For today's fic, we have a time-skip for the Hearts of Gold series. This is set about 14 years after "After the Rain" and you should probably have read at least some of the other stories to understand this one. Abbacchio and Carmen's son Luciano is 14 in this and Rose is 17
For Whumptober Day 13: Cold Compress, Infection, 'I don't feel so good'
Rainbow in the Dark
A JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Fanfic
(Hearts of Gold Verse) When Abbacchio and Carmen's son falls sick with an unshakable fever, Abbacchio realizes that it might be time to acknowledge the fact he might have passed along his Stand User genes. But will Luciano survive the emergence of his seemingly powerful Stand, or will he continue to fade under the weight?
For Whumptober Day 13: Cold Compress, Infection, 'I don't feel so good'
Rose got dressed for school in one of her favorite black skirts and purple leggings, adding her distressed acid wash black jacket to the ensemble. She finished her make-up and grabbed her backpack before she headed downstairs to the comforting sounds and smells of her mom cooking in the kitchen.
"Morning, Mama," she called as she got there, sniffing appreciatively.
Carmen turned to smile at her daughter. "Good morning. Could you wake your brother up? I'm surprised he's not up yet."
"Sure." Rose was a bit surprised too. Luciano was usually an early riser, but he did tend to stay up late reading a lot.
She hurried back upstairs and knocked on her brother's door. "Luci, time to get up!"
"Rose?" a voice croaked from inside.
Rose frowned and opened the door, poking her head in to see her brother still lying in bed, blinking toward the door.
"What are you doing? You know it's a school day, right?" she asked him.
He hunched down in his blankets further. "Can you tell Mama I don't feel well? I think I might have a fever."
Rose instantly grew concerned, heading into the room and pressing her hand to the younger teen's forehead. He did feel hot. Really hot, actually, a bright red flush spreading over his pale, freckled cheeks.
"Yeah, you don't look great," she told him. "Don't worry, I'll tell Mama. You just try to rest."
Luciano nodded and shut his eyes again.
Rose frowned and left the room, hurrying back downstairs.
Carmen looked up as she was cutting fruit. "Where is he?"
"Luci says he's sick—I think he has a fever," Rose told her.
Carmen frowned. "I'll go see to him in a minute. Have your breakfast. You'll need to leave soon."
Rose nodded, though admittedly, she wasn't very hungry anymore, nor did she really want to go to school that day. Luciano wasn't exactly known for his strong constitution, he got sick a lot, but since he'd had a bad case of pneumonia a couple years back, they had all been on alert for him getting sick again. Especially out of the blue like this. Maybe something was going around at school though. She really shouldn't worry. It was probably just a cold.
Since Papa was already gone for the day, Rose waited for one of her friends to carpool to school with. She figured her mom was already with Luciano, so she hollered up the stairs as she saw the car pull up. "Bye, Mama! I'll see you later."
She grabbed her backpack and rushed outside, trying to force the worries down. She was sure Luciano would be fine.
Carmen cleaned up in the kitchen quickly then went upstairs to see her youngest. Her heart clenched as she walked into his room and saw his flushed face and sunken eyes, pale hair lank on his forehead. His face always looked small without his glasses, but right now he looked so much younger than fourteen, just her little baby boy again.
"Luci," she called as she came to sit on the side of the bed. "What's wrong, caro?"
He murmured, eyes peeling open. "Don't feel really good."
She touched his forehead, sweeping his bangs aside, frowning. "You're quite warm. Wait a minute and I'll check your temperature."
She hurried to find the thermometer and came back, coaxing it under Luciano's tongue. It wasn't long before it showed his temperature to be just over 103.
Carmen frowned in worry, carefully pulling back the heavy coverlet on top of Luciano and leaving him with just his sheet.
"M' cold," he protested.
"We need to keep your temperature from rising," Carmen told him as she went to get a cloth to help cool him down. "Do you feel any other symptoms? Congestion? A cough?" She was truthfully worried that this might be a return of the pneumonia. It had also started with a bad fever.
Luciano frowned. "My head hurts. But I don't really think there's anything else…"
Carmen placed the cloth over his forehead, stroking his cheek softly. "I'll get you some medicine. I'm sure you'll start feeling better before too long."
