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As the snowflakes gently fell around them, Giorno and Ghiaccio strolled hand in hand through their quiet college campus. Giorno was thankful for the warmth of the coffee cup in their free hand, it was a comforting contrast to the winter chill. They wondered how Ghiaccio could stand to drink an iced coffee in such frigid temperatures, but their boyfriend never seemed to be bothered by the cold. They should have stayed in the warmth of the coffee shop longer but it was getting late and their date had to end eventually.
Coming out in such cold weather spoke volumes to how much Giorno loved Ghiaccio. If Giorno had their way, all of their dates during the winter would be in the warmth of their dorms. Fugo was more than willing to vacate their dorm room for an evening so he had an excuse to stay with Naranchia. But, Ghiaccio liked to go out so Giorno acquiesced.
The walk back to the dorms was quiet, a comfortable silence between them as they walked. Few other students braved the cold and the usually lively campus felt like their private winter retreat. With midterms quickly approaching they took every opportunity to spend time together, in a week their free time would be severely lacking.
Giorno felt a gentle pressure as Ghiaccio squeezed their hand. "Ok? You're quieter than usual."
"Because I'm an icicle." Giorno pressed into Ghiaccio's side with a smile. "And my boyfriend dragged me into a snowstorm."
"It's barely snowing." Ghiaccio grinned and pulled their joined hands up to blow warm air onto Giorno’s bare knuckles. "Why didn't you wear gloves?"
Giorno shrugged their shoulders, "I have a pair in my pocket, but I'd rather feel your hand on mine." They smiled up at Ghiaccio only to look away once realizing where they were.
The two came to a stop and Ghiaccio slowly lowered their hands, still holding tight to Giorno. Before them, the path split towards their opposite dorms. This is where they would need to part ways.
"You could come over, watch a movie?" Giorno wasn't ready for their weekend to end, they grasped for reasons to extend the little time they had together.
"I wish I could. But…"
"Yeah…" Giorno pulled their hand away. "It is late… it will be dark soon."
Ghiaccio hummed. They’d agreed when they first started dating that school would come first. It had to come first. After a late night together had led to Giorno oversleeping and missing class they'd agreed to a rule of no dates after dark. Perhaps it was a silly rule, but they kept themself to it for nearly two years.
Giorno leaned up and gently pressed their lips to his. "I'll call you later." They turned to leave, but Ghiaccio quickly placed a warm hand on their shoulder.
"Wait, GioGio…" Ghiaccio's voice sounded hesitant and he wouldn't meet their eyes when Giorno turned around.
"What's on your mind, Ghiaccio?" Giorno's eyebrows pulled together as they scanned Ghiaccio's face.
"I wanted to bring this up earlier at the coffee shop. I've been trying to… for a while but I keep…" He shook his head.
Now Giorno began to panic, they had an idea what could have Ghiaccio on edge. The same thing was on their own mind more often lately as well, and while they didn't want to dwell on it, it was something they needed to talk about sooner rather than later.
Giorno sighed and wrapped their arms around Ghiaccio's shoulders, careful not to spill their coffee. "You want to talk about what happens after you graduate?"
Ghiaccio nodded, his hair tickling Giorno’s ear. "Yeah."
Giorno braced themself while trying to keep their body from tensing up against Ghiaccio. While Giorno still had two years left until graduating, Ghiaccio was in his final term. In a few months, he’d graduate. Come the fall term, Giorno would return to campus without Ghiaccio two dorms away.
And Ghiaccio would be… somewhere else. Giorno didn't want to think about it, and they certainly didn’t want to talk about it. Couldn't they just enjoy each other with the time they had left?
Ghiaccio took a step back, putting some distance between them to look Giorno in the eyes. "I have a job lined up. At the– Giorno!"
Despite the brave face they put on for the world, Giorno let their walls down around Ghiaccio and couldn't stop the tears from threatening to spill over. They were not ready for this conversation. Why couldn’t Ghaccio let them enjoy the few months they had left?
"Shit- no! Fuck!" Ghiaccio stumbled over his words in a rush to reassure Giorno. He quickly pulled Giorno against him and wrapped his arms around their strong shoulders.
Before continuing, Ghiaccio closed his eyes for a brief moment, collecting his thoughts so he didn’t lose his temper at himself and fumble the conversation. "I got a job at a museum in the city, pending I pass my finals and graduate. It's all lined up, so I'll still be close. We won't need to worry about long distance or anything."
Giorno blinked back their tears, mind trying to keep up with the whirlwind of emotions they were feeling. "I thought–" they couldn't bring themself to say break up "- the worst. I'm sorry I started to freak out." They stepped out of Ghiaccio’s arms to rub at their eyes with the back of their free hand. "This is amazing news! I'm so happy for you. And of course, you’ll pass your finals, you’re one of the smartest people at this school."
“Hey- even if I didn’t get a local job, we’d make it work. I love you Giorno, you know that, right?”
“I know. I love you too. Sorry– I… I guess this has been on my mind for a while.” Relief washed over Giorno, their fears about the future of their relationship put to ease. Ghaccio would be close, not hundreds of miles away. They would still see each other. There would be no long-distance calls as they slowly drifted apart while Giorno finished their degree.
“Giorno…” Ghaccio hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "I was thinking... What if you moved in with me? I found this cozy one-bedroom apartment. It's perfect, and I... I want you to be there with me."
Giorno’s eyes widened, "Move in together?" they asked, the idea sinking in. Their mind raced, trying to think logically and reel in their initial reaction to enthusiastically agree. "But what about next year? I’ve been taking extra classes to graduate early, but I still have two to four semesters left…"
“I know- I know!” Ghaccio ran a hand over his face. “The apartment is close enough for you to still walk to classes, but it wouldn’t be as close as the dorms. If you don’t want to- that- that’s fine. I just thought…”
“I want to.” Giorno gently cupped Ghaccio’s cheek, holding his gaze while they silently implored him to understand. “I want to, but I need to focus on school. I love you, but…” They bit their lip, breaking eye contact.
“No dates after dark on a school night.” Ghaccio pressed his lips gently to Giorno’s. “I’ll still be close enough to meet you for coffee during the week.”
Giorno rested their head on Ghaccio’s shoulder, “Will your offer still be open after I graduate?”
“Of course.” He held Giorno tightly. “And you’ll have your own key as soon as I sign the lease this summer.”
“And I can stay over on the weekends.” Girono smiled, already excited to have actual privacy with their boyfriend.
They held each other close as the snow continued to fall around them. The future still held uncertainties, but for now, they could relax and enjoy Ghaccio’s last few weeks of college without worrying over their relationship.
“Can we go inside? It’s freezing.” Giorno chucked against Ghaccio’s neck. “Maybe we break our rule just once so you can warm me up?”
Ghaccio hummed, feigning weighing his answer. “I guess… ” He laughed and started walking towards his dorm. “I’ll make you hot cocoa. Your coffee has to be cold by now.”