Purple Haze Feedback: Slight Return

Chapter 1: Bold as Love

Fugo slept an uneasy sleep, the feeling of guilt penetrating into his very dreams. He dreamt that the boy he loved, the one person his unstable, often unmoving heart opened to, was dead. In his dream he saw his love's death with his own eyes. The body he was in was not his own, rather in a cruel twist of fate caused by a variety of events, his soul was encased in his partner's body. Dazed and confused, he didn't even realise it had happened at first, until he had glanced over and seen his own physical form a few feet from him. Perhaps it was because they were so closely linked, but during this version of the soul swapping which occurred when Polnareff unleashed his Stand, Silver Chariot Requiem, it was Fugo's and Narancia's souls who exchanged bodies, not Giorno's.

Fugo saw his body impaled on the cruel spikes of a fence by the Boss' Stand, King Crimson, unable to move, or do anything, knowing that his body encased the soul of his lovers'.

He awoke with a start, his gasp casing the body next to him to stir and slowly awaken. "Fugo? You ok?" Fugo blinked, overcome with relief, it was just a nightmare, Narancia was groggy, but alive next to him, or that another trick of his psyche? "Nara…what happened, I thought…" The smaller figure looked at him dazed and blankly for a moment, still trying to coax his mind into consciousness.

"Wha?" Fugo shook his head. "Didn't I abandon you and the others…back on the boat?" Narancia blinked and then finally responded, almost as confused as his blonde bed mate. "Wha? Nah, that never happened…you weren't happy about betraying the boss, sure, but, for some reason, you stayed." Narancia looked away, it was too dark to see, but his face was reddening despite his half-awake state. Narancia always avoided eye contact when uncomfortable or embarrassed, an innocent child like quirk which made Fugo's heart fill with an odd feeling of adoration.

"Something told me…about what would happen if I did…I couldn't let you get hurt, something made me realise that, I had to protect you, status in the organisation meant nothing if you weren't in it with me. I had to listen to my heart instead of my head for once…it was hard but, I'm glad I did." Suddenly, Fugo turned and gripped Narancia in a firm embrace, tears begin to well up in his eyes beyond his control, he buried his face into the chest of the older boy. He hated how quickly his emotions would overcome him, how impulsive he could be. He wanted to be strong, but at the same time, he knew that the person he was holding onto would not push him away, would not shun him for them. He would hold him close and wait for the wave to pass.

Narancia fought against his embarrassment for Fugo's sake. Even though it was just the two of them, Narancia too struggled to understand all the emotions he felt when he was with Fugo. His heart would beat and swell beyond his control and it would scare him. Gently, he held the younger boy tightly and stroked his hair. "You're such a dummy sometimes Panna…I ain't going nowhere, you saved me after all, I owe you more than I'm smart enough ta know."

That was right. It must have been fate. Fate that Fugo had been late that day rushing to meet Bucciarati. Fate that he had stopped to look into the alley way and seen a boy, or at that time, Fugo wasn't really sure, but a child close to his age regardless, digging through garbage. A fate that could have so easily been his if not for being recruited by Bruno. Without thinking, he grabbed the adolescent's arm and pulled him into the restaurant with him.

Neither of them knew it back then, but from that moment, the red string of destiny had wrapped itself around both of their hearts and tied them together. Narancia, ironically, might have realised it before Fugo did. While he lay in his hospital bed, recovering from his eye surgery, that strange boy who he had met that day was all he could think of. Narancia didn't really know what these feelings meant, he just knew he wanted to meet that boy again.

Six months later fate brought them together again. Narancia had used his contacts on the street to find out more about the criminal organisation known as Passione, and more importantly, the young genius member named Panncotta Fugo.

They ran into each other on the street, Narancia boldly approached. "Y-yo! It's you, right? You helped me out." Fugo looked over the adolescent, still unsure of the exact gender they possessed, he had assumed it was a boy, because of the clothing they wore, but that face…it could have easily been a girl dressing in men's clothing out of practicality and to avoid attention. Their eye disease had been cured, no longer swollen and purple, those eyes stunned him. Thick long eyelashes surrounded purple orbs which shone with determination.

Narancia had begged him to let him join the gang, initially, Fugo was hesitant, not wanting to let him get involved, not wanting him to get hurt, so as a test, he brought out his Stand. "Turn around, Narancia," he said, quietly. "Mm? Why?"

"Just do it."Confused, Narancia turned his head. He frowned...then yelped.

"Wh-what the hell is that? Like a ghost or... I can see through it!"

Fugo nodded. "If you can see Purple Haze, you've got the potential."

"Hunh? What?"

"You should be able to pass Polpo's test with no problem. It won't get you killed."

Fugo dismissed Purple Haze.

And so Narancia successfully took Polpo's test and obtained a Stand of his own.

Bruno wasn't surprised when he saw Fugo return to the restaurant with Narancia trailing behind him. Bucciarati was excellent at reading people, he knew deep down that Narancia wasn't going to give up, and that Fugo was already infatuated with the feminine looking individual, although he was conscious of it yet.

"Ah, Bucciarati! I know you told me not to get involved but…Please don't be mad at Fugo, I talked him into it." Narancia was unable to look his capo in the eyes, overcome by embarrassment although he wasn't exactly sure why.

"No, its alright. I should have known that you weren't the type to give up so easily. I'm not against you being in the gang but I do have some conditions. I am still adamant about you receiving an education; I don't expect you to go to school of course, not that you're with us, you'll be far too busy; but, I think that Fugo should be capable of teaching you what you need to know, if you're alright with that of course, Fugo."

Fugo gulped. He couldn't turn away from Bruno's steely gaze, nor could he ignore a request from a commanding officer. "Yes sir…"

"Awesome! I won't let you down I swear!" Narancia's childish enthusiasm made Fugo smile against his own will. Deep down, he wished he could be so easily excited by things. "There are others in the group, but I think you should make yourself more…presentable before you meet them." For some reason, Fugo became flustered, as straggly as the adolescent was, even this grimy appearance made his heart beat unnaturally fast, he was almost scared at how he would react when the beauty that seemed to be just barely hiding underneath was fully revealed.

"Huh? How I am I gonna do that? We haven't done a job yet, I ain't got no money, no place to stay…" Fugo had to physically fight to keep himself from blushing as he suggested to a solution to that problem. "I'll buy you some clothes, you can pay me back after your first job. As for accommodation, you stayed at Bucciarati's for a bit, why don't you stay with me for a while this time…"

Narancia looked like a small child who'd been offered a free all you can grab trip to a toy store, then, perhaps aware of how this reaction might look, reddened slightly, his eyes on the floor. "You sure that's ok? I dun want to be a bother to you…"

"Its fine, really…" Struggling to keep his composure, Fugo bid farewell to Bruno and led Narancia off.