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The morning started the same. Wake up in a cold sweat, take a quick bath, get dressed, eat breakfast with Mom, get a goodbye kiss, head to school, ignore the girls following him. Walk down the stairs where he met Kakyoin. Clench his trembling fists all the way down. Get to class and try to put the thought out of his head and focus on whatever was being taught. Silently thank the Speedwagon Foundation for having someone take notes for him while he was gone so he’s not too far behind.
The afternoon after school was a little different, though. He was attempting to tune out the chatter of the girls around him (though the thoughts that were popping up to replace it weren't exactly pleasant either), when one of them said “JoJo, isn’t it exciting that this is our last semester? Graduation is in just over a month!”
Jotaro stopped walking, causing another of the girls behind him to accidentally bump into his back. The others gasped, bracing for the yell, but none came.
Instead, a quiet “What’s the date?”
“O-oh, March 25,” the first girl stuttered.
“Thanks.” And Jotaro resumed his walk home, previous dire thoughts and annoyance at the girls now replaced with one idea: to invite his best friend (a pang in his heart; his best living friend) to his high school graduation.
It had been almost a month since he last saw Polnareff. After their goodbye at the airport in Cairo, everything sort of blurred together for a while. Getting home, getting settled back into school, saying goodbye to his grandfather and grandmother after a few weeks. He could see on the old man's face that he had wanted to stay with his daughter longer, possibly even forever if he could. But his and Grandma Suzie’s home was New York, and they eventually parted with tearful goodbyes (especially from Joseph) and promises to visit soon.
Jotaro hated to admit it to himself, but despite the fact that he hadn't teared up when they left Japan, he missed his grandfather’s presence. After having him beside him for so long and through so much, being separated from him felt… almost wrong. Like another thing was missing. And the more he lingered on that thought, the more the lack of Polnareff's presence felt wrong too.
There were already holes in his heart from the losses they had suffered together. There were moments where he turned to say something to Kakyoin, or ask Abdul a question, and it would hit him again. They're gone. They aren't here and they aren't coming back. And it stung every time.
At least his grandfather was only a phone call or letter away, and Jotaro knew that if he asked, Joseph would be on a plane back to Japan immediately.
But as Jotaro reached home with his intent still in mind, he realized he had forgotten to ask for something very important from Polnareff: a phone number or address. He had no way of contacting his friend.
How had he overlooked that? Why hadn't they exchanged that information before going their separate ways? Jotaro wracked his brain trying to think if Polnareff had ever mentioned the name of his hometown, but came up with nothing. Fuck. How the hell was he supposed to invite him to his graduation if he couldn't tell him about it in the first place?
His thoughts were interrupted as he reached the front door of his house and his mother came out to greet him, calling, “Welcome home!”
“Hey, Mom,” he murmured as he bent down to let her kiss him on the cheek. “You okay?”
“I'm doing great, now that you're back! Did you have a nice day at school?”
“It was fine.”
“I'm glad!”
Taking off his shoes, Jotaro let his mother chatter on as she led him further into the house, watching how her face lit up as she described the mundane things she nonetheless enjoyed that had happened so far today. She was never afraid of being open about her feelings and was always so enthusiastic. Jotaro realized now that she must have gotten it from the old man. It had gotten on his nerves in recent years, but after everything...
He knew now that he would have missed it. His mother's loss on top of everything else... He didn't want to think about what he would have done upon finding out she was gone. What it would have been like for her to...die.
He shook himself of those thoughts as she asked him what he wanted for dinner. He wasn't really hungry for anything in particular, so he just shrugged and made his way to the study. There, he dug through the desk drawers until he found his address book and paged through it until he found the slip of paper with the special SPW number on it that one of their doctors had given him while they were getting ready to leave his home. The man had told him it was a special line, just for the Joestars when they needed something. He had asked the old man about it, and Joseph had confirmed it. The connection and history between the Speedwagon Foundation and the Joestar family was important, his grandfather had said with a fond, nostalgic look in his eyes, and the two groups were obligated to help each other out.
Jotaro wasn't sure how he felt about that. Having a world-renowned organization at one's beck and call could be useful, but the idea that they would do anything for him just because of his lineage was... off-putting. It was like his grandfather throwing money around during the trip. Useful, and it got them where they needed to go and out of trouble, but having that kind of power was strange to him.
