Chapter Text
~It was when Giorno was seven years old, he wondered who his biological father was.
His Mother was of no help. He knew that if he tried to ask her, she would ignore him like she always did. So the most natural thing that Giorno could do was raid her room to try and find some answers.
It was when his Step Father and Mother was out. Giorno tiptoed into their room nonetheless because even though the Gangster basically saved his life in exchange for his, he couldn't help but be scared that they might creep into the window. Giorno was an imaginative person, it was both a advantage and a disadvantage for him.
He neatly looked through the dressing table drawers, carefully taking things out and putting them back in at the exact place they were in before. For a second, Giorno felt discouraged. Maybe his Father died by some kind of brutal accident.
That was, until he found the polaroid picture under his Mother's pink jewelry box. His eyes widened. The picture didn't have a face. It had a man's back. He had blonde hair and was posing -or maybe he was looking the other way, Giorno wasn't sure- but the thing that proved that the man in the picture was his birth father. It wasn't his hair color -he must have taken that after his Mother- but it was the star shaped birthmark on his right shoulder.
Giorno set the picture down on the table and pulled his shirt down to find his own birthmark sitting dutifully there.
This man's my Padre. When he took another look at the picture, he felt an intimidating aura from it. I feel like if he were here right now, he would protect me like Mr. Gangster.
Giorno was seven years old when he swiped the picture of his Padre and snuck it in one of his favorite books, leaving his Mother to believe that she lost it.
It was also then, Giorno wished he had blonde hair like his Father.
★★★
Giorno was twelve years old when he wanted to speak with his birth Father.
He's seen things that no ordinary twelve year old has seen, he's felt things that no ordinary twelve year old would have felt.
Giorno would stare at the picture of his Padre for hours daydreaming of the day where he would burst through the door and take him back to live with him because with the hidden skill he had of reading emotions of people even when they didn't speak, he knew that his Father might have been bad, but he wouldn't have been bad to Giorno. Maybe he was dead, maybe he didn't know that Giorno existed.
Maybe in another universe, his Padre would have raised him.
Giorno lay on his bed and turned to look at the time. 12:45 am. His Mother and Step Father would be asleep by now. When Giorno was little, he would always fear that in the darkness of the night, his Step Father would take out his belt from his waist and-
Giorno shook his head to stop thinking about what happened in the past.
I want to be like Mr. Gangster when I grow up, but I wish I could talk to Padre about it as well. He probably might not approve but what can he do to stop me? Giorno was at the age where he thought that he could be able to do anything by himself and the new hidden power he had. He didn't know how to use it to it's full potential yet, but he was working on it.
His eyes were closing on their own. Giorno gave one last look at the picture before he placed it in his nightstand drawer and turned his body around to sleep.
★★★
Giorno squinted. There was nothing but darkness around here. It made him feel... cold and alone.
Surely there must be someone here right?
"Hello?" Giorno put a hand on his mouth to make his voice sound louder.
Suddenly, there was a bright light from far beyond the distance. What is that? He figured that it would be better to go towards the light than to stay lonely.
It felt like an eternity until the golden light was in front of him. It wasn't a light source but a person. The man had blonde hair and golden eyes. He wore a magenta suit with a pristine white shirt underneath. His hair was held up by a green headband with a heart at the center. What an odd combination. Giorno thought taking another look at the man.
"Giorno Giovanna." Giorno's right index finger twitched.
"W-who are you?" It was rare for Giorno to show emotion. He hasn't cried since he was two years old. A shiver tingled down his spine.
"Do you not recognize me?" It was then, Giorno realized who the man could be, The polaroid picture flashed in his mind. The shirtless man with the star birthmark and the blonde hair matched the man in front of him.
"A-are you my Padre?" He wondered out loud. The man smiled.
"I'm glad you recognized me quickly. Speaking with people who are idiotic enough as to not recognize their Fathers are utterly useless to speak to." Giorno noticed that the man in front of him, his Padre, had the same mindset as him. It was useless to talk with idiots.
It was too good to be true.
"How do I know that you're my Father?" It was a hallucination. Giorno knew it. Otherwise, why would he be dreaming of his Father now of all times?
The man scoffed. "Do I really need to prove it to you? Shame to see that you haven't inherited my blonde hair. I wonder if I can change that." The man said to himself.
"You didn't answer my question! Prove to me that you're my Padre!" Giorno didn't want any bullshit. Why was his Dad here now of all times? Why wasn't he here when Giorno wanted to meet him most?! Giorno's Padre sat on the chair behind him and crossed his legs.
"You have the star birthmark don't you?" Giorno faltered. Not a lot of people knew about that. But Giorno remembered the image that he had.
"Show me your birthmark then!" He knew basic self defense but Giorno had a feeling that basic self defense wouldn't work against this guy. The man glared at him.
