Chapter Text
But you came swiftly as a snowstorm in October.
Unexpectedly, you turned me into sleet.
And if I could, I guess I'd love you ten times over,
it’s just I'd choose a better time for us to meet.
★
Hours passed, the chimes of a grandfather clock quietly echoing in the large but empty space.
The Library was practically desolate, a few people were still wandering around the halls, some were getting the last of their books checked in, teens specifically, were sitting in the small study space in the middle of the main hall.
Textbooks were sprawled across the tables, pencil cases laid open, pens were just barely managing to drop to their doom, bags left (essentially unattended) by the feet of wooden chairs,
They were under the guise of working, but in truth were simply goofing off.
How could someone know?
Small, quiet, snickers consistently rang out of their throats. Besides, their notebooks were practically newly-bought with how little they were noting down.
Fugo simply stared at the sets of small groups, letting out a sigh.
He had checked the time a bit ago, it should be around 3:30 PM. Half an hour before he would technically be off the clock.
30 Minutes, and yet it felt like years were being taken off of his life by the second.
Fugo hated having to be the one to close up the Library, he hated how quiet it got once those who actually cared for literature left for the afternoon, he especially hated having to deal with the whispers and murmurs of people he should technically be calling peers.
He hated sounding like a grouch, he understood why they acted like immature children, that’s what they were at their core.
Still, he wanted to just leave already.
Today was already long enough, Wednesdays were always when everything would manage to drop on him like boulders and rocks from unstable cliffs.
Not to mention he had a tutoring gig today.. It was as if more was thrown onto his schedule the more he let his mind run to the comforts of his mind.
It wasn’t really comfort in the first place, in mere seconds his mind would rush back to whatever thoughts he chose to stuff in the back of his head.
It was an endless cycle.
But, Fugo didn’t want to dwell on it, so he just sighed.
To go back to more.. Relevant thoughts,
A family called him a week ago, said that their son was having trouble with his Maths and English classes. They hoped that Fugo could help him over the week.
Fugo accepted, it was a simple enough job for him, besides, an extra 59000 Lira for the next few weeks didn’t sound so bad. He figured it to be a win-win situation!
Or, it had the possibility of being a win-win situation, if he managed to give off a good first impression and not lash out on some poor kid just trying to pass Secondary.
He had been praying that the kid he was scheduled to tutor wasn’t an actual idiot, otherwise the plan to manage his temper for the entire hour was a total bust.
He wasn’t religious in any sense of the word, but the way he wished for God to bless him just this once would make any Priest fall to their knees at how much devotion he held in his soul.
Even now, Fugo was hoping the one time he chose to accept a tutoring job wouldn’t end up in shambles.
…
The sounds of books being shoved into a backpack, followed by the sound of a zipper caught him from his thoughts.
Fugo had looked towards the study space, finding it empty and bare like the rest of the Library.
This caused the boy to let out a sigh of relief, happily taking that as cue to ‘close up shop’.
Fugo was quick to grab the keys to the library, and his bag before starting to wander around the halls of history and literary works.
He walked around every corner of the library, found no one, and right on the chime of a grandfather clock and ringing bells of a Church, the light’s were off and the subtle sound of a lock being.. Locked, played in Fugo’s ears.
Fugo let his set of keys free fall into his bag, throwing it over his shoulders and happily walking away from the wooden doors he was no longer responsible for.
His rush may have seemed as though he desperately wanted to leave, and well, he did.
Being a library assistant was never his dream job.
While having an easy job that paid enough to get by was great, in the past this would have simply been part time for him, something he did to get job experience, nothing more.
To think that it was something that took up most of his week, was baffling. Fugo never came to think that his career would have been checking in books, mopping floors, shushing people from a distance..
Fugo had wanted to become a lawyer, it was something he tried to achieve since day one.
Funnily enough, he could have had a law degree by now. At the age of 16, he could have already had an undergraduate degree in Law.
Thing is, he never finished his studies.
They were cut short.
The elaboration on that wasn’t at all necessary, but to summarise, Fugo went from being a prodigy, to a disappointment in the eyes of his family and peers in mere seconds. For a mistake that wasn’t even his fault.
He had tried to express that.
But, nobody cared for what he had to say, nobody cared for his reasoning. Even his family wanted to get rid of him.
So he stopped trying.
..Sometimes he feels like he was set up to fail in the first place.
It was just a suspicion he could never shake off.
—
Fugo walked into his apartment building, the sound of metal jingling prominent as he looked through his bundle of keychains to find his apartment keys.
He had finished his tutoring gig about an hour ago, and it went fairly well! His prayers were answered after all.
The family was nice, the kid he was tutoring wasn’t a complete idiot, so luckily, Fugo really only needed to explain the material and point the guy in the right direction. No screaming, no yelling, no vulgar language that would have cost him extra Lira.
The kid didn’t pick it up fast, but he advanced little by little, and that was appreciated when the only person Fugo had been helping for months… Was Narancia.
The thought of that boys academic skills made Fugo grimace.
Fugo just shook his head, immediately focusing back on the bundle of keys he kept, fingers moving through the multitude of keychains he kept in the process.
Funnily enough most of them being berries and cutesy animals.
It was a guilty pleasure of his, even his bag went through the same exact treatment.
On his spare time he went to random stores, a lot said stores had jewelry, pins, keychains.. And if something caught his eye, he’d buy it. They were fairly cheap anyway.
That’s how he found his favourite pair of earrings, actually. They were a simple pair of stud earrings that resembled strawberries, with gold trim to finish.
He barely took them off since.
Fugo brushed a hand through his hair, his other hand moving to push his apartment key into the lock.
