Chapter Text
A soft twitch of fingers underneath Jotaro’s own alerted him, forcing him out of his shallow, restless slumber.
“Kakyoin..?” He asked timidly, as if he would scare the unconscious boy if he was too loud.
Crusted eyelids cracked open to peer at him through long, dark red lashes. He blinked once, twice, slowly coming back to a wakeful state. “Jo-Jotaro?” Kakyoin wheezed slowly, his eyes creaking open a little more, allowing his sensitive eyes to adjust to the blaring light of the hospital room.
“Kakyoin! H-hold on, lemme call a nurse—” Jotaro gasped, bolting up from his chair to jab at the call button on the railing of Kakyoin’s bed, his other hand still entwined with Kakyoin’s, shaking heavily as he looked over at the redheaded boy, tears stinging behind his eyes. They threatened to spill when Kakyoin gave him a small, shaky smile, a choked sob escaping from his lips when the smaller boy squeezed his hand gently.
Just as he was about to throw himself around the boy to lock him in a tight embrace, a nurse rushed in, her eyes widening when she saw that Kakyoin was awake.
“Oh my! D-doctor! Doctor! The patient in room five-two-five is awake!” She hollered over her shoulder, rushing into the room to check Kakyoin’s vitals and various other things that Jotaro didn’t understand. His confusion persisted as he was rushed out of the room by a small herd of doctors that flooded in at the nurse’s call. Summoning Star Platinum, Jotaro allowed his stand to monitor Kakyoin as he himself was ushered out of the room and back into that damned waiting room.
From what Star Platinum was observing, it seemed as if Kakyoin was fine (save the large hole in his abdomen), but lacking enough strength to sit up on his own. Though, he didn’t fail to notice the uncomfortable smile that adorned Kakyoin’s handsome face, twisting it into a look of distress as he was swarmed by the doctors.
Tapping his foot impatiently, Jotaro waited for the nurse to return him to the room. He waited for what felt like an eternity, the minutes ticking by at a snail’s pace. Even Star Platinum had had enough of looking at Kakyoin’s perturbed expression as various strangers is white coats poked and prodded at him, returning to its user and disappearing into the cold air.
Finally, after what must have been hours (three minutes) of waiting, a nurse called him in.
“Kujo?” Jotaro looked up sharply, his neck straining against the sudden turn. “The patient in room five-two-five has requested you. You may enter the room.”
—————
“Hey, Kakyoin,” Jotaro said softly, scooting back into his seat, “You holdin’ up ok?”
“Yea,” He responded. Quiet. Hoarse. “They were kind enough to give me some painkillers, so I’m feeling a bit better, if just a little sore.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Jotaro cracked a small smile, relief washing over him as he hid behind his cap, “The doctors said they’ll move you back to Japan soon, just a few more days should do.”
Kakyoin nodded resolutely, pressing his lips into a thin line as he began to lose himself in thought. The redhead was jolted, though, when Jotaro brushed his pinky past the other’s, gently interlocking the digits after a moment of hesitation. Kakyoin flushed slightly and quickly looked away, Jotaro hiding behind his hat, but neither of them moved to unlock their fingers from where they sat intertwined next to Kakyoin on the bed. They sat like that for a comfortable moment, simply enjoying each other's touch sheepishly before a nurse knocked on the door, making Joatro jump and spooking the pair into breaking their fingers apart.
“Hey,” She began, her voice gentle, “It’s about 6 o’ clock right now, so the cafeteria is serving dinner,” She pointed a manicured finger at Jotaro, “I’d suggest getting some food before it’s gone,” her finger moved to Kakyoin, “And your food will come soon.”
“Yes, thank you,” Kakyoin nodded, smiling politely as he fought back the urge to yawn.
Once the nurse had turned and the echoing click of her heels disappeared down the hallway, Kakyoin spoke.
“These painkillers really,” A very visible display of Kakyoin trying to stifle a yawn stretched and distorted his face, breaking him off before he continued, “They’ll really do you in,” He chuckled lightly, the low, soothing sound reverberating off the white walls.
“Hey now, don’t fall asleep,” Jotaro chided jokingly, “You still haven’t told me what ‘combat’ is, it scares me every time you say you’re gonna beat me in it, I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”
Kakyoin let out another light chuckle as he visibly brightened from the mention of one of his favorite games.
