"So what do you think?"

Ghiaccio had been staring into his coffee for about five minutes now. He knew Melone had been watching him in silence the whole time but he just didn't know what to do. He was tired and overwhelmed. Honestly, he didn't want to think about it. He wanted to keep going on like this as long as he could, just Melone and him.

Nothing good ever lasts.

"Ghiaccio?"

He shook his head; he just wanted him to stop. Talk about anything else. He furrowed his brow, picked up his coffee, and took a small sip. The temperature was fine now but the need to nurse the cup, to occupy his hands, made him put the mug back down again.

Melone sighed. "We have to talk about this at some point."

Ghiaccio picked up his pencil and wrote, Does it have to be now? Melone's shoulders sagged as he sighed again. He too looked tired, defeated. He'd never really recovered himself from this morning. Weariness weighed on his partner's features, the stress of Giorno's visit was evident in his slouched position. He was always the taller of the two even when sitting; Ghiaccio's posture was terrible and Melone constantly commented on it boasting of the proper way to sit. So to see his partner now just as slouched made Ghiaccio want to say something, to point out the hypocrisy of this moment. But he couldn't, he didn't have the heart for teasing right now.

Ghiaccio quietly drained more of his mug.

"I'm not keen on discussing it either. Just thinking about this morning makes me sick." Melone had made toast for breakfast, but he'd barely touched it. It had to be cold by now. Must not be very hungry, maybe he really did feel sick. Could that be a side effect of the venom as well? Had he been eating? They'd eaten dinner last night but there had been very little in the house. Or was it just the stress of this morning? Ghiaccio merely took another sip and stared at the counter.

"So you're just gonna ignore me now?" The flat tone of voice brought Ghiaccio back to the present moment. "You know, sometimes I wish I could just live in your world for a day. Just once. To be able to shut everything else out and not give a damn about the people around me."

Coffee spilled from the mug as Ghiaccio slammed it down onto the counter and glared at his partner. How could he say that? Did Melone really think that?

"Oh, that got your attention. Maybe now you'll listen?"

All I do is fucking listen! He scribbled. I can't say a fucking thing!

"You hear but do you listen? Sometimes I don't think you do. You heard Giorno but you didn't listen to his words."

He killed our whole team. Fuck what he has to say!

"Like it or not, he runs things now, Ghiaccio. We've seen him in action. He will kill us."

So you wanna go?

"That's what I want to talk about. With you." Melone stared at him hard.

I don't know how we're gonna survive if we leave.

"Giorno said he would take care of us."

But for how long? I don't wanna owe that prick anything!

"We already owe him for not just killing us on the spot. He's giving us a second chance!"

You make him sound like a fucking god. Why not just stay and keep worshiping him then?

"I didn't—I'm not... what?" Melone fumbled.

Stay or go. Do what you want. Ghiaccio didn't want to make this decision right now and both options left him conflicted inside. Honestly, he'd rather Melone just choose and drag him along for the ride.

Melone just stared at his words and murmured, "You can be so fucking callous sometimes."

The fuck?

"Do you care about anything?"

What the fuck did he mean do you care? Of course, he fucking cared! He wouldn't have tried to kill Giorno today if he didn't. He wouldn't have held Melone while he cried this morning and he certainly wouldn't have slept next to him last night to ease his mind.

"Maybe we should get different places then. Or else you can stay here in this mausoleum alone." His last words hitched in his throat. "I can't do this anymore. Everything here is a reminder. I hate that I lived and they didn't! What is so special about me? Nothing! I'm worthless! I'm just a loser that found a home in a gang. And I'm left with the only person that ever really meant anything to me and he doesn't give a shit about anything!"

Melone stood up. Where was this coming from? This wasn't right. Ghiaccio opened his mouth but nothing came out. He pushed so hard to speak.

Melone turned away.

Ghiaccio got to his feet. He slammed the counter but Melone ignored it. He tried to scream but it was a measly growl.

Melone headed to the kitchen doorway.

He thought Ghiaccio didn't care about him.

Tears welled up in his eyes as the frustration mounted. That's not true! None of it is! Melone was putting words in his mouth and he couldn't refute them if Melone refused to turn around and look.