Right as he was about to unlock his door however, he heard a recognizable voice sound behind him — A honeyed, yet at the same time, dull, voice that was cast in a spanish accent.
As if a switch had turned on in Fugo’s head, he had immediately turned a heel to check if his suspicions were correct.
Which they were.
In front of Fugo stood the belle he met hours earlier, unmistakable golden curls, unmistakable freckled cheeks, unmistakable emerald eyes.
It was the same stranger from the boulevard.
What a coincidence that they were here, of all places in Napoli.
Fugo couldn’t tell if that was a curse or blessing.
“You! I didn’t expect to see you again today, or.. Ever, actually.” A chuckle rang out of their lips, their laugh sounding just as sweet and lovely as their voice.
The sound of them speaking had snapped Fugo out of his trance, cheeks beginning to flush a light red just as before. “Yeah.. Me.” Fugo smiled, a hint of sarcastic excitement staining his voice as he threw his hands up, making jazz hands? As if to empathise his sarcasm.
This only caused his cheeks to grow redder, by the way.
God, why was he doing this..?
The stranger Fugo had grown so endeared to, stared at him for a bit with a smile slowly perking onto their lips, before a fit of laughter suddenly rang out of them — Barely stifled by the hands that covered their jaw.
As if yet another switch flipped inside Fugo’s head, a smile of his own managed to creep onto his lips before he himself started laughing.
Hypothesis: The Stranger was laughing at how awkward he was and found that endearing, or, the stranger was laughing at him.
Fugo crossed his fingers that it was the latter.
This went on for a few minutes, the stranger cutting in with a, “Sorry, sorry!” While trying to compose themselves.
A puff of air left their lungs, and they sighed. “I didn’t mean to laugh! That was just.. Funny.” The stranger then smiled, as if it was someway to say that the latter of Fugo’s hypothesis was correct: They had found it endearing.
“Can’t say I blame you,” Fugo gave a toothy grin. “Anyways, can I help you with anything?”
“Oh! Yes, actually,” The stranger let their arms fall to their sides, their smile fading with it. “Do you know of any good restaurants in the area? I wanted to go out for dinner.”
Fugo nodded. “There’s one I visit with my friends quite a lot, it’s called Libeccio. It’s a few blocks away in a pretty small alley, but the food is fantastic.”
The stranger smiled. “I’ll definitely check it out then! Thank you… Uhm,” That’s when they paused, trying to recall a name that they.. Never actually got.
Fugo took that as a sign to interject with an introduction. “Fugo.”
The stranger perked up. “Ah. Thank you, Fugo.” And then they extended a hand out. “I’m Giorno.”
Fugo took Giorno’s hand into his own, and lightly shook it, a pure and honest smile on his lips. “Nice meeting you for the second time today.”
“Nice meeting you.” Giorno smiled as well, but right after, it was almost as if a lightbulb went off in his head.. Quickly slinking his hand away from Fugo’s grasp, and moving to look through his bag. “Give me a second..”
Fugo just nodded at this, confused.
Soon enough Giorno pulled out an old receipt, the contents of it didn’t matter all that much as he turned it the other way round and scribbled something on the back. He handed it over to Fugo after, his smile curving just a slight bit more. “Here.”
Fugo took the receipt and scanned it over, only to find a mirage of numbers written on the back.
And then, it hit him.
It was Giorno’s number.
Good Lord, maybe God is real.
“To keep in touch,” Giorno explained, as though it wasn’t obvious. “I doubt this will be the last time we meet.”
“Yeah.. Thanks.” Fugo kept staring at the paper, almost as if it were a priceless artifact, or proof that God was true. That was essentially what it was anyway. Fugo certainly felt like God's favourite today.
Feeling as though the conversation was over, Fugo turned the key still sticking out of his apartment door. “I hope I see you soon?”
Giorno, who had his eyes set on Fugo the entire time suddenly jumped. “Oh wait.. One more thing!”
Fugo just rose an eyebrow, eyes shifting to look at Giorno.
“Your earrings are nice. They really suit you.”
The compliment barely registered in Fugo’s head, but when it did Fugo resembled a deer in the headlights.
His eyes were wide, his cheeks were red, his lips were slightly parted. He could even feel butterflies swarming within his insides, even a sense of weakness in his knees.
He felt like the lead in a rom-com, specifically at that part of the movie where they realize just how smitten they are for their love interest.
Or, any form of romance media, to be fair. Every single one had that single moment between the lead and their love interest.
“..Thanks. They’re my favourite pair, actually-“ Is what he answered with, the shock from before shifting to an awkward joy. A geeky smile painted his features, but it was hidden away by the fact that Fugo’s attention was on the floor.
Fugo sighed, trying to compose himself. His hands slowly reaching for the handle of his apartment door. “I got them a few months ago, I’ve barely took them off since.” He chuckled, shifting to look at Giorno once again.
And Giorno stood there with a smile, intently listening to whatever Fugo said. The attention made his heart skip a beat, to be honest.
Yet, Fugo stayed composed and persisted.
“I.. Could tell you more some other time?” Fugo offered, now slowly turning the handle of his apartment door. “I really should be going by now, is all. I’ll see you around?”
“Right..” Giorno sighed, the smile he wore dimming from his lips in just a few seconds. Though, it seemed to return for just a moment as he said his goodbyes. “I’ll see you around.”
To both of their dismay, the pair had inevitably parted ways.
One left with the reminder for the other to text him.
While the other walked into his apartment, and had immediately been met with teasing remarks from his roommate, who seemed to have heard the entire thing.. Or take notice of the red staining his cheeks.
What an up and down day.