The rest of the drive was uneventful, they managed to get Passione's home base before sunrise. Trish and Doppio had solidly fallen asleep. Mista had taken over driving and Giorno watched the landscape fly by. They came to a hotel in what was Buccellati's territory. Mista nudged Trish to get her to wake up who grudgingly got out of the car. Giorno tapped Doppio only for the teen to jump up and yell, he hit his head on the roof and curled against the door.

Mista somehow thought it was a good idea to open the car door on Doppio's side causing him to collapse onto the pavement. He flipped onto his back and scrambled upright. He was breathing very hard, eyes darting around wildly.

Giorno had exited the car and glanced at Mista, clearly unimpressed. Mista snickered.

"It's alright, Doppio, you're here, you're fine."

Doppio began panting. "Oh god the boss is dead, oh god it wasn't just a nightmare, oh god, oh god."

Giorno gestured Trish and Mista away, before he turned to Doppio. "I know it's scary but everything is going to be fine, just…"

But Doppio was taking deep shuddering breaths, gasping for air as if he couldn't breathe.

"Doppio!" Giorno yelled.

Doppio continued to breath raggedly, panting so fast there wasn't a moment for Giorno to interrupt.

Giorno grabbed both of Doppio's shoulders and "You need to calm down, slow down you're breathing." He said firmly.

"I… Can't… breathe!" Doppio gasped between breaths.

Giorno dug his fingers into Doppio's shoulders. Doppio glanced up, eyes wide with panic. "You need to breathe with me! In…"

Doppio hazarded a shaky breath in.

"Out…"

He huffed out.

Giorno repeated this for a minute. "There. Are you ok?"

"Of course I'm not f-fucking ok! Why w-would I be ok! The boss is dead! I'm all alone! With… you! With our enemies!" Doppio wailed.

Giorno sighed. "Ok, but you're breathing ok now?"

Doppio looked at him suspiciously. "I… yes."

Giorno let go of him. "Come on, we can talk in the room."

Doppio looked like he was going to protest, but thought better of it and quietly followed.

Mista waited in the lobby, arms folded. When he saw Doppio he narrowed his eyes, only to glance back up at Giorno when the blond waved at him.

"How many rooms did you get?" He asked.

Mista shifted. "Two, figured I'd guard pinky over there and you could guard Trish."

Giorno looked at him with disbelief. "After what just happened? You clearly don't understand how to deal with him at all."

Doppio flushed at being called "to deal with" but Giorno continued. "I want him on our side, I've had enough of death, he can help, I'm certain of it, but we need…" Giornio glanced at Doppio and lowered his voice. "We need to build trust and that doesn't happen by you fucking with him. He's clearly mentally unstable and until I figure out how he ticks, I can't have you mess this up."

Mista scowled. "Fine."

Giorno snatched a room key from Mista and walked toward the stairs. "Go room with Trish, Doppio?"

Doppio was shivering despite the weather and that he was wearing a sweater. Something was building in his chest, like something was pushing against his lungs, something cold. He swallowed and tried to focus on his breathing.

"Doppio!" He flinched at the sound only to glance up, one eye still closed in fear. Giorno was by the stairs, looking at him expectantly. Doppio glanced around nervously, but decided against trying to run with Mista staring daggers at him, hand on his waistband.

Doppio walked up to Giorno and bowed his head, waiting for the blow that didn't come. Instead the young boss told him they were going to share a room and walked up the stairs. Dumbfounded by the lack of violence Doppio trotted up the stairs. He followed Giorno to their room obediently sitting on one of the beds, head down, shoulders hunched.

Giorno sat down next to him and he felt himself tense. The young man stemmed to notice as he got up and pulled a chair from across the room and put it in front Doppio and sat down.

"So." Giorno said conversationally.

Doppio said nothing, stoutly looking at his hands and chewing his lip.

"You agreed to serve me in the car, now that Mista isn't around to intimidate you, do you still agree."

Doppio's eyes widened at the perceived threat. His eyes dashed around searching his lap for answers. His thoughts racing. If he said no… was he going to die? He couldn't die. He was afraid to die. He was so scared. Oh god. He was going to die! But wait! He could.. lie? Right! He could lie! Divalio often touted deceptions benefits, not to him obviously but to subordinates. But wait, Divalio did lie to him! He didn't tell them they shared a body! And who knows what else. The boss- Divalio, he had lied! And left him! He had left him and now he was alone with these… strangers! What was he going to do! He could join them… but… wouldn't that be betraying the boss? But didn't the boss already betray him? Afterall he didn't tell him about so much! And he used him! And-

Giorno cleared his throat and Doppio was pulled out of his thoughts. He glanced up and gasped. "I think you… bit through your lip."

