Work Text:
It took almost exactly fifty days to reach Dio’s mansion in Egypt, and a few hours to actually kill the man. His Stand had caused a lot of trouble at first; it had taken them an embarrassingly long time to figure it out, but once they did Jotaro and Dio managed to duke it out to the point that Dio was able to be killed. But their job wasn’t quite done yet. They still had to clean out the mansion.
The morning after the fight, after they’d had a few hours to rest and tend to their injuries, they went back to sweep the mansion for any stray followers of Dio. A few scattered Stand users with really weak Stands, most of whom gave up imedietly upon hearing Dio was dead, plus a few stronger users were found in the building. They were dealt with promptly, standing no chance against four powerful humans and one powerful dog. The two Joestars alone were enough to convince most of the weaker Stand users to give up, thankfully. It made Jotaro’s job a lot easier.
And then there were the women. Dio had tons of them in the mansion, and the group guessed it was because of two main reasons. The first was the obvious, being the sexual reason, and the second was for them to be a food source for the vampire. Many of the women complained upon being told they were free, too attached to Dio to want to do anything else, but some of them were happy to go.
It was as they approached yet another room to sweep for people that things took a turn for the worse. Iggy started getting fidgety as they approached the room, growling and whining. Avdol clenched a hand over his stomach, an uneasy feeling rising in his gut, and Polnareff swallowed loudly. As Joseph reached out to touch the door handle, a muffled scream came from the other side. Startled, Joseph threw the door open, the handle banging against the wall. The group felt their hearts sink in surprise at the sight.
A woman lay on her side amongst a nest of pillows and blankets on the floor near the back wall, curling in on herself and gasping for air as she clutched her stomach. The first moment of shock came at the sight of her stomach, swollen large under her dress. She clenched her fists, gripping the dress and a blanket to the point of nearly tearing them both as she tried to control her breathing. The realization of what was happening prevented the men from moving for a moment.
The second moment of shock came at the sight of a child. A little blond kid knelt next to the woman’s head, one hand stroking her hair. His head had whipped around when the door opened, and his appearance left a strange feeling in Jotaro’s chest. There was no denying that this was Dio’s child. The resemblance was too great to be ignored, his hair a bright blonde just like Dio’s, and though their eyes weren’t the same color, the sparkling blue of the boy’s eyes still reminded Jotaro of the eyes of the man he had killed moments prior.
The boy stood up, spreading his arms protectively in front of the woman. He tried to put on a brave face, but the men could see his lip trembling and eyes watering. “P-please don’t touch my sister!” he yelled.
Avdol snapped out of the shock first, moving further into the room. He tried to keep his expression gentle, even though every part of him was screaming to help the woman. “It’s alright, little one. We aren’t here to hurt you, or your sister. But she needs help.”
The little boy let a few tears slip. “I can’t help her,” he whimpered. A gold light shimmered next to him, forming into a gold, humanoid figure. The third shock came; the child had a Stand. “It can’t heal her.”
“It’s not a wound,” Avdol explained calmly. “She’s having a child. The pain is normal, but it scared you a lot, huh?” The boy nodded. “What is your name, little one?”
“Giorno,” he sniffed. “Mama used to call me Giorno.”
“Where is your mama?”
“Gone. Sis said she couldn’t come back, so she would take care of me.” He finally started to crumble, crying harder. “But now sis is hurting too!”
“Shh, shh,” Avdol soothed, kneeling down next to Giorno and running a hand through is hair. “We’re going to take care of your sister. But I need to know, how long has she been like this?”
Giorno sniffled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. “A long time,” he told Avdol. “It wasn’t this bad for a while, but now she keeps screaming so I know it’s getting worse.”
Avdol nodded, starting to get a better view of what was happening. “Okay, Giorno, here’s what we’re going to do. My friends are going to help me take care of your sister, and also take care of you. Polnareff,” he called, startling the French man out of his daze, “will you take Giorno outside? Keep him occupied while we take care of the situation here?”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I can do that!” Polnareff reached out for Giorno, as Avdol gently pushed him towards the door. “Come on kid, lets get out of here. Your sister will be fine, and you can show me that cool Stand of yours.”
