Ghiaccio had planned this outing with Melone for over a month. It was meant to be a surprise that had Melone more than intrigued. Ghiaccio had made sure they both got time off to drive outside the city into the countryside. The drive was pleasant with the top down on the convertible. It was June, and finally hot. Ghiaccio had packed away his usual jacket for a white t-shirt and navy shorts.

He glanced over to Melone in the passenger seat. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of cat-eye sunglasses he'd bought at a gas station because the look Ghiaccio had made when he tried them on made him laugh. His hair was pulled back with a few flyaways whipping around in the breeze. He wore purple shorts that were a bit shorter than Ghiaccio's own; they stopped mid-calf instead of at his knee. He was currently singing along to a song on the radio with his arm hanging out of the car.

They were approaching the turnoff when Melone spoke up. "How far is this place?"

"We're almost there," Ghiaccio stated.

"So what's the deal, huh? What are we doing today?" Melone lowered his shades a bit to peek at Ghiaccio.

"You keep asking me that. Do you really think my answer is going to change?" Ghiaccio smiled.

"Well, sometimes you cave if I'm persistent enough." Melone licked his lips and Ghiaccio rolled his eyes half-heartedly.

"Not today, okay? I've been planning this for too long to just spill it now."

"Oh, but that's what's so fascinating! You planned the whole ordeal. When do you ever do that, Ghia?" Melone had a point. Ghiaccio wasn't usually one to plan their dates, but this one was special. They'd been together now for five years and Ghiaccio had never been in a relationship that long. He thought it was important and worth celebrating.

It hit him hard a few months ago just how long they'd been together. He knew the moment it happened. It wasn't anything significant. Melone had been eating cereal while talking to Formaggio. Something had been particularly funny to Melone and he'd dropped his spoon laughing into his bowl and splashed milk on the table like an imbecile. Normally Ghiaccio would have rebuked him for it but something about the way Melone's eyes sparkled as he rushed to clean it up made his heart melt. The apologetic giggle he'd given Ghiaccio. The thought flitted through his head before he knew what it meant.

I want this idiot by my side until I die.

And here they were. Turning off into a small town that Ghiaccio had read about online. Melone had once told him that when he was a boy his family used to go strawberry picking. It had been something he'd looked forward to every year until his parents divorced when he was eight and his mom moved him and his sister back to France. He and his sister would compete to pick the largest strawberries they could find. He seemed kind of sad after telling that story like he had lost himself in the reverie of innocence and was sad to come back from the memory. Ghiaccio had been looking into strawberry farms near Napoli ever since. He knew Melone had bad associations with his family, but he really hoped he would like this.

They finally turned off the main road and onto a dirt road towards the farm.

"Where the hell are we going?" Melone coughed as the car kicked up dust.

"You'll see," Ghiaccio said. They drove past a sign for the farm and pulled in near other cars and parked. "We're here." Ghiaccio got out of the car and walked around towards the other side. He noticed Melone sitting still in the car staring forward at the kids running around with their baskets. He walked back over and leaned his elbows on the passenger door and tapped Melone on the head. "Hey, you coming?"

"How did you know?" Melone said in a small voice.

"What?" Ghiaccio cocked his head and squinted. He couldn't see Melone's eyes behind the sunglasses but he noticed tears rolling down his cheek.

"This is where I used to come as a kid," Melone murmured.

He watched Melone intently as he continued to stare. "Hey, you okay?" He reached out and wiped his partner's face with a thumb-swipe when Melone finally snapped out of it.

"Yeah, I just…" he sniffed. "I just can't believe you brought me here."

"Would you rather we go home?" Ghiaccio asked quietly. His heart raced with apprehension. Had he fucked up? He'd hoped this would be romantic, not traumatizing.

"No!" He turned and looked up at him then got out of the car. He wrapped his arms around Ghiaccio's neck tight and Ghiaccio held him. "I love it. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Good," Ghiaccio breathed in relief. "I was a little worried there I might have really fucked up."

"Not at all. I'm just… " Melone let go and stepped back. He wiped his nose with a sniff and straightened out uncomfortably, trying to stifle the emotion. "Thanks, Ghiaccio."

"Come on, let's go before all these little brats pick the good ones." Ghiaccio grinned and put an arm around Melone's neck, pulling him along.

They spent much of the afternoon roaming the area with their baskets, Melone really did have an eye for the best strawberries. He even competed against some of the younger kids to get them. Ghiaccio couldn't help smiling to see the childlike display in his partner. Melone ran up to Ghiaccio and smacked him on the back. "Come on! I'll race you over to the bush! Keep up, Glacé!"

Ghiaccio took off after Melone; he couldn't resist a competition, especially one of speed. He was much faster than Melone and reached the bush first. When Melone caught up, he found a strawberry and quickly plucked it from the bush. "Ha! Got it first!"

"What?! Now we're racing to pick?" Ghiaccio cried. Melone was about to bite into the small fruit when Ghiaccio plucked it from his fingers and ate it first.

"Hey!" Melone whined. "Ghiaccio!"

"That's for cheating," Ghiaccio said as he took another bite just as Melone leaned in and kissed him, taking the fruit into his own mouth. A tingle went through Ghiaccio's body as Melone pulled away, chewing his prize. He chuckled and Ghiaccio grabbed him roughly by the arm. Ghiaccio pulled him in and murmured seductively, "Think you can just take what you want, huh?"

"Mmhm," Melone smirked coyly. "Who's gonna stop me?"

