The two walked through the castle gardens and paths until they reached the greenhouse, and frankly neither of them understood how the hell people are supposed not to get lost in such a humongous place ”Just follow the music and the smell of edible gold or whatever royals eat” he said withlight chuckle, though technically he didn’t know how to get back as well, but it wasn’t that far anyway, and not like he was leading them somewhere he actually knew, so there weren’t too many twists and turns on the way because getting lost wasn’t exactly on the top of his priority list for that day.
Showing up at the wedding after all this time and seeing all these people who used to be a part of his life even though he didn’t remember them was one thing, but taking Luciano and talking to him one on one about their whole relationship was another. And frankly it took a whole lot of courage Gio has dug from every part of him, because he knew either way this goes, they needed to talk. It just had to be done, perhaps closure?
Not gonna lie, remembering that moment and what he felt in it hurt like a b!tch, like someone stabing you in the heart and walking away, but at the same time, Gio was glad he got to know the whole story. Even though he would have preferred if Luciano would have just told him about it, and he wouldn’t mind because he was never a jealous person and he valued the need of closure enough to not make a deal out of his boyfriend going to lunch with his ex. But it is what it is, life doesn’t always go as we want them to, and even so, Gio preferred the pain of the memory with the knowledge of the truth than having neither of them.
Honestly, as complicated as this whole situation was for Gio, if there was one thing he adored, it was the way that even after all this time and all this mess Luciano still seemed to have a part in him that loved him. And still, even now, say that he was and is everything to him. It was something Gio never thought he’d be lucky enough to have, and frankly it was almost impossible for him to believe, but it made him feel all fuzzy and warm inside.
As Luci got up and took a step towards him, Gio’s eyes stayed up, fixated on the beautiful and amazing man standing in front of him. Everything he said, the tears, his eyes, his body language… this was what honesty looked like, luci really was hurting and in pain from that story, he cared, he loved, and it was something Gio could not ignore, he hated the way Luci basically blamed himself for Gio’s accident, when it was nothing he could predict and on reality Gio just shouldn’t have driven in the state he was at the time. In a way, looking and listening to him, it made Gio supposedly understande more regarding why he fell in love with luci in the first place, even though there was no actual reason because love doesn’t work like that, it just happens and there’s nothing you can do to control it.
And in that moment, standing in the middle of a greenhouse in a royal castle instead of actually attending the wedding, Gio gathered his courage and tried pushing away any sort of insecurity, as he stood in front of theman he used to see as the love of his life, Gio took a risk. A massive risk, but one he had to take, it wasn’t even a dilemma in his mind, he knew exactly what he was going into and he was willing to make that effort. “Really?” ”Really.” he answered, in the same low whispery voice as luci’s when he asked. As the boy made slow steps towards him, it wasn’t hard to see he found it hard to believe that Gio was actually being serious. But for real, he was dead serious.
”Gio… you could get any guy you wanted, you know that? I just… don’t get why you’d choose me.”
It always made Gio confused, and wondering how on earth did luci not realise how fcuking amazing he was. It was something Gio could never understand, because even before they got together, Gio saw him as one of the most amazing (and handsome) people he had ever crossed paths with, and I’ll just say he had crosssd paths with quite a lot of people in his life. And still, one thing he always wished, was for Luciano to be able to see himself the way he is seen in Gio’s eyes, as true, worthy and amazing as he really was.
Luciano stepped forward and was now in front of him, close, taking his hand in his own and intertwining their fingers. Gio looked up at him, there was something aboit his eyes, they drew him in like a wide ocean but in brown, he just couldn’t seem to want to look away, he couldn’t look away. ”I don’t want any guy, I just want you” he said, quietly gazing at him. It was complicated yes, but other than the fact he had faith in his memory returning as it slowly seemed to be doing that piece by piece, there was also the fact that both now and before, inside him, Gio always knew he’d never find someone better than Luci, and even if he did (which was highly unlikely), there could never be a love in his life greater than the one he held for one Luciano Ribeiro. He was and will forever be the love of his life, with all the complications in the road.
But, apparently this really was the one thing Luci wanted more than anything, and hearing those words brought a smile to Gio’s face, a smile he could not hide even if he wanted to. “So, a fresh start sounds perfect.”
”It does sound perfect doesn’t it?” he said in a voice almost as gentle and quiet as a whisper. Gio gently brought his hand up to the man’a chest, looking at him without breaking the gaze for a moment as he went up on his tiptoes and kissed the guy who borrowed his heart and never gave it back.
With his hand on Lui’s chest, and his lips on his own, Gio felt every beat coming from the boy’s heart against his hand, just like the very first time.
“Your heart,” he said quietly, back in that one Valentine’s Day that changed his life, as yet another memory came back to him. The two of them alone in a classroom, Gio’s hand on Lui’s pounding heart, just like now. “It’s you, It’s always you.” Luciano whispered, right before Gio made the move and kissed him. and in that moment, Giovanni felt whole, happy, happier than he had ever been. There was no better feeling than that. And now? Now he finally understood just how lucky he really was.
@unsungcheerio remember you said yours was longer? So yeah… not anymore