He grabbed the half-empty mug and threw it at the doorway out of desperation. It smashed next to Melone who jumped.

"Ghiaccio! What the fuck?!" Melone snapped but faltered as he looked at Ghiaccio's face. He couldn't hide his tears anymore, they streamed freely down his face. The frustration was too much. He needed Melone to know.

He just wanted to speak.

"Ah... ah—I.."

"Hey... hey, calm down... here," Melone said as he grabbed the notebook and pencil. Ghiaccio slapped it out of his hands. Face red with the effort, he continued trying.

Melone stared.

"I k-k-k-care... I hare... hi hare..." he whispered the same phrase over and over with varying degrees of accuracy. His voice petered out but he continued to cry while mouthing the words over and over again. His confession.

Tears filled his partner's eyes and he silently walked over and hugged Ghiaccio to him. Melone swayed with him silently as Ghiaccio kept up his quiet mantra. "I'm sorry, Ghia. Sometimes it's just so hard to read you. I don't always know how you really feel about things."

"I...miss...you...don't...leave..." Ghiaccio carefully whispered in his ear. He couldn't get out the "ed" after "miss" leading Melone to misunderstand his meaning.

"I'm right here and I'm not leaving without you. We promised we'd go together, right?" Melone pulled away and tilted Ghiaccio's face up to look at him.

"Ah—I... I..." He continued to mouth the next word but the v came out as an unvoiced f. It was barely a whisper but the words were finally finding their way out of Ghiaccio's hoarse throat. "I... love... you..."

His body shook with each silent ugly sob. He'd said it. He'd fucking done it. His sobs turned into desperate breaths for air as each led to a new sob. He couldn't stop.

"Hey, hey, Ghia, calm down. Breathe. It's okay." Melone held his face in his hands. "I think you're hyperventilating."

Ghiaccio waited, gasping through tears until his breathing slowed. Each breath came in deep and slow as he regained control of himself again.

"Are you okay now?" Melone asked. Ghiaccio swallowed and nodded several times. "Good."

He kissed Ghiaccio slowly in the quiet of the house. With each soft kiss placed on his lips, his body relaxed, the tension eased from Ghiaccio. Even his heart had quieted in his chest. It did not beat wildly with passion, there had been too much of that already. It merely steadied with relief as his mind realized that everything would be fine. Family and love, both he had in Melone, and his reciprocation only eased Ghiaccio's mind. Melone won't leave. Not without me.

We need each other. We want each other.

Their lips parted and Ghiaccio hugged him, burrowing into Melone causing his glasses to slide up his face. Melone sighed and stroked his hair. "I love you, Ghiaccio. I always wanted to say that. I just never thought you would understand."

Ghiaccio simply nodded against his shoulder. He understood that intimately. It wasn't something you said to another man in the mafia. Shit like that could get you killed in the wrong circles. He'd always wondered if the boss's identity wasn't just an excuse to get rid of Sorbet and Gelato. Being reckless before the wrong people had consequences. The world was getting better, but it was still 2001 and people didn't talk about these things. As long as he and Melone could carve something out of this hellhole and call it their own together, Ghiaccio could live with that.

"I don't know about you, but I'm fucking tired. It's been a helluva morning." Melone sighed again. Ghiaccio sniffed and wiped his face as he stood up straight.

"...Yeah."

"Come on." He took Ghiaccio's hand and led him out of the kitchen and back upstairs. He didn't think about anything but how much his throat hurt and how his lips still tingled with the warmth from Melone's kisses.

Melone walked into his room and sat down on the bed pulling Ghiaccio up to him. He looked up and gave a small smile. "I think, we should climb back in this bed, take a nap, and start this day over. Hm?"

Ghiaccio climbed in next to him and wrapped his arm around him as they snuggled back down together. Ghiaccio took off his glasses and Melone set them on the nightstand. He turned back and pulled Ghiaccio close into his neck. He snuggled his head against Ghiaccio's and sighed.

"We'll figure out this mess when we wake up. For now... I just wanna hold you."

Ghiaccio wanted that too. He pressed his lips against Melone's neck and closed his eyes.