And now he felt unsure about using the special number at all. Was it only supposed to be for emergencies? Would the person who answered laugh him off the phone for asking for such a simple thing as finding someone who he forgot to get the number of in the first place? Jotaro clenched his jaw at that. He already didn't like talking on the phone with strangers, but having to show even the slightest vulnerability like that, please can you help me find my friend? , made him even more uncomfortable.
But how else was he going to get in contact with Polnareff? It wasn't like he could fly out to the French countryside with the picture they had taken together, pointing at him and asking anyone he met "Have you seen this man?"
Well, with all these resources, he could. But he wouldn't. It would be far less painful to just call.
His fingers hovered over the dial pad, still hesitant, when an idea came to him. Jotaro flipped through the address book and found his grandfather's number. He glanced at the clock, which read 3:47pm. What time was it in New York? Since it was afternoon here...it must be the middle of the night there. Damn it. He couldn't just call in the middle of the night for something like this, even if the old man had said Jotaro could call him any time he needed him.
It could wait until the morning. He would call him early, before he went to school. And then the old man would talk to the Foundation for him, which would be better because he had more experience working with them and getting what he wanted from them. Right. Much better.
Jotaro was pulled from his thoughts by his mother calling him to dinner, and eagerly left the study.
Jotaro was eating his dinner quietly, thinking of how early in the morning he would need to call his grandfather, when his mother said, “Sayako and the others were talking about high school graduation this morning! I can hardly believe you’re about to graduate, Jotaro. It seems like just yesterday you attended the entrance ceremony!”
Jotaro paused. Right, he had needed to tell his mother about graduation as well. He had been so preoccupied with telling Polnareff...
“I made sure to tell Mama and Papa about it, so they’re going to be coming out a few days before to visit with us before the ceremony. Isn’t that great, Jotaro?”
And now that he thought about it, asking the old man for help with Polnareff meant telling him about it too. He felt like he should be complaining to his mother about bringing his annoying grandfather back around so soon, but that thought was fleeting in the wave of relief the idea of seeing him again brought over him. It would be good to see him again, he allowed himself to admit. Him and Grandma Suzie. He...was looking forward to it.
It must have shown somewhere on his face, because his mother beamed at him. “I knew you’d like hearing that! Now eat up, your food is going to get cold!”
Annoyed at accidentally showing his enthusiasm given that it concerned the old man, Jotaro frowned, but abandoned any retort to continue eating.
They both finished eating soon after, Jotaro carrying the larger dishes to the kitchen for his mother. She thanked him and denied his offer to help wash them. “Don’t worry about it, just go take care of your homework. Thank you!”
As he left the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of a vine reaching up to open one of the cupboards and paused. The sight of his mother’s Stand, True Colors as she had named it, still made him worry, but it was slowly becoming a familiar sight as she used it more and more.
His grandfather had panicked when he had seen her attempting to use it a few days after their return, yelling loud enough to wake Jotaro and his grandmother early that morning. Jotaro had come running, dread and fear gripping his heart. How? He had killed Dio himself; they had watched his body, the body of their ancestor, crumble to dust in the morning sun. How could have his mother’s Stand returned? Was...was everything they had done and lost for nothing?
When he had arrived in the kitchen where the yelling had come from, he saw the berry-laden vine of his mother’s stand writhing around her as she held her hands out to his grandfather, saying “Papa! It’s okay! It’s not bad!”
Her skin was its normal color. She didn’t look sickly or weak. Her Stand was fully visible, not phasing in and out of sight. His mother was alright.
Dio’s curse had truly been broken. They had saved her.
Though he and the old man both realized that logically, it took a while for Jotaro’s grandfather to calm down and stop shouting even with the three of them talking him down. Jotaro couldn’t blame the old man, though. After what they’d been through... the thought of losing her despite the sacrifices made made him feel hollow inside. He knew the old man felt the same way, not just because of how he loudly displayed his concern, but in the wildness of his eyes and tremble of his chin.
When his grandfather finally took a deep breath, Grandma Suzi had taken her daughter by the hand, led her to one of the chairs, and made soothing circles with her thumbs on her hand as she whispered to her softly. Jotaro pulled his grandfather out of the room and gently pushed him against the wall, hands firmly planted on his shoulders. They stared at each other, eye to eye, before the old man finally broke down, throwing his arms around Jotaro and shaking them both with his sobs.