“Okay…”
The two disappeared around the corner of the hall, Iggy following close behind, and Avdol leapt into action. “Joseph, please go find some more blankets, towels, and some warm water if you can.”
“Got it!” Joseph was gone in a second.
“Jotaro, help me turn her onto her back.” Jotaro moved into the room, a little uncomfortable but not willing to find out what would happen if he disobeyed Avdol when he was this serious. Plus the situation didn’t really account for hesitation. He knelt in the spot Giorno vacated, next to the woman’s head. She was very pretty, he thought, even if those pretty features were marred by an expression of pain and lots of sweat. She had bright red hair that was probably long, though it was tangled and spread out on the pillows so it was hard to tell. He reached under her shoulders and helped Avdol gently roll her onto her back, and as they did she gasped and groaned in pain.
Her eyes cracked open a bit at the movement. They were blurry and unfocused, but a pretty shade of purple. “Who’s there?” she whispered.
“You’re going to be alright,” Avdol said. He reached for her hand and held it tightly. “My name is Avdol, and this is Jotaro. We’re here to help you.”
“Dio…”
“Dio is dead,” said Jotaro.
“He’s right. Dio is dead. Is…” Avdol hesitated. “Is this child his?”
The woman let out a sob and nodded. “Where… where’s Giorno?” she panted.
“He’s outside with our friend. He’ll take good care of him while we help you. This is your first, correct?” She nodded. “How old are you?”
“I’m… 18.”
Avdol sighed. So young. This wasn’t fair. His hatred for Dio only grew, and he was happy that the vampire was dead. “Okay miss. We’re going to do our best to help you deliver this child, but I will not lie to you. You’re in a lot of pain right now, and it’s only going to get worse.”
She nodded, before clenching her eyes shut and moaning, her whole body tensing up. She let go of Avdol’s hand in favor of the blankets. It took a solid minute for the pain to pass, and it left her gasping for breath.
“Oi.” Jotaro caught her attention for a moment. “What’s your name?”
“…huh? Oh, my name… it’s Noriaki Kakyoin.”
“Kakyoin. Okay,” said Avdol, “Be strong, Kakyoin. Lets bring this child into the world.”
———
Polnareff had to admit, he was lucky to get the easy job. He had found a plush couch in a lounge are a little ways from the room his friends were in, and keeping a little boy entertained was a lot easier than he thought it was going to be, especially since Iggy seemed content to nap on the carpet instead of fighting with him. It helped that Giorno was a fairly quiet kid. He’d seated the boy in his lap and asked to see his Stand. It was small, only about as tall as he was, but would grow as Giorno did. It’s gold body was accented with green, and it’s face was full of expression.
“I made it turn a rock into a ladybug one time,” Giorno said, finally managing to smile.
“It gives life?” Polnareff asked. “What else can you do with it?”
“I healed one of sis’s cuts once. I tore a corner off a blanket and she helped me work though turning it into skin. The color was off but it still worked.”
Polnareff smiled and patted his back. “Just imagine what else you’ll be able to do when you get older! Does it have a name?”
“A name?” Giorno tilted his head to the side in confusion. It was adorable.
“Yeah, like…” Polnareff brought out Silver Chariot, his own Stand. “This is Silver Chariot. He told me his name when I first got him. Has your Stand ever told you anything?”
“I don’t know.” Giorno stared his Stand in the face. “Do you have a name?” The Stand just stared back, it’s mouth managing a small smile but not making any sound. Giorno seemed disappointed.
“Hey don’t worry about it. How about we give it a name?”
“I wanna call him Gold!” Giorno exclaimed. “Cause he’s gold!”
“That’s a good start. Hmm…” Polnareff scratched his chin. “Gold… something, maybe. Kind of like Silver Chariot?”
“Sis’s Stand has a color in it too.”
Polnareff was startled. “Wait, your sister has a Stand?”
“Yeah! It’s green and silver. She said it’s name was High-row-fant Green,” Giorno stumbled over the word.
“Why do nearly all the Stands we encounter have colors and tarot cards in their names?” Polnareff groaned, leaning back into the cushions. “Chariot, Hermit, Star, Magician, now Hierophant. Lets move away from tarot cards.” And idea came to him. “What about Gold Experience?”