“Oh, Jotaro, I am not going to give you the short version,” He giggled, “This is way too funny, ok, hold on.”
Catching his breath, Kakyoin turned to Jotaro, an excited look plastered on his face as Jotaro just huffed a sigh, “Good grief, way to make me want to stay,” But he remained in his chair, no sign of wanting to leave.
“Ok, so, the Atari—specifically the Atari 2600, which is the console that Combat is played on came out in California in the late seventies and it blew up in America, they tried to make one to sell in Japan—the 2800, but it was a total flop. Anyways, I got mine when I was, like, eight and traveling with my mom to the States, she’s a flight attendant, and she wanted to get me something to entertain myself because I didn't really have any friends so I got the 2600 which came with Combat, they all came with Combat as a little launch game for the first five years of its release so I was really lucky to get one!” Kakyoin rambled on about his gaming console until the same nurse for earlier came in, interrupting Kakyoin by placing the tray on his lap.
“Oh, my, th-thank you,” Kakyoin said sheepishly, realizing that he’d been talking too much. Picking up the plastic spoon, he began to dig into his meal. The hospital food was very shitty, but he was hungry so he didn't particularly care. There were no solids on his plate, expected, as he currently had his stomach held together by hopes and dreams (skillfully done medical stitches). In the center of the plate was a large helping of apple sauce, pudding off to the side, an apple juice box, and a red popsicle. He smiled (it was cherry flavored!) as he began shoveling apple sauce into his mouth.
Once the redhead was almost halfway done with inhaling his pudding, Kakyoin was suddenly very aware of Jotaro at his side. The other boy had not left to get his own food, he was just sitting there, book in hand, seemingly unbothered by hunger. Or anything at all, for that matter.
“Are you not going to eat, Jotaro?” Kakyoin asked, swallowing another spoonful of crappy pudding.
“Don’t wanna leave you alone,” he grunted nonchalantly, turning the page of his book.
“You need to eat too. Go get some food from the cafeteria, you can come back here right after you get it,” The cherry-haired boy urged, not wanting the other to suffer because he was too busy watching over him.
After a moment’s silence, Jotaro sighed, “Alright, but I’m coming right back,” He shot the other boy a glare with no real venom behind it.
Walking out of the room, Jotaro navigated the now familiar halls with relative ease, turning various corners until he was met with a set of sturdy double doors. He peered in through the two small reinforced windows in the doors just to make sure he was in the right place, then pushed open the heavy doors once he saw various people sitting and eating at circular tables scattered around the large room. Making his way over to the serving counter, Jotaro got a generous serving of one of everything and paid, kissing what little cash he had left in his pocket goodbye as he sped-walked back to Noriaki’s room.
He loved the way the other boy’s given name felt in his head, and he absently wondered if it would feel even better rolling off of his tongue.
Reaching room five hundred twenty five, Jotaro walked past the single door, tray balanced on one of his hands, and returned sourly to his seat.
“There, I got food. Happy?” He asked, no real malice in his tone.
“Not until you eat it,” Kakyoin giggled
“Cool it, Weird Al Yankovic,” Jotaro grumbled, jabbing at various foods with his flimsy plastic fork, which earned him a hearty laugh from his comrade.
They ate their food in silence, simply enjoying the company of one another. Jotaro (somehow) finished first, and threw his plate away in a nearby trashcan, walking back into the room with a lighter in his hand. Kakyoin’s head turned to follow him as Jotato walked across the room silently and stepped out onto the small balcony, grabbing a cigarette from a pack he had stored in an inside pocket. Lighting the bundle, he inhaled deeply, blowing out smoke-rings with every exhale. Kakyoin sat up a little more straight in his bed, looking at Jotaro with an expression of mixed confusion and expectation. Jotaro just turned his head to the side, catching Kakyoin's eye out of the corner of his own.
The redheaded schoolboy sighed, accepting the silence and sinking back down into the mattress again.
Jotaro opened his mouth, then closed it soon after. Once more, all the words he had wanted to say refused to come. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say to the other boy, just that he needed to say it.
He was suddenly snatched out of the spiraling thought train by Kakyoin calling his name, his tone sounded slightly annoyed, so this probably wasn’t his first attempt to get his attention.
“What?” Jotaro asked dumbly, blinking once as he turned, dropping his cigarette and extinguishing it underfoot.