Jotaro had squeezed him back, resting his head on his shoulder, and finally noticed how fast his heart was beating. His breaths were coming in short gasps. He closed his eyes as things began to spin, and he tried to take a calming breath, but only felt nauseous, so he gripped his grandfather tighter, using him as a lifeline as much as the old man was using him as one.
Thinking back on that moment, he never wanted to feel like that again.
But that had been weeks ago, and he still logically knew his mother was fine. The residual worry would fade as everything sunk in. When everything sunk in...
Jotaro reached his room and made a beeline for his futon, ignoring the homework on his desk. It hadn’t been a particularly bad day, but the sooner it was over, the sooner it would be tomorrow, and the sooner he could contact his grandfather about Polnareff. And that would make everything a lot better.
As the crushing weight of the steamroller presses down on him, he finds himself unable to scream. He knows everything is wrong, he can't move in time to stop it, but the cry that wants to tear out of his lungs is stuck in his throat, choking him. His lips won't open. His arms are stuck at his sides. For a moment, as the shadow of the machine blots out his vision, he almost feels relief this helplessness will be over soon.
But it wasn't. Jotaro blinked his eyes open, but when he tried to sit up in his bed, he still couldn't move.
Was he still dreaming? Jotaro blinked a few more times, taking slow, stuttering breaths to try and calm the rising panic in his heart. He tried to move his right hand, but it barely twitched. The left was the same. He had to still be dreaming, right? The last time things had been this way was when he fought Dio, and that bastard was dead.
Jotaro closed his eyes and took one deep breath. Since he knew he was dreaming, he could wake himself up… now. His eyes reopened, and then widened as they recognized the twisted face above him.
Dio was here! Standing over his helpless body, grinning the same way he had that night when Jotaro had been stuck in frozen time before! But he somehow looked like even more of a monster than he had at the end, scarlet eyes glowing in the darkness and claws twice as long and sharp, reaching for his face. And Jotaro still couldn't move.
Before Dio's fingertips could brush him, he was rescued by Star Platinum once more. His Stand manifested above him, swinging his fists freely into the nightmare and yelling their battle cry, and as the first hit slammed into the face of the Joestars’ boogeyman, Dio disappeared. Jotaro didn't feel Star’s hands connect solidly with flesh like he had so many times before. There was...nothing there.
Jotaro laid there for another few seconds, scream still stuck in his throat, until his body finally answered him and he propped himself up on one arm, the other reaching out for his Stand. Star understood, of course, and took his hand, squeezing it tightly and pulling him all the way up into a sitting position. He was awake. He was sure of that now.
There had been nothing there. But if that was true, and he hadn't been dreaming still, how could it have been so real? The doubly-monstrous Dio, looming over him, glaring at him with hatred and a disturbing primal hunger…
He wasn't going back to sleep that night.
Jotaro gave a shuddering sigh, looking up at his Stand. Star Platinum gazed back at him, his lips turned down into a slight frown. Had he experienced the dream with him? Is that why he attacked the phantom Dio, or had Jotaro subconsciously ordered him to?
There wasn’t anyone who could answer those questions for him, but just in case, Jotaro leaned his forehead against his Stand’s and whispered, “Thank you.”
Star Platinum closed his eyes and Jotaro felt a slight nod. After a moment, he leaned back and looked out of his window. It was completely dark outside, with the stars the only light to see by from where he sat in bed. He stretched his arms over his head, sighing again, and glanced over at his desk. If he was going to stay up, he might as well do his homework.
Jotaro finished his homework more quickly than he expected to, and ended up spending the last few hours until sunrise sitting on the walkway outside of his room, watching at the sky go from star-filled to dawn-tinted with Star Platinum at his side.
He finally stood up and got ready for school around the time he would normally get up, and greeted his mother as he passed her on the way back to the study. It was early enough in the morning that his grandfather would probably still be awake, so he dialed the number and waited for him to pick up.
After a few rings, he heard the familiar voice say, “Hello, Joestar residence, Joseph Joestar speaking.”
Jotaro couldn’t help the comfort he felt just hearing his grandfather’s voice, even though it hadn’t been that long since they last talked. “Hey, old man. I need you to do me a favor.”
“Jotaro!” his grandfather’s voice boomed happily, making him hold the receiver away from his ear for a moment as he winced at the loudness. “Your mother told me you’re graduating soon! I’m so proud of you! “
A small smile fought its way onto Jotaro’s face despite himself. “Thanks.”
“So what was that about a favor?”
“I need to find Polnareff. I didn’t get his phone number or address before we separated, and I want to invite him to my graduation.”