“Gold Experience?”
“Yeah, cause he’s gold, and as the two of you grow you’ll experience new things.”
Giorno thought about it, a cute expression of concentration on his face. “Do you like it?” he asked his Stand. It smiled and rubbed its cheek against Giorno’s, causing the little boy to laugh.
“Now isn’t that precious?”
Both Stand users looked towards the entrance to the lounge, where Joseph stood, leaning against the wall. He looked exhausted, but he was smiling. “Did it go okay?” Polnareff asked.
“Sis?”
“She did great,” Joseph said, pride in his voice. “It was really hard, but she did it. She’s had a boy.” He knelt down to get on Giorno’s level when the little boy hopped off Polnareff’s lap. “You’re a big brother, Giorno.”
He seemed stunned, like he didn’t know what to do with that information. “Can I… Can I see sis?”
Joseph stood up and offered a hand, leading the little boy back through the halls, Polnareff close behind. “I should warn you,” the old man said. “Kakyoin don’t look good right now. She’s very tired, and the room will be messy. Don’t freak out when you see her, I promise she’s fine.”
“Kakyoin?” Polnareff muttered to him.
“Her name.”
“What’s my brother’s name?” Giorno asked.
“How about I let her tell you?” They reached the door and Joseph pushed it open quietly. Inside, Avdol was washing up and piling the dirty blankets and towels into a pile. Kakyoin lay slightly propped up on Jotaro’s legs, who was sitting cross-legged behind her. He had lost his jacket at some point and it was on the floor next to him. Kakyoin looked like hell, messy hair and tear stained face, but she had such a big smile on her face that she still looked beautiful. Polnareff noticed the green Stand Giorno had told him about floating next to its user, it’s yellow eyes gazing down into the blanket in her arms.
Kakyoin cradled the blanket close, arms sturdy where the rest of her body felt weak. She glanced up at the door, smile even bigger when she spotted Giorno. The little boy broke away from Joseph and Polnareff and ran over to her, falling to his knees by her side.
“Giorno,” she said quietly, voice hoarse, “do you want to meet your little brother?” The boy nodded, and leaned closer as she turned the blanket towards him. Peaking out from the folds was the baby’s face, eyes scrunched closed but overall relaxed and not crying. Giorno stared at him in awe, jaw hanging open and blue eyes wide.
“What’s his name?” he whispered.
“Tsubasa,” Kakyoin whispered back. “His name is Tsubasa.”
“Hi Tsubasa. I’m Giorno. And this is Gold Experience.” He let his Stand come out. “I gave him a name today too, just like sis gave you a name.”
Jotaro tugged at the brim of his hat. He’d been having conflicted thoughts, knowing that this kid was the son of Dio, but he was really too cute.
It’d been a long hour. Honestly it felt like way longer than just one hour, but apparently Kakyoin had been in labor for a long time before they got there. Avdol had taken charge, sending Joseph on errands to get fresh water or more towels, and coaxing Kakyoin through the process of giving birth. Jotaro had stayed as a pillar of strength, staying calm and holding her hand though the worst of the pain. It was an emotional moment for all of them when tiny cries first filled the air. No one had seen, but even Jotaro had let a few tears fall when Avdol announced that it was a little boy.
Even this baby was a son of Dio, but the more Jotaro observed the “family” the more he was confident that there wouldn’t be an issue.
“Do you want to hold him?” Kakyoin asked Giorno. He seemed nervous, but nodded regardless. Joseph knelt next to him to help position his arms. Gently, Kakyoin handed the baby to him. Giorno stared down at him but held tight.
“…Jotaro?” Kakyoin whispered.
He leaned down to hear her better. “Yeah?”
“I-I think I need to sleep for a bit…” Her eyelids were dropping constantly, fluttering in an attempt to stay awake.
Jotaro looked up at Avdol, who nodded an okay. “Sleep,” Jotaro said softly. “We’ll take care of everything.” She nodded once, then let her eyes close. She was breathing softly after just a moment, finally allowing herself to rest.
“Okay everyone,” Joseph spoke up, drawing everyone’s eyes to himself. “We need to bring Kakyoin to a hospital. We should probably get moving.”