Doppio blinked. He reached up and touched his lip, it came away red. Ah, he could taste it too, iron, bitter.

"If you want I can heal it…" Giorno reached forward and Doppio flinched back. "Or… not."

Doppio frowned. "Dammit! S-stupid! So stupid! I- I don't know why I keep flinching and tensing! I- I don't mean to! But… so stupid, stupid. Stupid. Stu-"

"Hey!" Giorno said. "I don't mind, I won't touch you, no one will if that's how you want it. So what if your jumpy, I care about what you can do, and if you stutter and flinch through life that doesn't stop you does it?"

Doppio focused in on Giorno's bright blue eyes. He felt his stomach heave and he forced his eyes back down.

"You don't like eye contact either huh?" Giorno leaned forward gently. "We can work with that."

"I'm sorry Giogio, it's just… whenever I look someone in the eye I feel sick. And I don't know why I flinch, my intuition says it has to do with my past."

Giorno nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Doppio laughed nervously. "I wish I could!" Giorno frowned. "I want to! But I don't… I don't remember… I try, I do. But it's kinda blurry and dark. It didn't used to bother me. I just woke up one day and the boss called me and… he's been guiding my life ever since."

Giorno stared at him, eyes wide, unsure of what to say.

"...sorry. whatever happened back then… I… it probably turned me into this nervous wreck." He giggled, or maybe it was a sob.

Giorno sighed and leaned back. "Well that throws a wrench in my plans. I was hoping I could turn you against Divalio, but he's all you've ever known. So you really don't have any ambition?"

Doppio glared at the ground. "No… sorry."

"Don't you want any, do you really think you can drift through life like this? You have a stand, and stand users are drawn to each other, you'll probably run into another one eventually."

Doppio curled in on himself, making himself even smaller than he was. "I don't know. Please just tell me what to do. I only know how to follow orders. If you really want to be the boss then tell me what to do! I'm good at doing what I'm told! It's all I'm good for anyhow." He started gnawing on his lip, the sharp pain helping him focus.

"But that's not what I want. I don't want pawns, I want people who follow me to help me and help themselves. I want a fellowship."

"Well I want you to tell me what to do, I've never made my own decisions! Don't make me choose!"

Giorno centred himself. This was more difficult then he was hoping for. "If you've never made a decision, let's start. I think you can help me so I'll help you." He got up and gestured for Doppio to stand.

Doppio stood uncertainly and shuffled beside him.

"Choose a bed."

Doppio stiffened and turned to stare at Giorno in horror.

Giorno scratched his head. The beds were identical. Standard hotel double beds, with drab plant patterns on the covers. Doppio walked between them and felt each bed. Then felt the pillows. He glanced under the covers, and felt the sheets. He turned to stare bewildered at the blond like Giorno was going to tell at him or laugh.

"I… I can't decide, they're the same." Doppio reported solemnly.

Giorno nodded slowly. "I know. But neither of us care, and it doesn't matter particularly at all. I won't get mad no matter what you choose. So choose."

Doppio looked convincingly distressed as he glanced helplessly between them. "Um… do I have to."

"Yes." He said patiently.

Doppio looked slightly panicked before he sat on the bed closest to the door "This one." He said, still unsure.

Giorno nodded and started to undress.

Doppio fidgeted and kept glancing furtively at him. Giorno went to the bathroom and showered. When he exited, cleaned and refreshed. Doppio had shifted to stare at the bathroom door from his chosen bed. When Giorno exited the bathroom, he glanced curiously and Doppio's head snapped down so he was staring at the covers.

"Do you… do you want something?"

"Uh… did I make the right choice?" Doppio asked, tracing patterns on the covers.

Giorno blinked stupidly for a moment before he said. "Doppio… there was no right choice… or, I suppose they were both right, it didn't matter which you chose. I would be happy with either."

Doppio frowned like this was an incredibly complex question.

Giorno sighed and collapsed on the bed by the window. "Look it's been an insanely long day, I'm exhausted, I'm going to sleep. You can shower if you want." He exhaled heavily. "Do what you want."

Doppio stared at the sleeping Giorno, he had a lot to think about.