Inbox [Victory Road]

[nellacerniera]

You've reached Bruno Bucciarati. Please leave a message.

[Please specify the date and whether it's text, audio, or video! Or perhaps even action!]

Comments

[ripetuto]

It's your birthday. Lemme go out and get glasses for us--unless you just wanna drink straight from the bottle.

[nellacerniera]

[He laughs.]

Glasses, please.

[ripetuto]

Be back in a bit, then.

[And off he goes, eventually returning with wine glasses!

And also pizza. Look, it was right there.]

I already dropped off one for Narancia, don't worry.

[nellacerniera]

[Listen, that's fair.

Bucciarati takes the glasses so he can pour them both some of the wine.]

Thank you, I appreciate it.

[ripetuto]

It's your birthday.

[So.

Abbacchio sets the boxes down, having gotten two mediums, one of them a pizza Margherita]

[nellacerniera]

Still.

[He gets the wine opened and pours some for both of them, smiling as he brings the glasses over. He takes a seat next to Abbacchio.]

Doesn't mean I appreciate it any less.

[ripetuto]

[Abbacchio just grabs plates before he sits down and takes his glass, raising it in a toast.]

Happy birthday, Bucciarati.

[nellacerniera]

[He raises his glass as well.]

Thank you, Abbacchio.

[... Honestly, now that he thinks about it, there's a small part of him that's overwhelmed that he even gets to celebrate with Abbacchio like this.

Hell. The fact that he's even celebrating another birthday at all is kind of wild, if he thinks about it.]

[ripetuto]

[Abbacchio takes a sip and then huffs out a chuckle.]

I'd ask how it feels to be twenty-one but I know how it feels. Like twenty.

[nellacerniera]

[He laughs.]

You're right, I definitely don't feel much different.

[ripetuto]

You can't even get taller.

[Another laugh and then Abbacchio suddenly falls silent, thinking.

Shit. He'll get to see twenty-two.]

[nellacerniera]

[Bucciarati snickers a bit, before taking a sip of his wine.

When Abbacchio falls silent, though...]

... It's almost surreal, isn't it?

[ripetuto]

I didn't think I'd live past twenty, and then that fucking beach...

[nellacerniera]

... And yet, here we both are.

[ripetuto]

Here we both are. Celebrating your birthday with mine coming up in a few months. Surrounded by cats.

[Okay not really, but with the Skitties...]

[nellacerniera]

... It's a little overwhelming to think about, to be honest.

[ripetuto]

Yeah. But I wasn't going to not get my capo something for his birthday.

[nellacerniera]

[He brings a hand up to the necklace, brushing his fingers over it briefly.

And if he he turns a bit pink as he smiles... well.]

[ripetuto]

[The movement catches Abbacchio's eye and he can't help but smile a tiny bit (really it's more of a smirk).]

You like it?

[nellacerniera]

I do. I like it a lot.

[ripetuto]

Like I said, it seemed like it'd fit you. I'm glad it does.

[nellacerniera]

[His smile just grows wider at that.

And maybe... he leans against Abbacchio a bit. Just a little.]

[ripetuto]

[O-oh.

Well, Abbacchio won't move. Not for love or money. He's just going to eat his pizza and drink his wine with Bucciarati leaning against him like this.

Where is Narancia or the Pokemon he knows they're going to interrupt this oddly peaceful moment.]

[nellacerniera]

[Bucciarati's going to enjoy the pizza and wine as well, and just... otherwise not move.

But he's quiet, thinking during that time. He thinks back to a conversation he had before with Carly, remembers her warning.

...

Fuck it. Better to do this now, he thinks, before they could possibly lose the chance. He turns, just a bit, to look at Abbacchio.]

... hey.

[ripetuto]

[Abbacchio stops, wine glass half way to his lips.]

Yeah?