“What’s a hospital?” Giorno asked.
Joseph was momentarily shocked, but recovered quickly. Of course the kid didn’t know what a hospital was, he’d probably never left this mansion in his short life. “A hospital is a place where sick and hurt people go to get better. There are doctors there who’ve studied medicine and healing for a long time who can help them.”
“Why do we need to go there?”
“We want to make sure nothing is wrong with Kakyoin or baby Tsubasa. Having a baby is really hard work, and she’s completely worn out. We just want to have a doctor look at them both and make sure they’re okay.” He patted Giorno’s head. “Does that sound okay to you?”
“Yeah.”
“Then lets get out of here.”
Giorno handed baby Tsubasa to Joseph while Polnareff took his hand. Avdol helped maneuver Kakyoin’s sleeping body into Jotaro’s hold, and soon they were on their way out. Iggy, having woken up from his nap, was waiting for them by the entrance. They slid into the cars waiting out front and Avdol and Polnareff drove to the closest hospital they could find. As Avdol explained the situation to the doctors, Jotaro followed a couple of nurses to a room where he set Kakyoin down on the bed. Joseph followed a few minutes later, with the promise that the doctor would come to them to look the baby over. Polnareff followed a young nurse to another room where she briefly checked Giorno over for any obvious injuries, and when she found none sent him on his way. Soon they were all camped out in Kakyoin’s room, waiting for the doctor to arrive.
“Sorry for the delay,” the old man said upon entering the room, white lab coat contrasting his dark blue shirt and coffee colored skin. “My knees aren’t as good as they used to be. I’m Doctor Arafa. I’m told there’s a baby that needs a check up?”
“Yes doctor,” said Avdol, gesturing to Joseph and the baby, who was still calmly sleeping. “We delivered him ourselves but wanted to make sure everyone was alright.”
The old man nodded. “At home births are fine, and by all means both mother and child should be healthy, but we’ll do a quick check up regardless. And vaccinations, should the mother wish.” He approached Joseph and held his arms out, the older Joestar placing the baby in the doctor’s arms. “Weight feels healthy, maybe a little on the light side. But he has ten fingers and ten toes. I’ll have one of the nurses weigh him officially in a moment, and then take care of vaccinations.” He handed the little boy back. “Does he have a name, for a birth certificate?”
“Tsubasa. His name is Kakyoin Tsubasa.”
“A foreign name? I’ll wait until the mother is awake to help spell it for the official records.” Doctor Arafa turned to the bed, taking hold of Kakyoin’s wrist to check for her pulse. “Did you notice any complications when assisting with the birth?”
“No, I didn’t,” Avdol shook his head. “She is a first time mother, so there was a lot of pain, but no noticeable problems.”
“For now I’ll get one of the nurses to weigh the little one, and I’ll come back in an hour or so to see if she has woken up.” He marked something on a chart at the foot of the bed, then pressed a button to call the nurse.
Jotaro and Joseph eyed one another. “Guess we’re waiting then?” Joseph said.
Jotaro groaned. He hated waiting.
———
When Kakyoin Noriaki woke up she had no idea where she was. It would have been a scary feeling if whatever she was lying on wasn’t one of the softest things she’d ever felt. Her whole body seemed to sink into it. She could feel the blanket, smooth and warm, and a fluffy pillow. It almost made up for the annoying beeping sound. Seriously, what the hell was that?
Wait… something wasn’t right. She couldn’t feel the cold air of the mansion, she wasn’t laying on the barely carpeted floor. In a rush it all came back; the pain, a baby’s cry, a strong hand gripping hers, and a gruff yet gentle voice telling her to sleep. This wasn’t the mansion.
Kakyoin opened her eyes, the soft white of the room a mild shock. A hospital? The room was warm and bright, the beeping of a heart monitor a pleasant background sound in comparison to the cold quiet of the mansion. She hadn’t been this comfortable in over a year. Sighing, she lifted a hand under the blanket to scratch at the side of her stomach.
Her flat stomach.
Eyes going wide, she gasped loudly and tried to sit up, but a sharp spike to pain and discomfort shot through her and she was forced to lay flat. Somewhere a chair shuffled against the floor and footsteps approached her. Looking to her right, her eyes met the older man who had come to help her.
