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Her hair reminded him of cotton candy in both color and shape. It curled and bubbled around at the soft edges of her face. The fluorescent pink shined in the sunlight coming in through the balcony opening up the room.
Giorno watched his lover through a dreamy haze. Their clothes from the night before still littered their hotel room.
This arrangement, friendship, companionship, it didn’t have a name, worked for the both of them. They both had a shared loneliness and yearning for something away from their demanding careers.
And they had practically grown up together.
Giorno watched as Trish flowered from an immature, insecure little girl into a brave and confident young woman. She was like a guppy flushed into an ocean full of sharks and despite being cursed by the sins of her father, and without love from her mother, she braved the sea and survived.
Just like me.
The respect he would have for her would also bloom into loyalty and now, love.
His heart fluttered gently thinking of her body below him and her dainty fingers intertwined in his hair. And when they kissed it was like love was something that could only exist because of her.
She could be the wife of the most powerful man in Italy.
Everything at her fingertips and the world at her feet.
But she had dreams of being an international pop singer.
A pop star and gangstar were star-crossed due to their dreams.
Giorno let his eyes wander to the night side table, the contents of what was inside he cradled delicately in his fist.
Trish still stood watching the rising sun, her body clothed by a silk robe. It was unknown to him whether or not she was aware he’d awaken, but he slipped on his underwear and robe of his own, and left the bed. He crept close, finally wrapping his arms around her.
Trish rested her hands on the ones at her belly and sighed softly as Giorno kissed her neck.
“Good morning,” he softly said by her ear. She loved how the warmth of his breath tickled her.
“Good morning, GioGio,” she said before peeking at him in between her bedhead fringe.
Soft smiles and warm eyes met. Trish was the first to look away.
“I don’t remember the last time I saw the sun rise, let alone this brightly,” Trish remarked, admiring the orange basked sky.
Giorno turned his attention to the cityscape around them and the ocean splitting it down the middle. A lone gondola floated down the stream below.
“Venice is beautiful…”
“Isn’t it?” she asked. “I wish we could stay here more often, but we’re both so busy.”
She turned to face him. A bittersweet smile was forming on her lips.
“Thank you for coming to the show,” Trish said. “It’s the last one before—”
“The North American leg,” Giorno finished her sentence. “I know.”
Her smile disappeared and she curled her arms around his neck only to fall into his chest.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” she whispered.
Giorno placed his arms around her, still tightly clutching his right fist closed.
“I’m going to miss you too,” Giorno said, his voice becoming shaky. “… Do you have to go?”
“Of course, I do, Giorno,” she said with a hint of confusion in her voice. “It’s my dream…”
“I know…” Giorno felt his stomach begin to ache. “Trish?”
“Yes?” she asked with her voice being muffled by his neck.
“What are we?” Giorno asked. “What are we doing?”
“Please, Giorno. We’ve—we’ve gone over this before.” Trish pulled away. Her eyes flashed up to his. The greens in her eyes became lily pads hidden by ponds of blue tears. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Giorno cupped her flushed cheek, catching the rain from her eyes.
“That’s not what I’m trying to do, Trish,” he spoke softly, trying to soothe her. “I just want to understand you… I want to…"
Trish opened her eyes and tried to sniff back the straying tears.
“Want to what?” Trish asked.
Giorno stayed silent for a moment. Trish kissed skin beneath his thumb, still cupping her cheek.
“GioGio,” she sung softly. “I’m talking to you.”
More silence persisted until Trish finally noticed his firmly held fist at her back.
“There’s something in your hand. Isn’t there?” she asked.
Giorno nodded. His face was stone-like. Impossible to read.
“Can I see?”
Giorno looked blankly at Trish before stepping back and opening his hand, to reveal a Monarch butterfly. His visage still solemn while the butterfly extended its golden wings to fly up into the air above them.
Trish followed the butterfly, which she guessed came from Gold Experience’s wondrous ability. It was almost like a magic trick and she indulged in the excitement that would rise within herself when Giorno would do these things for her.
She giggled softly as the butterfly danced. It finally fluttered down onto Trish’s left ring finger.
“How are you, my pretty little thing?” Trish asked, softly.
It was then the Monarch began to metamorphose into a glittering diamond ring. And without her noticing, Giorno was kneeled at her feet.
Trish gasped.
“Giorno!” His name was caught in her throat along with returning tears.
“Bellissima mia, Trish, I love you,” he whispered and placed a kiss upon her hand. “Will you marry me?”
“I-I don’t know what to say,” Trish began to feel a gust of conflicting emotions stir inside her. She was leaving for New York City tonight and realistically wouldn’t be able to see Giorno for months, but he chose now to… to propose?
“Say yes.” He looked up at her, drenched in hopeful melancholy.
“B-but I can’t stay here with you!” She took her hand back and stepped away from him to stand on the west part of the balcony. “I-I have a career a-and dreams of my own, Giorno! I-I can’t play being your little wife to a gangster…” her voice dipped lowly as she softly cried. “I can’t be that girl.”
“I’m not asking you to be, Trish,” Giorno said, standing behind her. He placed his chin on her shoulder. “Do you know what time of the day it is right now…? It’s called golden hour.”
He paused, but Trish just listened.
“It’s the time of the day when the sunlight bleeds this beautiful red we’re both seeing now,” he said as he twirled her slowly around toward him. “As long as we are both under this sky, I will love you.” He held her hands to his lips, letting her knuckles graze his lips before pressing kisses to them. “No matter where you are and what you do, I will wait for you, Trish.”
It felt as if her heart was going to burst like a comet crossing the night sky. She fell into his arms, with a smile growing on her face.
“Do you say yes, Trish?”
He hugged her waist.
Trish looked up at him to see his eyes glimmering like embers of gold. His gentle soul and golden spirit were so abundant. How did she just realize it now?
She placed her hand on his cheek and her lips onto his.
“Yes, I do.”