“Alright, I’ll get some fellas from the Foundation on it immediately.”
Jotaro blinked. “...Really?” Was that it?
“Of course! You’re my grandson, and you need help, so I’ll help you in any way I can.”
That...was a lot easier than he thought it would be. But then again, he wasn’t sure why he had expected asking his grandfather for help to be like pulling teeth in the first place. Joseph had said and shown plenty of times that he would do anything for Jotaro. The smile tugging at Jotaro’s lips grew wider.
“Thank you, old man.”
“You’re welcome, Jotaro. I’ll make sure the Foundation contacts you when they find him. Did you need anything else?”
“...I don’t think so. Thanks again, though.” Jotaro was quiet for a moment, before clearing his throat and asking, “How was your day?”
“Ha! You’re asking me that as if I haven’t told you about the real estate business before! Well, Those Smitherson bastards came back around today looking to do a merger…”
Jotaro settled on the floor and savored the sound of his grandfather’s voice, listening to him ramble until his mother came in and reminded him to get ready for school.
After that, it was just a game of waiting. Things mostly continued the same way. Get up, go to school. Come home and ask if he got a call from the Speedwagon Foundation. Get a negative answer and try to hide the disappointment from his concerned mother.
The next few weeks passed in this way until finally, finally, his mother greeted him at the front gate with a beaming smile on her face, his heart filling with hope at the sight of it.
“Jotaro!” she called, delightedly hopping in place. “You got a call today! Papa’s friends at the Speedwagon Foundation have found your friend! He’s going to come to visit soon too!”
He wasn’t sure what to think of the relief that rushed through him as she told him that. Was he afraid that they wouldn’t find him, or that Polnareff wouldn’t want to see him again? Either way, both of those fears were proven silly, and now he had something to look forward to.
Jotaro didn’t know if he’d felt the way he felt for the rest of the day before in his life. His mother mentioned to him that he had a spring in his step, and he caught himself smiling in reflective surfaces several times.
This mood only increased the next day when he received a letter in the mail from Polnareff himself, the envelope marked with what seemed to be a special SPW emblem that marked it for express delivery. He hurried to his room to read it as soon as the name in the corner registered, and quickly but carefully ripped it open with Star Platinum to read the letter inside, his Stand lingering over his shoulder as if he’d been anticipating this as well.
“Cher Jotaro,” the letter began, “I am so glad to be able to write to you finally! I cannot believe I forgot to ask for your address before we parted ways! But thanks to the Speedwagon Foundation, I have it now, as you can see for yourself as you read this. I made it safely to my hometown, Gif-sur-Yvette, and have been trying to get resettled there. It has been... hard, I won’t lie. Between my memories of Sherry and the fresh loss of the others… I’ve missed you and Mr. Joestar very much.
“But enough about me! I’ve gotten the news that you are graduating from your lycées ! I’m so proud of you! I guarantee I will be there for your graduation, so I will see you soon! Congratulations, Jotaro! Grosses bises , Jean Pierre Polnareff.” Polnareff’s signature at the bottom of the page was done with his friend’s usual dramatic flair, large and with curving flourishes, and Jotaro smiled at it.
Apparently, “soon” meant “in a few more weeks”. But that was alright. They had found Polnareff, and Jotaro would see him again “soon”. He could wait until “soon”. And then they could help each other. He wasn’t sure what he would be able to do for his friend as far as coping went, given how much of a mess he was himself, but they would figure it out like they had before.
After copying the address on the envelope into his address book, he tucked the letter into a finely carved wooden box he kept on a high shelf, safely stored next to a beat up tarot card, some slightly ripped train tickets, and a very important photograph. Another treasure for him to keep close by.
Time continued to pass, but now Jotaro felt he had more to look forward to every week. He and Polnareff exchanged letters regularly now, both of them doing their best to make the mundaneness of returning to living normally worth reading. The routine of sitting down once a week to write to his best friend and receiving a letter in return soon after was comforting in ways Jotaro couldn’t really explain. It felt the same way listening to his grandfather ramble about stupid things on the phone. Almost like they were there beside him again.
He considered doing something similar for Kakyoin and Abdul and even Iggy, writing letters to them about how much he missed them and cared for them, but decided against it. It was already painful enough seeing them in his better dreams or in the corner of his eye, only for them to be gone when he woke up or blinked. The fact that his half-awake calls to them would never be answered again was more than enough to hurt, let alone letters that he could never send or receive a reply to.