He murmured quietly and Carmen went to get the medicine. The fever wasn't too bad yet and she should be able to get it to go down. Hopefully Luciano would be able to sleep off the worst of it.
She sighed as she remembered she would have to call the school. After that, maybe she would make some soup for Luciano.
Abbacchio got back home in the early afternoon after a quick run to the nearest town to pick something up for Bruno. He was still doing odd secretarial jobs for Passione and sometimes had to mediate important messages or packages. It wasn't a hard job, but it could be tedious at times.
"I'm home," he called as he got in the door and put his keys aside in their designated bowl.
Carmen hurried down the stairs, and the look on her face had him stopping briefly, cautious.
"What's wrong?" he asked, a pit settling in his gut at the number of things that it could possibly be."
"Luciano has a fever," Carmen told him grimly. "And I can't get it to go down. No matter what I try it just keeps rising."
Abbacchio frowned, and hurried upstairs to his son's room, heading inside to see the flushed figure on the bed, breathing somewhat laboriously, a cool cloth laid over his brow.
He sat, pressing his knuckles to the boy's cheek, shocked at the heat that was coming off of him.
"It's been fluctuating between 105 and 104 for the last hour or so," Carmen said, folding her arms across her chest worriedly. "Leone, I…I don't know what to do. Should we take him to the hospital?"
Abbacchio pursed his lips. "Let's see if we can bring it down with a lukewarm bath and if not, then we can take him into town."
Carmen nodded, shoulders already losing some tension with his decisiveness. "I'll go run the bath if you can bring him."
Abbacchio pulled the covers down, cupping the boy's cheek worriedly. "Luci? Can you hear me?"
Amber eyes fluttered and blinked upward. "Papa?"
Abbacchio smoothed his hair back. "I'm here. Listen, caro, your fever is very high and we need to try and bring it down in the tub. It's not gonna be nice, but it should help, okay?"
Luciano nodded tiredly.
Abbacchio shucked his own coat off in preparation, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows before he helped Luciano take his pajamas off.
He then picked up the burning boy and carried him down the hall to the bathroom where Carmen was waiting with the tub half full. She came to help Abbacchio lower Luciano into the water.
He whimpered in protest, head tossing to the side as Abbacchio cradled his neck to make sure his head wouldn't go under.
"Easy, easy," he murmured. "I know it's not nice."
"I'll go get him some clean pajamas," Carmen said, needing something to do.
Abbacchio nodded and continued watching Luciano's shaking body, the water sloshing around him.
That was when he saw it. Abbacchio wasn't even entirely sure what it was to begin with, but it was like prisms, or the refracted light from prisms, dancing around Luciano's body in a kaleidoscopic rainbow. He blinked and they were gone just as soon as they had appeared and Luciano sank lower in the tub, a tired sigh escaping.
Realization hit Abbacchio then and he swore under his breath.
He sat silently until Carmen came back. "How's he doing."
Abbacchio was silent for a moment. "I think his fever is going down a little," he said.
"That's good," Carmen replied in relief.
"But, it's probably going to spike again," Abbacchio continued grimly. "And we won't be able to take him to a hospital."
"What? Why?"
"Because, he doesn't have a disease or an infection," Abbacchio said quietly. "He's getting a Stand."
"What are we supposed to do then?" Carmen asked quietly, as they stood beside Luciano's bed after tucking him back in. His fever had dropped for now, but Abbacchio wasn't sure how long that would last.
"Honestly, I don't know," Leone replied, wrapping his arm around his wife and pulling her close. "This can happen sometimes apparently, especially when a Stand is very powerful—or if a user is…weaker."
Carmen pressed her lips together. "He has a strong soul, you know that."
"I do," Leone replied firmly. "I wasn't there at the time but Bruno said that Fugo went through something similar." He sighed, knowing he was betraying the worry on his face. "He'll get through this."
Carmen held onto him silently.
It wasn't long before Luciano's fever spiked again, back up around 105. As Abbacchio attempted to cool his brow, the odd fractal distortions flickered around Luciano again as he moaned.