"Maybe I have something to say about it."

"Yeah?" Melone breathed.

"Yeah," and Ghiaccio kissed him.

"And what is it you have to say?" Melone teased. Ghiaccio took his partner's left hand and slipped the ring he had in his pocket onto Melone's finger.

"I take what I want too." Ghiaccio laced his fingers in Melone's and then kissed his hand. He smirked at his dumbstruck partner.

"Gh—I… Ghia?" He looked back down at their hands and stared at the ring, then he looked back up into his partner's face. "Ghiaccio?"

"What do you say?" Ghiaccio gave his partner a small smile. "I mean… we can't really… y'know… but I mean… I want you with me. Hopefully 'til one of us kicks it. However long that may be for us. And in our job, who can really say, y'know?" Fuck, his stupid Northern accent was slipping. He was more nervous than he realized. Ghiaccio had never discussed this before with Melone… not really. Marriage had come up in conversation but not between them, not together. Melone had always been very flighty, perhaps the idea of being tied down would make him reluctant to the proposal. The look on Melone's face made Ghiaccio quickly regret his entire decision to ask. We should have fucking talked about this.

"I—wow… I had no idea you were even thinking something like this. I can't believe you, of all people, would want this."

"What the fuck's that supposed to mean?" Ghiaccio said defensively.

"I just mean, I never really thought you would take us that seriously…" Melone said quietly.

"Was… was that wrong? Should I have…?" Ghiaccio stumbled over thoughts as words just tumbled out. "I don't know… Yeah, this was stupid, I should have asked you what you thought about all this first before just dropping this." Ghiaccio let go of Melone's hand. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't think this through… I thought… Well, it doesn't matter." Ghiaccio started to turn away, but Melone grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"Ghiaccio. I didn't say no." Melone stared at him, face neutral and Ghiaccio's heart raced. "I'm just really surprised. You never showed me any indication of wanting a future together."

He sighed. "I guess I just never knew how to bring it up…"

"I've never been in a relationship that lasted this long or was so serious. I guess I'm just not really sure what to do or say. Marriage isn't something I ever really thought would happen to me because of my lifestyle. I'm not exactly the man that people wanna bring home to their mothers."

"Well, my mother's not in the picture, so it works out," Ghiaccio joked.

"Saying yes feels… too final. I just don't know what the future will bring," Melone said. Ghiaccio swallowed and looked at his feet, nodding. "But, I don't want to say no either. You're the one person in my life that doesn't make me feel like shit. The one person that doesn't make me hate myself. I feel good when I'm with you. Loved. You actually listen to me." He took both of Ghiaccio's hands in his. "And I don't want to give that up."

"You make me feel like that too. I love you, Melone," Ghiaccio said as earnestly as he could. He needed Melone to understand what he'd been feeling. The more he thought about their future, the more he was truly scared to lose Melone because it was so likely in their line of work. "I just really don't want to lose you. I think a lot about Sorbet and Gelato and how that could be us any day. I just want to know there's some way to hold on to you…"

Melone kissed him and caressed his face. "You always have me. You don't need a ring to know that."

"I guess not… I just wanted to do something for you. Make it special, y'know?" Ghiaccio sighed.

"I just feel bad I don't have a ring for you too," Melone said and Ghiaccio looked up, surprised by the comment. Melone smirked. "I didn't say I was going to take it off. Since we can't actually get married anyway, we can at least both wear them like you said."

"So then… you do wanna stay with me? Like… being serious and committed?" Ghiaccio asked cautiously.

"I'm already serious and committed to you," Melone smiled. He stroked Ghiaccio's face. "I have been for the last five years. I've killed for you."

"I've killed so many people to keep you safe on missions. You're all that matters." Ghiaccio took a deep breath, as kids laughed a ways off. "It's not worth making it home if you don't come home with me."

Melone wrapped his arms around Ghiaccio and squeezed him, rocking him gently in his arms. "I'm so glad to hear that from you. Just to know that you're this serious."

"I am."

"Good. So am I," Melone said and then released him to hold his hand instead.

"So then that means…?" Ghiaccio said slowly.

"We're married, Glacé. At least in our eyes." Melone smiled and squeezed his hand. Ghiaccio grinned so wide it hurt his cheeks.

"Better get me a ring too then, you fucker!" He laughed.

"Maybe I'll just steal it off Junior's next mother," Melone joked. They walked back across the field, fingers entwined.

"Fuck you, I don't have girly fingers! And I better be worth more than a petty theft. I actually paid for that shit on your finger, y'know!" Ghiaccio chided.

"Wow, you're making me feel even more like royalty. You actually spent money." He held up his hand to admire the ring now shining on his finger. A single silver band. Melone put an arm around Ghiaccio's waist. "I love the sentimentalism."

"You're not just saying that, right?" Ghiaccio muttered.

"I'd tell you if I hated it." Melone smiled and then placed a kiss on his fiancé's lips. "I think it's adorable, especially coming from you."

Ghiaccio blushed furiously. Melone really made him feel like a fucking sap.

"Yeah, whatever…"

"Hey, I love you, Ghiaccio." Melone stroked his face and gazed into his eyes for a bit until Ghiaccio finally untensed.

"Yeah, I love you too. Now let's finish getting these strawberries before they're all gone." Ghiaccio shrugged and Melone smiled. He took Ghiaccio's hand and licked it before pulling him along down the hill.

Ghiaccio loved this stupid fucker.