Chapter Text
“Remember, you’re better than all of them.”
It was his father’s words and the heavy hand planted on his shoulder that brought Giorno back from staring hopelessly down the hall. The dorm building was the most chaotic thing he had seen. Each door was thrown open with empty boxes and trash bags sticking out of each dorm. The most overwhelming part was the noise. Students and parents were everywhere and were constantly talking. The wheels of carts squealed against the floor as parents pushed their kid’s luggage, while their kid chatted excitedly beside them. In the past five minutes, he heard three intense crashes coming from dorm rooms followed by loud curses.
Giorno took a deep breath and glanced up at his father. He didn’t think he was better than anyone here, nor did he want to be, but he knew telling Father that was useless. “Is Jonathan getting a cart? I don’t think we can push one through this crowd.”
“Knowing Jojo, I wouldn’t worry about it.” Father undid the top button of his red dress shirt and adjusted the suit jacket tied around his waist. He tapped his lip with a manicured finger and scanned the hall with a skeptical gaze. “I do see your concern. This dorm is sweltering and seems to be full of imbeciles. It is not too late to move you to the Village with your uncle.”
“No,” Giorno blurted out. Father’s sharp gaze bore into him, but Giorno refused to take back his opposition. He knew agreeing to live with Diego would make his father believe he could convince him to change his major, too. “I can’t depend on Diego. I want to live my own college experience. I have a dream.”
The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. “What did I miss?” Jonathan asked, stepping out. Giorno suddenly knew what Father meant when he told him not to worry about a cart. Jonathan easily carried everything. Each arm carried five suitcases, and he had both a heavy box of books and a brand new comforter set strapped to his back. Giorno glanced at the empty elevator, realizing that even on such a busy day, he could understand why no one wanted to ride up with Jonathan. He stood at 6ft 5 with broad shoulders and hulking muscles. The other parents probably thought he looked intimidating despite his permanent smile and the pink College Dad crop top he wore with pride
“You missed nothing new,” Father said. He twirled a strand of golden hair around his finger and sneered at Jonathan. “I was just reminding my son that he’ll live a more successful life with a law degree like his uncle is so close to getting.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” Jonathan passed all ten suitcases to Father at once. Father scrambled to catch them all and stumbled a bit when one almost escaped his grip.
Giorno would have laughed if he weren’t so good at hiding his emotions. Instead, he bore a small smile, which turned soft when Jonathan kneeled in front of him and gently placed his hands on his shoulders.
“Giorno, I believe that you can be successful doing whatever your heart desires. I’m proud of you for finding something that you’re passionate about and deciding to pursue it. That takes courage, especially since you’re throwing yourself in an unfamiliar environment and…” Jonathan blinked, his bright blue eyes becoming glossy, “and moving away… and I’m going to miss you!”
He yanked Giorno into a hug. Giorno held onto him tight. “I’m going to miss you too, Dad.” He could feel Jonathan’s jaw shift as his smile widened. Father and Pucci always hated when he called Jonathan Dad, but Jonathan was just as much of a father to Giorno as Dio was. His family could be complicated, but he loved it. He couldn’t have been luckier. No, he internally corrected. It wasn’t luck. This was all due to one person. His hero. The person he strived to be like.
Father rolled his eyes. “Can you please save the waterworks for until after this whole ordeal is over? I am not dealing with your blubbering the entire flight back to England, and I’m especially not dealing with Erina thinking I hurt your feelings when you come back to her crying. She’s bloody annoying.”
His words only made Jonathan clasp his hands together. “And if only Erina was here to see you!” He dug out his phone from his shorts pocket. “Hold still. I need a picture.”
Giorno placed his hands behind his back and sent the camera a reserved smile. He doubted it was a good picture. He knew the August heat ruined his perfect curls and elegant braid with frizz, and his skin was almost definitely glistening with sweat. He was just glad he didn’t feel his white dress shirt clinging to him yet.
“Are you done, Jojo?” Father asked, his voice slightly strained. His arms twitched under the weight of the luggage.
Jonathan glanced over, and his eyes widened. “Oh! I’m sorry, Dio. I forgot all of that would be too heavy for you.”
Father curled his lip. He didn’t like being reminded of how much stronger Jonathan was. Jonathan easily retrieved the luggage from Father. Giorno ignored the piercing glare he sent Jonathan, and instead studied his phone. “My room is… 7 34.”
Jonathan led the way with Giorno and Father trailing close behind. Everyone in the hall had the common sense to move out of the way upon seeing Jonathan approaching. His room looked to be in the middle of the hall, not too far from the bathrooms but thankfully far enough to not hear the sound of a toilet flushing. Giorno’s hand hovered over the doorknob. He didn’t actually know who his roommate was, and he felt his earlier wave of anxiety returning to him.
“No weaknesses,” Father hissed, drumming his claw-like fingernails against Giorno’s tense shoulders.
“It’s normal for him to be nervous,” Jonathan murmured.
Giorno ignored him. No matter how well-meaning Jonathan was, Father was right. He learned at an early age just how cruel this world could be. No matter how nervous he was, he couldn’t let it show. He relaxed his shoulders as Father instructed and turned the doorknob.