"What's wrong?" Carmen asked.
"I looks like his Stand might be trying to manifest," Leone replied quietly. He squeezed Carmen's arm gently. "I'm going to try something. Can you leave the room for now? I'm not sure what might happen if it fully manifests."
Carmen pursed her lips but nodded. "I'll go get him his next dose of medicine."
Leone sat on the bed and reached out to take his son's hand in his. "Luci, can you wake up?" he asked quietly.
"Papa?" the boy murmured, eyes fluttering open.
Abbacchio gave him an encouraging smile. "Hey. I need you to listen to me for a second." He allowed Moody Blues to manifest at his shoulder and nodded to his Stand. "Can you see him?"
Luciano reached for his glasses and Leone hurriedly grabbed them and placed them on the boy's face. Luciano did a double take as he looked over Leone's shoulder.
"I-Is that…Moody Blues?" he asked hesitantly.
Leone's heart sank at the same time some relief flooded in. "Yeah, it is."
"How can I see him?"
Leone took both of his hands in him, "Because you're getting a Stand, Luciano. That's why you're sick."
"A—a Stand?" his son asked, confusion on his face. "But how?"
Leone smiled sadly. "Stands can be hereditary. Since I have one, it was possible you would end up with one as well. Just like Paolo and Mari, right?"
Luciano nodded slowly. "But…why is it making me sick?"
Leone sighed. "It can happen sometimes. But I think if you manifest it, you'll start to feel better."
"But how?" Luciano whimpered, pressing a hand to his head. "My head hurts so much…I don't…"
"Here." Abbacchio took one of his hands and held it out as Moody Blues reached to him. "Try to reach for Moody's hand without actually reaching for it. It's kind of hard to explain, but try to picture yourself reaching out mentally instead of physically."
Luciano's face scrunched up, but he allowed Leone to prop him up against the pillows and reached out tentatively toward Moody's patient hand.
"Nothing's happening."
"Just try again. I could see your Stand trying to manifest earlier. Don't overthink it."
Luciano closed his eyes and after a few seconds Abbacchio could see the tiny fractals of light flickering around his fingers.
"You're doing it," he said encouragingly, watching as a spectral hand covered in glass prisms manifested, reaching for Moody's fingers.
Then it warped and shattered into a million pieces as Moody Blues pulled back quickly.
Leone couldn't help the gasp of surprise that escaped him as several cuts appeared on his hand, bleeding.
"What happened?" Luciano cried, looking around frantically. "Did I do that?"
"Shh, it's all right," Leone quickly wrapped his hand in a handkerchief and grabbed his son's shaking hands again, trying to calm him. "It will take some time. We'll try again in a little bit."
"No," Luciano said, tears in his eyes. "I hurt you! What if this thing is really dangerous? Maybe I shouldn't manifest it at all!"
"Luci, that's not going to be an option," Abbacchio said firmly, trying to keep his voice calm. "Once you get a Stand they don't just go away."
"But I didn't ask for this," Luciano started sobbing and Leone's heart broke. He had watched his son grow into a smart and kind young man. Making up for the weaknesses of his body with his strength of character. Seeing him like this, so scared of the unknown, hurt.
"I know you didn't," Leone murmured as he pulled Luciano into his arms, holding him close.
Luciano scrubbed at his eyes, pushing his fevered cheek against Leone's collarbone. "Am I gonna die?" he asked brokenly.
Abbacchio held him tighter. "No. Not on my watch," he said firmly. "I promise I won't let it kill you."
Luciano sobbed as Leone held him and finally fell into a fevered stupor again.
Abbacchio gently lay him back down and tucked him in before slipping out of the room, leaving Moody to watch over him.
Carmen was in the kitchen, making up a tray for Luciano when he came in.
"What happened?" she asked, seeing his hand.
"It's fine," Leone replied even as she unwrapped the cloth and reached for the first aid kit. "Manifesting the Stand didn't go well. And I'm not sure how to coax him into trying again."
"And if he doesn't, then…" Carmen didn't finish, but the look on Leone's face seemed to tell her all she needed to know. Her face crumpled briefly, but she took a deep breath and picked up the tray once she had finished bandaging Leone's hand. "I'll bring him some more medicine."