And so graduation came closer and closer, and the week beforehand his grandparents returned to Japan to see them. He and his mother greeted them at the airport, and Jotaro had to endure a bear hug from his grandfather, but surprised him by hugging just as tightly in return and pounding him on the back a few times. Joseph’s grin was blinding, and Jotaro pulled back to tug the brim of his hat down, though whether it was to hide his eyes from that brightness or to hide the affection on his own face, he wouldn’t tell.
They all returned to the Kujo residence together and got his grandparents’ things settled in one of the spare rooms before they went to sit in the dining room. His grandfather, on his best behavior apparently, grumbled about real beds for only a few minutes before moving on to the reason why they were there.
“Jotaro, I’ve said it before, but I’m really proud of you. We both are,” he said, placing a hand on one of Grandma Suzi’s and smiling. She smiled at her husband and then at Jotaro.
“You’ve always been such a smart boy, I knew you would do well in school. Have you thought about what you want to do after graduation?”
Jotaro sat quietly for a few moments before slowly shaking his head. His grandfather’s smile turned soft.
“That’s perfectly fine, m’boy. I’ve always found it a bit ridiculous that everyone expects kids to know what they want to do with the entire rest of their lives immediately after leaving school. In fact, it might be a good idea for you to take some time off to figure things out for yourself.”
“You know you’re always welcome to come and stay with us for as long as you like, dear,” Grandma Suzi chimed in. “You haven’t been to New York at all before, and it would be lovely to show you around.”
“Mama,” Jotaro’s mother spoke up, reaching over and clinging to his arm, “Are you asking my baby to leave me so soon? I’ll miss him too much!”
“Don’t worry, sweetie, we probably wouldn’t keep him forever! We just would appreciate the company of someone younger than 50 to liven things up.”
“Liven things up?!” Joseph chortled teasingly, the grin never leaving his face. “You know he takes after his great-grandmother, Suzi! He’s a total stick-in-the-mud!”
Damn, they were really trying to cheer him up or something, huh? He managed to snort instead of chuckle and replied, “Don’t start, old man. You’re just too childish.”
Joseph threw his head back and laughed loudly at his grandson’s retort. Jotaro hadn’t heard him laugh like that in a while. It felt... good. His mother and grandmother joined in, and that felt even better. He felt a laugh of his own bubbling up from somewhere inside, and as they all laughed together, Jotaro realized that this was the best he had felt in months.
The rest of the week passed quickly, Jotaro’s last week of school blurring by as he waited for Polnareff to arrive. His friend had assured him that he would make it to the graduation, but he hadn’t specified an arrival date, and even if Jotaro sent a letter asking for one, the date of the graduation would pass before the letter arrived in France. So he spent time with his family, enjoying the company of his grandmother and grandfather and quietly hoping that Polnareff was on his way.
It seemed that his expressive face betrayed him again, though, because two nights before the date, his grandfather took him aside after dinner to talk.
“What’s wrong, Jotaro?” the old man asked, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
The fact that he had asked instead of demanding like Jotaro expected him to was a surprise, but Jotaro still hesitated. He knew his grandfather wouldn’t laugh at him for being concerned about Polnareff, that he was one of two people who would be able to understand him as he was now better than anyone else, but the words stuck in his throat. Maybe because if he said them aloud, they might become true. What if Polnareff didn’t make it? Was he okay? Was he still even coming?
It seemed his grandfather really could understand him, because he smiled softly at Jotaro and patted the shoulder his hand was resting on before reassuring, “He’s going to be there, Jotaro. I paid for the plane tickets myself, and the Speedwagon Foundation would let me know if he was in danger. He’ll make it.”
Instead of speaking, Jotaro just nodded and looked away, and his grandfather pulled him into a hug that was strong but just as gentle as his hand had been. Jotaro let himself be comforted, and rested his forehead on Joseph’s shoulder.
Polnareff was a trustworthy friend. He knew how much this meant to Jotaro. He wouldn’t let him down. Jotaro just had to believe in that and in him.
Polnareff was right there. Right there in front of him, but he couldn’t get up to help him, to save him--
Dio! Dio was moving toward him, and he couldn’t move to stop him or save his friend! He couldn’t move! He couldn’t--!