“I asked if you knew when I was going to be moved back to Japan,” He sighed, his fists bunching nervously in the thin sheets of the hospital bed.
“No, but we can ask the nurse when she comes back,” Jotaro replied, shrugging his shoulders noncommittally before stepping back into the room and closing the sliding glass door behind him.
As if on que, the nurse came waltzing into the room, clipboard in hand.
“Hello, Kakyoin, I’m just in here to check your vitals, I’ll be out of you boys' hair soon,” She said, her voice smoothly going over the syllables as she spoke, checking various machines and pressing buttons, occasionally writing things down on her clipboard.
“Um, sorry to bother you, ma’am, but…” Kakyoin swallowed hard around the nervous lump forming in his throat, “Do you happen to know when I’ll be transferred to Japan..?”
“In just a couple more days,” She smiled brightly at him, hugging her clipboard close to her chest, “Although you’ll need to stay in a hospital for another week once you’re in Japan, with physical therapy, of course!”
Kakyoin nodded, his fate definitely wasn’t the best, but it’s better than dying. “And how long will physical therapy take?” He asked, twiddling his thumbs against his lap.
The nurse exhaled sharply, her cheeks puffing up slightly as her eyes widened. “Gosh, with a spinal injury that severe, I’d say a few months, give or take.”
The injured boy’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “M-months?!”
“Yes, but you may need to keep up with your exercises for around a year to make it back to your full strength,” She said softly, sympathy lacing her tone.
The still wide-eyed Kakyoin flopped back down onto the bed, not even realizing he had sat up in his shock. Jotaro’s hand immediately came to hold Kakyoin’s, the taller boy giving his hand a light squeeze.
Right, as long as he had Jotaro, everything should be fine.
—————
The flight back to Japan was embarrassing, to say the least. Imagine seeing a perfectly healthy-looking seventeen year old boy in a wheelchair, IV and nurses in tow as he was wheeled onto the plane. ‘The Sultan of Sass’ trailing close behind him also wasn’t helping any, but at least it was a familiar face to look at. It was a long one, but the plane didn’t crash (probably because of the lack of Joseph), so he really couldn’t complain. Once he was in Japan, he was transported back to his house alongside some nurses that would help him with his transition back into normal life.
“I suppose this is where I say goodbye, at least until I’ve healed,” Kakyoin smiled softly at Jotaro from his futon.
“Nah,” Jotaro responded plainly, jamming his hands in his pockets, "I'm stayin’ here with you. We could both use the company,” his head was turned to the left, his hat pulled down over his eyes so his expression was unreadable.
Kakyoin was silent for a moment, before a wide smile broke out on his face. His shoulders shook with mirth as Joatro began to pout at the lack of response, snapping his head forward to look at a giggling Kakyoin.
“Fine, then, I guess I won’t stay,” Jotaro said haughtily, pointedly turning his back, his coat billowing behind him dramatically.
Kakyoin failed to keep the laughter out of his voice as he objected, “No, no, I'm sorry. Pfft, we still have to, keke, play combat!”
“I don’t get what’s so funny,” The taller boy grumbled, despite turning around once again to face Kakyoin. “Where is your stupid atarpe, anyways?”
“Atari,” Kakyoin corrected sternly, “Third game cartridge to the right,” he pointed to the row of colorful plastic rectangles.
Plucking out a black one—the third on the right, as Kakyoin had instructed—with the word Combat on it in a funny red font. Glancing at Kakyoin to make sure he took the right one, and that there wasn't another, different game called combat, he crouched down, inspecting the console(?) beneath the TV.
“There’s a slot in the back,” the smaller boy said, guiding Jotaro through the steps of booting up the system and attaching the joysticks, passing one of the two to Kakyoin.
Allowing the other boy to glide through the confusing menus with practiced ease, Jotaro tried to figure out what the countless (two) different buttons did before Kakyoin groaned loudly in frustration.
“Dude, stop messing with the controls! Unless you want to play Airplane as your first time instead of Tank.”
“I have no idea what any of that means,” Jotaro deadpanned, earning him a hearty laugh from Kakyoin.
“Just shut up and stop messing with the joystick,” Kakyoin said, smiling widely, as he went back to fiddling with the screen.
“Wait, the what-stick?! Kakyoin, ew!” Jotaro gasped, dropping his controller like it had burned him.
Kakyoin was doubled over in his laughing fit. This was going to be really fun.