"Be careful," Abbacchio told her. "Moody is up there. If he sees anything, he'll pull you back."
Carmen didn't reply, but silently left the room.
Abbacchio slumped at the counter and put his head into his hands. He then grabbed his phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Leone, how have you been? Did the job go well, today?" Bruno's voice came from the other end after he picked up.
"Bruno," Abbacchio tried, hesitating before he pushed on. "Luciano is getting a Stand. He's really sick and I…I don't know what to do."
There was a sharp inhale from the other line and Bruno's voice turned serious "Don't worry, we'll help with whatever you need."
Leone pressed a hand over his eyes, trying to keep his emotions at bay. "Thank you."
Rose sat by Luciano's bed, pretending to do homework, though she obviously wasn't getting anything done. She couldn't believe it was a Stand that was making him this sick. It had always been second nature for Paolo and Mari to have theirs—Mari had been born with hers after all. And though Paolo's had shown up during a tragic event, it had never hurt him like this.
Rose had diligently trained in all kinds of ways to protect her younger brother from any potential threat—street fighting with fists and knives from her father and Uncle Bruno; firearms from Uncle Mista. She had always felt confident that she could protect Luci even though she didn't possess a Stand like her dad or most of her extended family. But what was it worth when she couldn't even protect him from himself?
She slammed her textbook shut and clenched her hands into fists.
Her father entered the room and silently came over, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side.
"Giorno and Fugo will be here soon," he told her, stroking her hair. "They'll be able to help him."
Rose buried her face in his side and hugged him back. "Why is this happening now? I mean…why did his Stand just decide to manifest?"
"There's not really a lot known about Stands," Abbacchio said quietly. "It might be linked to puberty or something else we didn't catch. Aside from Paolo and Mariolina, Giorno's the only person I know who got his Stand naturally."
Luciano moaned in his sleep and turned over. Rose reached out to refresh the cool cloth on his head, but Abbacchio grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"What?" she asked.
"It's manifesting again," he said, watching intently as Luciano whimpered, fists clenching in the sheets. "Wait a couple seconds."
Rose felt even more helpless, unable to even comfort her brother with what he was going through.
Giorno propped his elbow against the car door as he looked out the window at the passing scenery.
"What's your plan on how to handle this?" he asked Fugo.
The other man tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel. "I won't really know until I see the situation first hand. I know for me, it was more a factor of not wanting to manifest Haze as opposed to being unable to. But it's difficult the first time."
Giorno nodded. "I remember it took Gold a long time to fully manifest, but I could use some of his powers before hand."
"I think it's a little different with inherent Stands," Fugo commented. "I looked into a little of the research the Speedwagon Foundation had done a while back, but even that is limited."
"Regardless," Giorno said as he saw the Abbacchios' house ahead. "We'll coach him the best we can."
Fugo nodded.
They parked out front and made their way to the door. They had barely rung the bell before it was flung open by Rose.
"Uncle Giorno, Uncle Panna," she said in relief, throwing her arms around first Giorno and then Fugo. "Thank you so much for coming."
"Of course, mi cara," Giorno told her, squeezing her shoulder.
"Giorno, Fugo."
Giorno looked up to see Abbacchio coming toward them, looking exhausted, but relieved to see them. He embraced them both tightly.
"We're here to do everything we can," Fugo promised, gripping Abbacchio's shoulder. "How long has he been like this?"
"About twenty-four hours now," Abbacchio said. "Carmen is with him upstairs."
The two followed Abbacchio upstairs, Rose trailing behind. Giorno could tell how worried the girl was and reached out to squeeze her hand as they got to the top of the stairs.
"Don't worry, Rose, we'll get him through this."
She nodded, squeezing his hand back before Giorno followed Fugo and Abbacchio into Luciano's room.
Carmen looked up gratefully as they came in.
"Giorno, Fugo, thank you so much for coming."
Giorno hugged her tightly. "Don't worry about it. Fugo knows what he's going through. I will ask that you let us handle it, however? It could get dangerous for non-Stand users to be around."