Jotaro twitched awake in his bed, blinking rapidly as the demonic visage of Dio from his dream lingered as it often did. But he could not dispel the image on his own, and Star Platinum appeared, taking the place of Dio in his line of sight and pulling him into a sitting position, cradling his stiff, trembling body until he could lean forward and hide in his Stand’s chest. No matter how many times Jotaro woke up like this, seeing that bastard grinning evilly at him terrified him.
It was the night before graduation, and he needed rest for the big day tomorrow. His family would surely want to go out to celebrate afterward. He needed sleep.
Star laid him back down in bed, but Jotaro clutched his Stand’s hand, as if Star would disappear without his permission if he let go. He looked at his guardian spirit hovering over him, steadfast as always, and murmured, “Do you think he’s coming?”
Maybe it was stupid to ask his own Stand any kind of question, let alone one like that, since Star Platinum was a part of him. But when Star’s angular face softened into a smile, Jotaro felt...a bit comforted. Perhaps it meant that despite all of his anxiety and worry, Jotaro knew deep inside that Polnareff wouldn’t let him down.
With a final squeeze of Star’s hand, Jotaro dismissed him and closed his eyes, willing a memory of him and his friends laughing together to replace Dio’s haunting gaze behind his eyelids.
Jotaro was shaken awake in the morning by his mother, who was already dressed and beaming as brightly as the sun coming through his window.
“Wake up, Jotaro! You need to get ready for your graduation!” She stood up and bounced in place at her own words, clapping her hands together. “My little baby is graduating! I’m so proud!”
Jotaro groaned and pulled the covers back over his head. “Mom, can you please be less perky this early?”
“Not on a day like today!” she chirped, using True Colors to pull the covers away and begin folding them up so he couldn’t grab them back again. “Now get up!”
After much grumbling, Jotaro did so and got dressed. He joined his family for breakfast, but didn’t really pay attention while he ate, constantly glancing in the direction of the house gate. His grandfather nudged him, bringing him back to the table, and said, “Don’t worry, he’s on his way.”
Jotaro nodded, but couldn’t help but leave the table in a hurry when he was done and walk to the gate to wait there. He tapped his foot impatiently, not caring whether the others saw his obvious anxiousness, and resented that he had promised not to smoke while his grandmother was around.
“Jotaro?”
Speak of the...well, not the devil. Jotaro was pretty sure the devil was someone else. He turned to Grandma Suzi and she took his large, scarred hands into her smaller, wrinkled ones, smiling reassuringly at him.
“It’s going to be fine, dear. He’ll be here.”
Jotaro sighed. They could keep saying that, but he wouldn’t really feel better until Polnareff was right in front of him. Still, he nodded at her as well and she squeezed his hands before letting go.
“Are you ready to go?”
He nodded again, not really feeling like talking at the moment. He could tell she understood, though, as she reached up to pat him on the cheek and went back to the house, leaving him thankfully alone for another moment.
Several more minutes passed, and it was about time to go. His mother and grandparents met him at the gate, and Jotaro noticed that his mother was even more cheerful, if that was possible.
“Jotaro! Your father called to tell me he’s going to meet us at the graduation! Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Joseph, you had better behave!”
“What?! Suzi, you know me better than that!”
“Do I?”
“It’s my grandson’s graduation! I’m going going to do anything to ruin it!”
“Guys.”
They all stopped talking as Jotaro spoke up, watching as he pulled the brim of his hat down over his face.
“I’m going to wait here for Polnareff.”
They exchanged glances before his grandfather said, “Jotaro, I’m sorry Polnareff hasn’t arrived in time. But we all need to go.”
Jotaro shoved his hands in his pockets. “You guys go ahead. Old man, you told the Speedwagon people to bring him to the house, right? So he’ll be coming here. You go ahead and find your seats. We won’t be late.”
Joseph opened his mouth to speak again, face stern, but Holly tugged on his arm, pulling him out the front gate. “Come on, Papa. Jotaro and his friend will follow us, right Jotaro?”
Jotaro’s lips tugged up into a smile. He really did love his mother. “Yeah. Thanks, Mom.”
And so they headed off to the school without him, and Jotaro moved to the outside of the gate, leaning against the outer wall. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, wondering how far away they would have to be before he could pull out his cigarettes. Then he heard a car approach the house and stop.
Feeling his heart lurch, Jotaro kept his eyes closed. What if it was just some delivery person? He didn’t want to think of how he might feel if he opened them and it wasn’t Polnareff. He squeezed his eyes shut harder as he heard footsteps bring whoever it was closer. He would just stay still and wait for them to drop off whatever it was and go.