"I don't have it." Giorno's eyebrows lowered in confusion. The picture I had definitely had the birthmark on it. How come he's saying that he doesn't-
"If I were Jojo, I would probably just tell you that it was a long story, but I'll tell you because no son of DIO should be left in the dark." The man sighed. With the sudden mention of 'God' in Italian Giorno could only guess that it was this guy's name. Giorno could tell that this man... probably had a God complex. I guess this guy's name is Dio but Jojo? Who's that?
"I came to Jojo's -Jonathan Joestar's- estate when I was 12 years old. My good for nothing Father was better left to rot in Hell and I decided to make the trip easy for him." Dio started to explain. He's had a bad childhood also? Giorno then felt greatful that he saved Mr. Gangster's life otherwise it could have went the same as him.
"I wanted the Joestar fortune all for myself. Long story short, I rejected my humanity and became a vampire, Jojo defeated me to the likes of a head, I killed Jojo and took his body and I slept for one hundred years. When I woke up, I was defeated by Jojo's great great grandson. The reason why you have the star birthmark is because it's Jojo's as I took Jojo's body for my own. Understand?" Giorno blinked. That... was a lot to take in.
"Giorno, sit down. There's a chair right behind you." DIO advised. Giorno's knees started to lock and he fell behind to find a soft red sofa breaking his fall. He was confused but he thought he got the gist of it.
"So technically... I have two Padri?" Giorno asked warily wondering if he's finally done it. He's become insane.
"Out of everything that I told you, that is the thing that you ask me?" Giorno flinched. Was Dio going to call him stupid for asking? That he was an idiot for not figuring that himself?
No... from the mood he was reading off of DIO it was more curiosity than anger. But Giorno couldn't help but think that.
"You... became a vampire, took Jonathan Joestar's body when you were a head, and you were defeated by one of Jonathan's descendants. I don't think I'm missing anything." He said rhetorically. Dio raised an eyebrow.
"I'm ecstatic that you took my brains instead of that meathead Jojo's." This was getting more difficult to understand by the second.
"Can you please tell me? My head is spinning just by thinking about it." Giorno pleaded. He meets his Padre only to find out that he had two Padri the whole time? Talk about bizarre. Dio shrugged.
"I would gladly throw Jonathan out of the window and claim you as my son but unfortunately, I can't really do that." He said bitterly. Giorno's heart warmed at the thought that this man was calling him his son, the fact that two people called him their son. It wasn't often Giorno heard that out of someone's mouth.
"But why are you here? How is it, that you can meet me here?" Giorno asked. He could have sworn that DIO's stoic face softened for a second.
"I didn't know that bitch of a woman would treat you the same way my Father did. I only recently found out I had a son by Jojo himself. He might meet you another night but tonight is mine." Dio came closer to Giorno but this time, he didn't flinch. Usually, when someone would come close to him, he would visibly cringe, as if expecting someone to hit his face.
"So that means that you'll be meeting me every night in my dreams now?" Giorno knew he was probably annoying his Padre but inside, he didn't care. His wish actually came true! Dio nodded.
"If not me, then Jojo would. Just know that you aren't alone anymore Giorno. I want you to rise up in the world. You have potential, better yet, you have a Stand. With that, you can make it to the top. Make me proud son." Dio's hand went on his shoulder with a small smile. Giorno didn't realize he was crying until he felt something wet come his cheek. Dio wiped the tear off his cheek. The moment he did, DIO's hand faded. Giorno stood up suddenly.
"Padre?! Why are you fading away?" Dio scowled.
"Looks like our time for tonight is up. I could stop time with my Stand to give us more time together, but when I stop time you would get frozen also." Giorno blinked again. There was that word again, Stand.
...One of Giorno's Padri could stop time?!
Dio's body faded so much to the extent Giorno could barely see him.
"I will explain what I mean in due time. When you wake up, take a good look at yourself. You'll see that you're my figlio once and for all." Giorno didn't know when Dio suddenly started talking Italian but it felt more comfortable to hear the word figlio from his mouth than 'son.' It made Giorno feel like there was such thing as love in the world.
"Until tomorrow my figlio." Dio's body faded into nothingness and Giorno's eyes met with a blinding light.
★★★
Giorno's eyes flickered open at the sunlight outside and he stood up.
It was a dream after all.
He grabbed the picture from his drawer and placed his finger around the birthmark. He had two Fathers. The second Father was the one who had the same birthmark as Giorno did, at least that's what Giorno remembered.
He stood up and went to the bathroom to freshen himself up. There was a new face when he looked at the mirror.
Instead of his usual dark hair, a lighter shade took over with slight curls.
Blonde hair just like his Padre. Giorno smiled.
Guess that dream was 'real' after all.
Giorno was twelve years old when his hair color turned blonde and he could see his Stand, Golden Experience.