He opened the door to reveal a normal looking dorm room. Oddly enough, there wasn’t a pile of trash or empty suitcases. The room had two beds, two nightstands, two desks, and two closets. His half of the room was completely blank with nothing on the walls, a bare desk, an empty closet, and a plain mattress sitting on the wooden bedframe.
The other half was obviously lived in. Black bed sheets sat crumbled on the bed, the desk was cluttered with textbooks and makeup, black fabric and leather consumed the closet, and a mini fridge and a small stereo playing a soft rock song sat on the end table. Giorno took a moment to study the dozens of band posters plastered to the wall while Jonathan shuffled in with all of his stuff. Most of them were rock and metal bands, but a few were opera, and one was a signed WICKED the musical poster.
Father paced his roommate’s side of the room, delicately examining every detail. “Your roommate seems… acceptable. He has a decent taste in music.” He stopped before the desk and picked up a tube of lipstick. “Kat Von D… not a bad makeup brand.”
“You shouldn’t be touching his stuff,” Jonathan said. He had already pulled the comforter from its bag and started making Giorno’s bed.
Father waved his hand dismissively. “I’m just trying to get a picture as to whom my son will be living with.” His eyes widened when they read the cover of one of the textbooks. “And he’s studying criminal justice. If you were studying law, you’d have a lot in common.”
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Giorno’s head whipped over to the doorway where the gruff voice came from. A man stood there with his muscly arms crossed over his black tank top. He looked a little taller than 6 ft, and his white hair was thrown into a ponytail. His black painted lips sneered at Giorno, then his glare shifted to Father. “Put my shit down.”
Jonathan quickly crossed the room and plucked the tube of lipstick from Father’s hand and placed it on the desk. He walked up to the man and placed a hand over his own heart. “I am so sorry for his behavior. I told him not to be so rude. I can guarantee you that our son is more respectful. Is there anything I can do to make up for it? My name is Jonathan Joestar. I’m Giorno’s dad. What’s your name?”
The man seemed thrown off by Jonathan’s barrage of kindness. His glare faded slightly, and he studied Jonathan with raised eyebrows. “Abbacchio,” he finally muttered. “And you can make it up to me by keeping your shitty husband away from my stuff.”
“We are not a couple,” Father said. Giorno tugged at his sleeve and pulled him away from Abbacchio’s side of the room.
“I don’t care what you are.” Abbacchio grabbed one of his criminal justice books from the desk and climbed onto his bed. He slipped on a pair of headphones and gave Father one last glare before flipping through the book and studying a page.
Father was seething. “How dare he speak to I, DIO, like that?”
“You invaded his personal space,” Giorno said. And made an awful first impression. He had the bad feeling that he’d be working for the rest of the semester to get on his roommate’s good side.
Jonathan nodded his agreement. “I’m just glad he doesn't look too angry.” He sent Giorno a reassuring smile as he returned to making the bed. Erina picked out the pink comforter set and even embroidered white roses onto it.
“You are above living with such a distateful creature,” Father said. Giorno’s gaze darted to Abbacchio. Thankfully, it seemed that he couldn’t hear anything with his headphones on. Father pulled out his phone. “I’m calling Diego. He’s been trying to find a way to kick out at least one of his roommates, anyway. You will make a good replacement.”
The phone went missing from his hand, and Father narrowed his eyes. Giorno glanced down, just realizing that he snatched it. He met Father’s gaze as he slipped the phone in his pocket. No weaknesses. “You can’t control everything I do. I’m staying here. I’m going to get a medical degree and become a doctor and help people . That is my dream. I’m not going to let anyone stop me. Not even you.”
The room stilled. Jonathan watched the exchange intensely, ready to step in at any moment. Father’s sharp eyes bore into Giorno, trying to pick apart his invincible resolve. He hardly ever disobeyed Father. Was he going to hit him? Giorno dismissed the thought immediately, angry that even after all these years that was the first thing to come to mind. Many knew Dio as a cruel man, but he was a good father.
“Fine.”
Giorno’s brain buffered. He took a moment to process Father’s response. “Fine?”
Father placed a hand on his hip. “This isn’t over. I see you won’t appreciate my help, so I’ll let you make your mistakes. I’ll be there for you when you change your mind.”
“Thank you,” Giorno said, still shocked by Father’s decision. It wasn’t acceptance, but it could be eventually. He just had to earn it.
Father held out his hand, and Giorno returned his phone to him. Father checked the time. “Our flight is in three hours, Jojo. We should get going, soon.”
Jonathan immediately started tearing up again. He fanned his face, trying to stop himself from crying. “Since we’re in New York, will we have enough time to visit Joseph?”
“Absolutely not,” Father said, his voice flat. “It’s bad enough you made us stop to greet Jotaro on our way to the dorm.”
So that’s who that was. Giorno remembered Jonathan calling out and stopping in his tracks to run up to a man wearing a long white coat and a ripped hat. Jonathan told him he was family, although Giorno didn’t know how. He could see the resemblance with the man’s bulky figure and wild dark hair. He even looked half japanese like himself. He was apparently a professor, but Giorno didn’t have the chance to ask what he taught. He could hardly say hello before Father grabbed his arm and yanked him away. He caught Jotaro’s distasteful look after them. Giorno couldn’t tell if the look was towards him or his father.