Carmen nodded and bent to kiss Luciano on the forehead, rubbing his shoulder gently. "Luci, mi caro. Can you wake up for a minute?"
"Mmm," he murmured before his eyes fluttered open.
"Uncle Giorno and Uncle Panna are here to help you out," Carmen told him.
"Hi," the boy said, looking wary.
Giorno smiled at him and reached out to take his hand, feeling just how high the boy's temperature was at the moment. "If it's okay, I'm going to have Gold Experience look at you for a moment? You won't feel anything, I promise."
Luciano nodded tiredly and Giorno manifested Gold's hand over his own, reaching out to place his hand on Luciano's chest.
Giorno concentrated for a moment, before he pulled away, Gold's glow dissipating. "I can feel the power of your Stand inside of you," he told Luciano. "It's quite strong, but that doesn't mean you have to fear it, it just means you have strength of character."
"Have you tried manifesting it fully yet?" Fugo asked.
Luciano glanced over toward Abbacchio, hands clenching in the sheets. "It didn't work, and I hurt Papa."
"It was just an accident," Abbacchio assured him.
"I don't want you to worry about that, okay, Luciano?" Fugo told him, taking the seat Carmen had been in previously. "Giorno and I will be all right. You just concentrate on getting the feeling of your Stand."
Abbacchio turned to Carmen and Rose, ushering them toward the door. "Why don't you two go for now? He'll be less nervous without worrying about hurting you."
They nodded reluctantly but Rose hurried forward, squeezing her brother's hand. "I know you can do it, Luci," she said before she left the room with her mother.
Abbacchio closed the door behind them and stood back against the wall. "Let me know if I can help."
Giorno nodded, stepping back with him as Fugo glanced over his shoulder. "You said it starts to manifest whenever his fever spikes?"
"Seems to," Abbacchio replied.
Fugo turned back to Luciano. "How about you try it yourself then?"
"I don't know how," Luciano said in a small voice. "I don't understand why it's not easy like it is for Paolo and Mari!"
"Don't worry about that," Fugo replied gently. "Everyone's different. It can be scary to feel that power inside of you, and not know how to control it. But it's so much easier when you stop fighting against it, believe me."
"Papa said you had a hard time too," Luciano said hesitantly.
Fugo nodded. "I did. When I first got my Stand power I didn't want anything to do with Purple Haze. I was scared of him and what he could do. But that changed when I started getting more confident in being able to control and use him. Would you like to meet him?"
Luci nodded.
Fugo's Stand aura rippled around him and Purple Haze manifested crouching beside his chair with a gurgle of greeting. Luciano blinked but didn't flinch back. Fugo smiled and tucked his arm around his Stand, patting his side fondly. Haze leaned into him, tilting his head up for Fugo to pet.
"Purple Haze and I had a bit of a rocky start, but we've grown really close over the years." Haze gave a happy purring gurgle and nuzzled closer as Fugo scratched under his chin.
Luciano watched warily before he suddenly doubled over with a small cry, putting his head in his hands.
Giorno stepped forward with Abbacchio.
"Luci? What's wrong?" Abbacchio asked him.
"Agh, it hurts," the boy moaned.
Abbacchio started toward the bed but Fugo held his hand out.
"Wait," he said.
Giorno could see the ripple of a Stand aura surrounding Luciano, prismatic fractals dancing in the light.
Abbacchio inhaled sharply. "It hasn't shown itself this much yet."
"Don't fight it," Fugo coaxed calmly.
"I—but it hurts," Luciano whimpered. "I—I feel like I'm being pulled apart!"
"It will feel a little strange, but I promise it won't hurt you to manifest it," Fugo said.
Something flickered, spinning around Luciano's bowed head and as Giorno blinked, he briefly saw a ring of eyes before Luciano cried out sharply and grabbed hold of his blanket.
"Fugo!" Giorno snapped, dragging the other man quickly out of the chair as the fractals exploded around Luciano, the blanket shattering into a million prisms before disappearing entirely.
Luciano slumped back limp on the bed, shaking. Abbacchio pushed past the two younger men to get to his son, pulling him into his arms as Luciano let out terrified sobs.
"I don't want it in me anymore, get it out!" he cried.
