bruno whispered. And you want to curse him because no, he isn't making you awkward. But his advances is making your mind go to some places. A thought that someone shouldn't be imagining about a friend.

"No...it's fine" you answered weakly. Your heart is racing, hands starting to sweat. Your skin is feeling hot with how Bruno's body a merely inch in distance with yours. You can feel his chest hitting your shoulder every time he'd take a deep breath and its driving you crazy.

In your peripheral vision, you can see Bruno's lips curled into a teasing smile. He look so confident as if he's aware of his effect on you. You can't take the building tension anymore so you gave up by turning your head to face Bruno. Nervously, your hand reached his nape, pulling him closer before you smashed your lips together.