Jonathan sighed. “I guess I’ll have to plan another trip over here to properly spend time with all of my family here. Maybe I can even bring Diego along to spend time with Johnny and I.”
Father let out a snort. “You can try.”
Jonathan looked at Giorno, then quickly turned away and pulled out a handkerchief. “You say goodbye, first!”
Father planted his hand on Giorno’s arm. “While I don’t agree with your dream, I know you’re destined to excel at whatever field you’re in. You’re a Brando, afterall. Don’t let anyone push you around. Surround yourself with successful people, but remember that you are the most successful out of everyone surrounding you. Dominate and defeat all competition. Show no mercy to those who oppose you.”
Giorno didn’t know how much of that advice he could actually apply to moving away to college, but he was still thankful. This was Dio’s way of telling him that he loved him and he hoped for the best. “Thank you, Father. I’ll miss you.”
Father stepped out of the way, and Jonathan rushed forward. He wrapped his thick arms around Giorno and lifted him up. “I love you so much!” Giorno patted his back as Jonathan rambled on about how much he was going to miss him. “I’m going to message you every day and email you Erina’s recipes so you can cook while you’re here and I’ll visit as often as possible and I’ll help Erina knit you sweaters when it gets cold and I’ll get a snapchat so I can see your lovely face everyday and-”
“God, Jojo, please don’t get a snapchat.”
Jonathan ignored Father and continued hugging Giorno long enough to even get Abbacchio’s attention for a split second before he went back to his book. Giorno didn’t mind. He clung onto the moment for as long as possible before Jonathan set him down.
It finally hit Giorno that he was really doing this and didn’t know the next time he’d see Father or Jonathan or Erina. The fact settled in the back of his throat, and it took more effort to keep the realization from reaching his eyes. He hugged both of them once again. “Love you, Father. Love you, Dad. Tell Erina that I love her, too.”
Pride sparked in Father’s eyes. "Remember my advice.”
“I love you, and we will!” Jonathan sent him the warmest smile and wiped away the tears streaming down his face. “Let me know how your first day of school goes. You’re going to do great!”
Giorno watched them leave and heard an argument spark about what they were doing for lunch before the flight back. Giorno's hand went to his mouth when he realized he was still smiling. It was hard not to when imagining them traveling alone without being able to direct their attention to him instead of each other.
He turned around, and almost immediately bumped into Abbacchio. He sent his new roommate a swift bow. “I’m sorry about that. My father can be a bit much. My name is Giorno Giovanna. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Abbacchio took a step forward with a dark look in his eyes. Giorno returned from his bow and didn’t offer any reaction. “I should apologize, too. It must be awful to live with such a distasteful creature .” Something dropped in the pit of his stomach. Abbacchio was listening, after all. “I went a whole semester without having to deal with a roommate, and now I have to live with some overconfident prick. What if I decided to beat the shit out of you right now? Would you show no mercy?”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“And why not?” He asked, cracking his pale knuckles.
“Because you’re a good person.”
Abbacchio let out a hollow laugh. “So you’re a comedian. What makes you think that?”
“The way you reacted when my dad apologized. You’re good to people who are good to you. You had every reason to be angry at my father, and you have every reason to be angry at me now. But I know you won’t act on your anger. You have no reason to beat me up until I prove myself to be the same as my father, and I can assure you that I am not.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Abbacchio raised his fist and held it there. Giorno refused to flinch. His fist wavered, and he instead reached for the door behind Giorno. “Drink my piss,” he muttered.
The door slammed behind him, leaving Giorno alone in his new room. He let his shoulders slump, finally being able to let go of his confident facade. He knew he’d be able to complete his dream. He aced all of his classes in private school, especially his science classes. But he wasn’t sure if he’d make any friends. He never did, and based off of how his college life started, he wasn’t going to. Giorno walked over to his bed with a sigh. He took a seat and traced an embroidered rose with his finger.
He was used to being alone, but this was a new kind of loneliness. Not the kind of loneliness he faced as Haruna. He could call his fathers whenever he liked, and he could even visit Diego if he got lonely enough, but he left the life he was used to in England. He already missed his Father and living in his mansion and visiting Jonathan and Erina in their mansion next door. He even missed his crazy half brothers that would come over all the time. He was sure if he spent enough time here, he might even miss Pucci.
Giorno reached for one of his suitcases and zipped it open. He tried to tell himself being homesick was useless and that he should start unpacking. He had a dream to live out. He lifted the suitcase, and the first thing he pulled out was a family album. He studied the pink covering with confusion. He knew he didn’t pack it. Jonathan must have slipped it in while he wasn’t paying attention.
He felt himself start to tremble. He didn’t cry. He didn’t think he ever could. But he knew what it meant when his body started shaking like this. He breathed in and out, trying to control his breathing. Being homesick was useless, but that didn’t stop him.
He just hoped he could turn this college experience into something great.