Abbacchio looked pleadingly up at the two as Giorno and Fugo returned, sitting on the other side of the bed. Giorno took Luciano's hand, quickly checking for damage, but he just seemed to be scared.
"Luci, trust me, I know how terrifying it is," Fugo told him.
"Stands tend to act on their own when first manifesting," Giorno told him kindly. "Gold would turn things into plants or bugs without me knowing what was happening. Sometimes I would just wake up with flowers in my bed."
"And Moody would sometimes activate by himself at first as well," Abbacchio murmured, stroking Luciano's hair out of his face. "Scared the crap out of me, replaying my worst nightmares even after I woke up."
"But at the end of the day, Stands are part of us. They are both our strengths and insecurities," Fugo told him. "It took me so long to get used to Purple Haze because I was scared of myself—of what I could do. Having a Stand that could go toxic with a single punch didn't help, but it also didn't help that I feared him. When I stopped fearing him, Haze started to obey me more and became a comfort—like a partner I knew I could always count on."
"I'm sure you and your Stand will be the same in time," Giorno assured him with a smile. "Once you get to know each other."
Abbacchio pulled away and took his son's hands firmly. "Take a deep breath," he told him and Luciano did, slightly shaky, looking exhausted. "I know you don't want to do this, but you need to be strong. And I know how strong you are."
Luciano nodded shakily. "O-only if everyone is out of the way. I don't want to hurt you."
They all nodded and got off the bed, stepping back.
"Luciano, Stands call to Stands," Giorno told him. "We're going to manifest ours and see if it will help make it easier to manifest your own."
"O-okay."
Giorno nodded to the others and soon Gold Experience, Purple Haze and Moody Blues stood beside them, silent sentinels.
"Whenever you're ready," Fugo said.
Luciano fidgeted, hands clenching and unclenching. "I don't really know what to do."
"Close your eyes," Giorno told him. "Just breathe, and reach inside yourself. It might feel like a tug right here." He tapped the center of his chest.
"Think of it like a string," Abbacchio added. "Something you can hold onto and pull."
Luciano closed his eyes, and brought his hands to his chest. "Come out," he said quietly.
The ripple around him started to shift again and his breath hitched before becoming more rapid.
"Just calm down," Fugo coaxed quietly. "Don't let fear control you—you're the one who's taking charge."
"I'm not good at that!" Luciano cried. "It just feels like—like a typhoon trapped inside of me; like it's going to tear me apart if I let it out!"
Abbacchio looked at Giorno and Fugo worriedly. "Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly.
"He doesn't have much of a choice," Giorno murmured back. "But the Stand hasn't physically hurt him by manifesting yet. There's no reason to believe it will."
Abbacchio looked torn and Fugo gripped his shoulder.
"Breathe through it and let go, Luciano," Fugo said. "Take control!"
Luciano's fists clenched as the fractals grew, nearly concealing him from view. Giorno started briefly as several cuts appeared on Luciano's arms and face.
"Call to it, don't fight it!" Giorno said quickly, practically feeling the resistance from the boy.
"I—I can't!" Luciano cried. "It's too much!"
Giorno suddenly glanced over and saw Gold shift into Requiem form. Everyone's eyes went to the Stand in shock and mild horror as Requiem floated over to Luciano and reached out.
"Come out," the Stand commanded.
Luciano screamed, and something detached from him, flying up to hover just below the ceiling.
Giorno gaped along with the others.
The figure was a terrifying sight to behold. Humanoid black metallic body with a head in the shape of a crystal prism, around which two rings rotated with eyes of every color peering out. Most impressive were the wings that looked to be made out of glass, refracting the light so brightly the room was cast in a million rainbows.
"Oh god, oh god," Luciano whimpered, huddling against the pillows, shaking so hard the whole bed rattled. The Stand hovered closer and he flinched away. "Get away from me!"
He was practically hyperventilating and Fugo rushed in, taking one of Luciano's hands in his and squeezing to ground him. "Breathe, Luciano. You have to name it. Accept it as your own."
"Come on, Luci," Abbacchio coaxed, hovering. "It's part of you. It won't hurt you."