“Jotaro!” Polnareff’s voice boomed from directly in front of him, startling him and making him open his eyes. He was here. His best friend was standing in front of him, like he had promised.
“Jotaro!” he repeated, waving his hand in front of Jotaro’s face, concern on his own. “Are you alright, man?”
Jotaro didn’t see himself as much of a talker. He said what was necessary in what he felt was a direct manner and let his actions speak for themselves. And so, instead of releasing the relief welling up inside of him with stupid tearful babbling, Jotaro launched himself off of the wall at Polnareff, squeezing the other man in a tight hug.
“Hey, whoa!” Polnareff exclaimed, though he did hug him in return and pat his back. “What’s wrong, Jotaro? Did something happen?”
Jotaro shook his head, murmuring, “You’re late.”
His friend sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. The traffic getting here was brutal... But I’m here.”
Yes. That was very true.
Polnareff was here.
Having Polnareff at his side again as they walked toward the school felt right. It felt good to have someone there to watch his back besides Star, someone besides the old man who had been through the same things and knew his quiet, private anxieties about the world around him without him having to say anything.
Even his friend’s loud obnoxiousness was comforting. Being an annoyingly enthusiastic person was part of what made Polnareff Polnareff.
Unfortunately , he could almost hear Kakyoin say goodnaturedly, and Jotaro’s heart panged again. Every step towards the school brought the heavy reminder that their friend wouldn’t be graduating with him.
He had only been to Kakyoin’s grave a few times since the funeral. It had been hard enough having to tell his friend’s parents that their son had died, but not being able to tell the whole truth, and knowing that Kakyoin had followed him to Egypt partially of a desire to repay Jotaro... It made him feel like he almost didn’t deserve to stand in front of the marker and mourn. But at the same time, what kind of friend would he be if he never visited him, especially when Kakyoin’s grave was the one that he could actually go to on a regular basis? Abdul had been given an empty casket funeral in Egypt, given that there was nothing left to bury, and Iggy, being a dog with no real owner, hadn’t had one at all, but was buried the garden of the SPW headquarters in Texas. Neither was a place he could easily or often get to, and if he was truthful with himself, he didn’t really want to go back to Egypt ever again anyway.
“Jotaro!” Polnareff’s voice cut through his thoughts again, and Jotaro looked up to see that they had already been walking for quite some time, so his mind must have wandered while Polnareff was talking.
“Hey, seriously, are you going to be alright?” the other man asked, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You keep spacing out. Are you nervous about graduation or is it something else?”
“...Something else,” Jotaro muttered. “Just thinking about a stop we need to make on the way back. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
“Nah, it’s alright. We’ll definitely make that stop though.”
Their walk continued, the two amicably catching up on the events of the past week and Polnareff repeating the things Jotaro had missed.
As the school building came into view, Jotaro froze as a thought came to mind. “Wait. The audience is just supposed to be family. What if they don’t let you in?”
Polnareff blinked, before smiling softly and leading Jotaro over to the railing of the bridge they were crossing, pointing to their reflections in the stream below. Jotaro felt annoyed, as his expressive face that he usually managed to keep schooled to a scowl or a blank betrayed his insecurities yet again: his thick eyebrows furrowed low over his eyes, his mouth pulled into a tight line. Polnareff was still smiling, fondness and amusement openingly showing.
But despite their different and contrasting features and expressions, they had the same light in their eyes. The light that shone in the eyes of those who had seen so much, done so much, lost so much, yet survived, for better or for worse.
“Jotaro, are you blind? Can’t you see the family resemblance? You’re my brother.”
Jotaro’s eyes suddenly, filled with tears, blurring the view, and his tears dripped into the water, making ripples that distorted their reflections. “Polnareff,” he choked, gripping the railing as tightly as he could to not collapse. “You bastard…I can’t--I can’t do this now...”
Polnareff’s smile grew watery as he tugged Jotaro into another hug. “I missed you so much.”
Jotaro sniffed, squeezing Polnareff so tightly he was almost afraid Star would come out and crack his ribs. “Me too. Thank you. For coming. But also this.”
“You’re welcome, my friend. Now come on, we have to hurry or we really will be late.”
“Yeah.”
On some days, Jotaro looked inside himself and saw the desert they had left behind. But on days like today, with his loved ones there to ease his heart, there was rain.