“…Joseph?” she muttered.
“Hey, Kakyoin,” he whispered back, a big smile on his face and little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. “Glad you’re awake. Do you still hurt?”
“A little? It doesn’t hurt when I don’t move, I just feel stiff.” She glanced around the room. The other men who’d come to the mansion were scattered around the room. Avdol was resting in another chair, arms folded in sleep, the white haired man (Polnareff? Was that his name?) was sitting on the floor, dead asleep with a small dog in his lap. And in the last chair, a large armchair, was Jotaro. The sight was so sweet; the big teen’s head was resting on the back of the chair, his slumped over form almost too big for the armchair. And lying across his lap, one small hand clutching his shirt, was Giorno. The child’s messy blonde hair was splayed out on Jotaro’s chest and Jotaro had one hand supporting Giorno’s back. It was strangely domestic, but very cute.
But there was one person missing from the room. “Where’s Tsubasa?” Kakyoin asked.
Joseph ran a hand across the top of her head, gently combing through her hair. “Shh, don’t worry. A nurse is checking him over, getting his weight and all that. He’ll be back in a minute or two.”
“Is he okay?”
“That’s what they’re finding out. He looked healthy but they just wanted to double check. The doctor asked if you wanted to give him his vaccines now.”
“Oh, um, yes, that’s fine.” Kakyoin relaxed back into the pillow. “…It doesn’t feel real, you know?”
“Having a kid is a surreal experience. When my wife gave birth to our daughter, Jotaro’s mother, I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was such a cute baby. She looked everything like her mother and nothing like me but when I held her, and she opened her eyes and reached for me with her little fingers, I fell in love like I’ve never felt. And then Jotaro was born, my only grandchild, and I felt it all again.” He rested his chin on his hand and gazed into the distance, a longing look in his eyes. “I know the situation leading up to this was less than ideal. But that feeling of holding your child, the first time they smile at you… it makes it all worth it.”
“What do I do, Joseph?” Kakyoin asked, eyes starting to water. “I’m only 18 and I have two kids to raise. What am I supposed to do from here?”
“Do you have parents?”
“I haven’t seen them in over a year. How can I just walk back into their lives with two kids?”
“Kakyoin… this might be a bad time to ask, but how did you end up in the mansion?”
———
The hot summers of Egypt had pleasantly cool nights, so that was when Kakyoin preferred to take walks around town. She had come here to escape from her parents for a while under the guise of studying abroad for the summer. She loved her parents, really, but they could be so overbearing. The trip allowed her to clear her head and take time for herself. Just her and Hierophant Green.
She’d met him while out shopping. She’d read through all the books she packed and was trying to find a bookstore. His blonde hair had stood out from the crowd, just like her own red, and he posed a figure that was intimidating yet alluring. He’d drawn her into a chat about books for a bit, then invited her back to his home for dinner. She had refused. As sweet as he had been, he was still a stranger.
On her walk back to her hotel, a shudder had run down her spine and she brought out Hierophant Green, the two of them scanning their surroundings. For a second time seemed to freeze, then hands were touching her and she was forced back to the mansion with him. She was 17 at the time.
He locked her in a room with several other frightened girls and left her for two days. They were brought food and water three times a day but were never allowed to leave the room. Kakyoin took the time to memorize the name of every girl in that room. As many left and never returned, Kakyoin was sure she would be the only one to remember them.
After those two days Dio had come for her, bringing her to his room. He tied her down and did things that she didn’t want to think about. At some point she’d passed out, and woke up back in the room, covered in blood and sweat and other body fluids. That night she cried harder than she ever had in her life, Hierophant Green curling weakly around her body.
For months Dio kept coming, assaulting her and taking her blood to feed on, until the first morning she was sick. A doctor who lived in the mansion confirmed the pregnancy, and Kakyoin was taken to a new room. This one was larger and filled with other expecting women and a few mothers, more names for Kakyoin to memorize. It was here that she first met Giorno.