Luciano let out a gasping sob as Fugo took his hand and pulled it upward toward the Stand. Luciano shook his head, whimpering, trying to pull back.
"It's okay," Fugo coaxed and Giorno glanced toward Requiem who nodded before returning to his normal form.
Giorno beckoned to Abbacchio and the two of them stepped up beside Fugo all three of their Stands hovering behind them.
Luciano's Stand flinched back slightly and Giorno knelt by the bed, Gold looping his arms around Giorno's shoulders. "See, Luci? Your Stand is just as scared as you are. Let him know he's welcome."
Luciano whimpered again, but looked back up at his Stand and finally reached out of his own accord, hand shaking.
The Stand hesitated, but reached out with one dark, gauntleted hand, both flinched slightly as their fingers touched, but then they pressed their hands flat against each other, Luciano's eyes widening in awe.
"What's its name, Luciano?" Fugo asked.
Luciano stared at the Stand for a few seconds, the being looking like it was waiting. "Rainbow in the Dark," Luciano said firmly, voice no longer shaking.
The Stand floated down, prismatic wings tucked at its back.
Moody Blues made a sound and walked over to the Stand reaching out. Rainbow in the Dark made a shrill kind of chiming sound and reached out to put his hands in Moody's before Moody pulled the other Stand into a hug.
Luciano wrapped his arms around himself in surprise. "I—I can feel that."
Abbacchio smiled and wrapped his son in his arms, mirroring their Stands. "You feel what he feels," he said, kissing the top of his head. "I'm very proud of you."
"You did well, Luciano," Fugo told him with a smile, Giorno nodded in agreement, reaching out to squeeze the boy's shoulder.
"Um…how do I put him away?"
Fugo laughed and petted Haze again as his Stand hugged him around the waist before dissipating. "Usually, just think about him not being out. It might take some getting used to."
Luciano nodded and shut his eyes briefly.
Rainbow in the Dark dissipated and Moody and Gold were soon to follow, leaving only the Stand users in the room.
"Holy crap," Luciano suddenly breathed, grinning hesitantly. "I have a Stand now."
Abbacchio laughed and the others joined fondly. "Yeah you do, kiddo. Welcome to the club."
Rose lounged on the end of Luciano's bed as he ate his dinner. His fever had gone down but he was too exhausted from the ordeal of manifesting his Stand to get out of bed.
"So, what's it feel like having a Stand?" she asked him.
Luciano shrugged. "I don't…really know. It's different. Kinda like, there's always something there watching—but not in a creepy way. More like…a comforting way. Maybe like a guardian angel."
"So you're saying you don't need your big sister to look after you anymore?" Rose asked, pretending hurt as she nudged his foot.
"I'm not saying that at all," Luciano replied with a smile. "But maybe I can finally return the favor."
Rose smiled softly, propping her chin in her hand. "So what does he look like?"
"Kinda terrifying," Luciano's eyes went over her shoulder. "But I think he likes you."
Rose looked to where his eyes were focused. "Wait, is he here?"
"Yeah, he's uh…" Luciano giggled. "He's just kneeling with his elbows on the bed staring at you. Well…I mean…he can't really do anything but stare, he has a lot of eyes."
Rose pulled back slightly, sitting up. "Oh yeah?" she said, slightly nervous, but she held out her hand.
"Hey, I don't know if you should do that," Luciano said quickly.
"I trust you," Rose told him firmly, leaving her palm open insistently. "Hello, Rainbow. I guess I'm your big sister too, huh?"
Something brushed across her palm and she flinched in surprise.
"Did you feel that?" Luciano asked. "He just squeezed your hand."
"Yeah, I did," Rose said and smiled, eyes wide.
The feeling disappeared and Luciano said, "He said goodbye—I think."
Rose waved into the oblivion before she crawled over and hugged Luciano tightly as he made sounds of protest. "It would make sense that you have a scary badass Stand. I always knew you had it in you."
Luciano huffed but hugged her back. "It will take some getting used to, but…It kind of feels good. Makes me feel stronger."
"You were always strong, Luci," Rose told him firmly pulling back and gripping his shoulders. "Your Stand is just you finally realizing that for yourself."