Chapter Text
kakyoin is still wearing the same green gakuran, the same cherry earrings, and the same messenger bag slung across his torso, when jotaro arrives. but when he turns to look at him, something in his violet eyes makes alarms go off inside jotaro's head.
KABLAM!
he veers sideways, but refuses to step back. it's the least he should do. kakyoin straightens up, shaking out the fist that has just collided harshly with jotaro's face, voice low as he announces:
"i'm not going to apologize for that."
"wouldn't want you to." his cheekbone throbs numbly as jotaro takes a seat beside the redhead on the sand. the sun isn't setting just yet. "i deserved that."
"you did."
waves rumble and break on top of the wet sand. it sounds like lull, like static, white noise perfect for a conversation.
"why didn't you just talk to me about it?" kakyoin speaks first, as he often does, and jotaro looks at the sand building up around their shoes as he answers:
"because i didn't want to make you feel any worse than you already did. plus, you told me you didn't want to talk about it."
"yeah, i guess i did." kakyoin huffs out a defeated laugh. "i would say that was my fault, but first unwritten rule of dating: you don't ignore your s/o when they tell you they don't want to talk about it."
the sand is whitish-yellow, smooth, and slightly warm when jotaro digs his fingers into it. "alright. well, then... do you want to talk about it now?"
"sure." the grains slip through his fingers and wedge themselves underneath his nails. "what do you want to know?"
"is it true that you raped that third-year?"
"i had sex with him." kakyoin says, voice light, as he leans back on his arms and tilts his face up at the pinkish-blue sky. "consent was dubious."
"how so?"
"he told me he wanted to experiment. i liked him, so i said yes. halfway through it, i changed my mind, but we continued."
jotaro seems confused. he's kind of cute this way. "so...?"
"i didn't want it, but i did it because he wanted it."
"so... he raped you?"
"can you please stop using that word?" kakyoin snaps, more exhausted than angry. "just... don't. makes me fucking sick."
"okay." jotaro looks over to him, unquestioning. it's getting harder for kakyoin to breathe, now. "but then, why did the rumors go down this direction?"
the wind is mild, sticky against their skins. kakyoin notices he has leaned forward again:
"i don't know. but, i think.... after we were finished, i sort of freaked out at him. realized what i'd done. blamed him for it. he got mad at me, saying i should know my place or whatever. you know, bullshit people like that think they can say."
"oh."
jotaro's size and height make it so that his presence is always known wherever he happens to be, but sitting next to him now, kakyoin doesn't feel the slightest bit threatened. even jotaro's blue eyes, usually piercing, now seem as calm and patient as the horizon as they gaze at him.
"i wanted to hold him accountable. as revenge or something, i don't know. i was just really angry back then, and... ashamed too, i guess. i don't remember exactly what i said, but the gist of it is that i would report him as a sex offender if he doesn't willingly leave the school. 'cause, you know, you can get expelled for shit like that.
"i told my parents, and the teachers too. i guess i was... i don't know, i'm not sure if that was me freaking out and making a big deal out of everything, or, just.... anyway, the adults knew, and for, like, two days or so after the incident, it seemed as though he was gonna get kicked out.
"but he beat me to it. do you know the school confessional?" kakyoin glances up at him, and jotaro nods. "yeah, well... he went on there and told the student body his version of everything. how i was the one who forced myself onto him. painted me as this lecherous predator — and of course, with how popular he was, everyone bought it. nothing i said would've mattered anymore."
jotaro waits for him to continue, but the redhead goes quiet. he raises an eyebrow:
"okay, but... i don't see how that changes anything? i mean, i can't imagine what kind of asshole he has to be to write those posts, but... whatever he said, he still did what he did. it doesn't matter what the student body thinks; the people who knew the full story had the power to kick him out."
"i know." kakyoin smiles. it looks painful. "i told them to drop the case."
"what?" jotaro tries to meet his gaze, but it is fixed on the ground. "why?"
"it got too personal for me. too... touchy, i guess. even just giving a testimony became too much. as unlike me as it sounds, i couldn't handle what people might have said or thought about me after he was gone." kakyoin explains, before drawing his knees up to his chest and away from jotaro. "and, besides, i agreed to it. that part of the story is undeniable."
"but that didn't mean you couldn't have changed your mind." jotaro begins, but the redhead cuts him off with a wave of the hand:
"it doesn't matter now. it's.... i don't want to talk about it anymore."
with a pause, he adds:
"rule from before doesn't apply, by the way."
this makes jotaro laugh. kakyoin smiles too, before turning toward the sunset, his eyes now free of the antipathy that has startled the ravenette so much at the start of the conversation.
"what's important is that everyone who matters to me knows the full story. that's all i care about. i can't please everyone, else i'd probably go insane."
the implications of that makes heat creep up jotaro's neck. "that's a good mentality."
"thanks." kakyoin turns to him, expression softening. "what about you? how're you doing?"
"don't change the subject so blatantly." jotaro chides, but he knows there's no point in trying to get kakyoin to drop that subject now. even he himself is aware of just how terrible he looks. "you say that like you didn't punch me the first chance you got."
"like i said, i'm not going to apologize for that." the redhead declares, demeanor pulling a chuckle out of jotaro. "but, if there's anything else i can give you — like, a shoulder, an ear, or something... you can ask."
kakyoin watches as the ravenette stares down at his fingers in the sand, then sighs. the bags underneath his eyes blend in with the shadow of his hat when he turns to look at him, a rather sad smile tugging at his lips:
"can i kiss you?"
kakyoin leans in. the kiss is soft, genuine, and still warm even after he's pulled away. he goes in again, and this time he doesn't stop until he feels jotaro smile against his lips, some shine finally returning to his blue eyes:
"yare yare... you seem to be enjoying this."
"i think it's because you finally got better at kissing." kakyoin cocks an eyebrow, and yelps when jotaro smacks him playfully. "what?!"
"does this mean you've accepted my apology?"
kakyoin freezes. he's totally forgotten about that. jotaro's lips quiver as if he's trying to hold back a laugh that he knows will embarrass kakyoin — before he suddenly reaches over and pulls the redhead into a tight hug, murmur only loud enough for the both of them to hear:
"thank you."
kakyoin wordlessly puts his arms around the ravenette. jotaro's hair tickles his neck as he buries his face deeper into his shoulder, but kakyoin doesn't find himself minding one bit.
the sunset, anyhow, is exquisite today.