Giorno’s mother, a frail looking woman with a kind smile, took Kakyoin in as if she were her own daughter though she couldn’t have been older than 25 herself. She told Kakyoin that she could only guess that her son was three years old; none of them had any idea what the date was. Kakyoin felt bad for her, stuck in this place for over four years, but she didn’t seem to mind. She may not have loved Dio but she was infatuated with him. That infatuation got her killed. One day she left and never came back.
Kakyoin had tried her hardest not to cry when she told Giorno that she’d be taking care of him from now on. She never left the boy’s side from then on. When his Stand had first appeared, Kakyoin helped teach him how to use it.
Months passed and her stomach grew. Dio never came for her anymore, which she was glad for. She had nightmares of him every night. She had nightmares of her eventual birth, of living the rest of her life at the mercy of a monster who could kill her and the children at the slightest of whims. One by one the other women in the room with her disappeared, dying in childbirth or killed by Dio. The children who were left behind didn’t survive long. Kakyoin did her best to care for as many of them as she could, but she was alone and soon it was too late to save them. Sometimes Dio came and took one of the children to feed on. Their little bodies couldn’t hold up to the shock, and they died shortly after.
It was a living nightmare.
She could hear the sounds of the battle from inside the room, booms and crashes shaking the whole building to its core. She clutched Giorno close to her chest as he shook in fear, keeping Hierophant Green positioned around them both for protection just in case. It was the middle of the night, but neither of them could sleep, too nervous about the sounds coming from outside. Kakyoin almost didn’t notice when her water broke, but soon the pain began and she realized all her fears were coming true.
She spent the rest of the night and into the morning lying on the floor, clutching her stomach in pain as contractions came and went, trying to keep Giorno as calm as possible. When the footsteps first sounded from behind the door, she thought of asking whoever was there to kill her. The pain was too much, she was starting to give up.
Then the door opened and a kind voice was reassuring Giorno that everything was going to be okay before moving on to her. The kind man had helped her get comfortable, reassured her that everything was going to be okay. A boy her age with a handsome face had asked for her name. No one had asked that in a very long time.
And when she pushed for the last time and brought her son into the world with a loud cry, the world seemed just a little bit brighter.
The nightmare was finally over.
———
Kakyoin was crying by the time she finished the story. Joseph kept stroking her hair, comforting her. At some point in the middle Jotaro had woken up, listening quietly from the chair where he was holding Giorno.
“What do I do?” Kakyoin kept saying. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Shh, please don’t cry. We’ll figure something out, don’t worry,” Joseph said. “You won’t be alone, I promise you that.”
Jotaro huffed, standing from the chair. He placed Giorno, still asleep, into the spot he vacated, and made his way over to the bed too. Joseph watched him carefully. Jotaro sat on the edge of the bed and took a hold of Kakyoin’s hand, just like he did at the mansion. She gripped it back, huffing in an attempt to stop crying.
“Jotaro,” she cried, “What do I do?”
“You live,” he said, voice steady and firm. “Live, raise your kid to be the best he can be, and tackle life as it comes.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Then don’t do it alone. Ask for help.”
Kakyoin gripped his hand tighter, the other reaching up to grip his jacket. She looked up at him, eyes wide with tears. “…Help me,” she cried, “please…”
In an uncharacteristic move, Jotaro used his grip on her hand to pull her closer, hugging her. Inside his heart was breaking, emotions running wild. Glancing up at his grandfather, he could tell the old man was thinking the same thing he was. Maneuvering his big body to lie down next to Kakyoin on the hospital bed, he rearranged them so she had her head on his shoulder. “Come back to Japan with us,” he said. “Come stay with me.”
He felt more than heard her gasp, her whole body seizing up. “Really?”
“Really.”
“And Giorno?”
“Of course he can come too.”
“Jotaro’s right,” Joseph cut in, running a hand over Kakyoin’s shoulder. “My daughter Holly will love you, and the kids. Jotaro’s an only child but she’s always wanted more kids. She’ll take you in without question.”
“So stop crying,” said Jotaro. “Everything will work out.”
She nodded, breathing still shaky but calming down. She nestled into Jotaro’s shoulder, willing her body to relax. “Thank you,” she whispered, not having the strength to say it louder.
“Don’t worry about it.”
———
After getting the all clear from the doctor, Kakyoin was reunited with baby Tsubasa. Now that he was all clean and more awake, they could clearly see a little patch of red hair and pretty blue eyes. Joseph told them that since Dio had stolen his grandfather Jonathan’s body, it was likely the blue eyes came from Jonathan’s DNA. Regardless, Tsubasa was a cute baby.
Giorno was excited to be a big brother, eager to hold the baby whenever he got the chance. Kakyoin had explained to him that they were going to a new home once they were released from the hospital, and he couldn’t wait to see the new place. Frankly the adults in the room were astonished by his behavior, having expected him to to be more withdrawn after spending the first five or so years of his life locked in a room. The kid was full of energy, eager to see new places and learn new things.
It took mere seconds to convince Holly to allow three new people into her home. All she needed to know was a single mother needed a place to stay and she was sold. She’d told Jotaro over the phone that she would have rooms set up in the house for them when they got back.
It took four days after their arrival to board a plane back to Japan. The doctors had kept Kakyoin and the baby for a few nights just to be safe and the others used that time to shop for a few necessities for the family. They bought clothes for the three of them, diapers and bottles of formula for Tsubasa, and a couple of toys. Giorno was completely taken by the stuffed ladybug he’d found, and hadn’t let it go since.
Soon enough they were boarding the plane, saying goodbye to Polnareff and Avdol at the airport with a promise to come visit soon, and when they landed in Japan, Holly was waiting for them at the airport. After greeting her father and son with enthusiastic hugs, she turned her attention to Kakyoin, who stood by nervously. Holly hugged her gently, careful not to squish the baby in her arms, then pulled back and kissed her cheek. “Welcome home,” she’d said. Kakyoin wanted to cry she was so happy. When Holly held out her arms, Kakyoin placed Tsubasa into them without hesitation, letting Holly coo over how cute he was.
Giorno had tugged at Kakyoin’s sleeve. “Who’s this?” he’d asked.
“This is Holly,” she explained. “She’s Jotaro’s mother. We’re going to be staying with her for a bit.”
“And you must be Giorno!” Holly exclaimed happily, keeling down to get closer to him. “Welcome to Japan, little one. How about we go get you settled into your room?”
“I get my own room?” Giorno asked, excitedly. Any nerves and distrust he held in the situation were gone. He was completely taken with Holly.
Kakyoin couldn’t help but sigh in relief. One one hand it was nice to be back in her home country after so long. As they all got into the car to drive back to the house, she could recognize the familiar sights of the city she once called home. But on the other hand she was coming back to nothing. They had yet to get in contact with her parents, in case things didn’t go well, and she had never even finished school. Yet, through all that, she felt confident. A home was waiting for them, she wasn’t going to have to raise two kids on her own, and even if things went bad with her own family she’d gained a new one over the last few days.
The Kakyoin from a year ago was alone, no family or friends, and at her lowest point. The Kakyoin of now had people who cared about her and a reason to live.
For now, that would suffice.
———
Two Years Later
The sound of little feet pattering on the wooden floor boards echoed through the house, the breathy laugh of a small child accompanying it. Two year old Tsubasa Kakyoin ran on his little legs around the perimeter of the house, occasionally peaking into doors. When the room didn’t have what he wanted, he moved on to the next one. He could hear his older brother calling for him, but he kept moving.
Peeking into another door, Tsubasa smiled widely. There was his mama! She was sitting at the kotatsu table, a steaming cup of tea in front of her, and chatting with his papa who sat next to her. He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, and his mama turned to look at him as he came closer. She smiled the way he really liked, when her eyes got squinty and she couldn’t help but laugh. She held out her arms for him and Tsubasa ran into them.
“Mama!” he cried.
“Tsubasa!” she said back. “I thought you were playing with Giorno?”
“Wanted to see you!” Tsubasa nuzzled his cheek against her stomach.
“Oh, I missed you too, darling. Say hello to you papa, too.” She pushed him gently towards her other side, where his papa held out an arm to him. Tsubasa hugged the big arm tightly.
“Hi papa!”
“Hello Tsubasa,” Jotaro said softly, running his other hand over Tsubasa’s red hair. It was so much like his mother’s, soft with little flyaway curls.
Giorno ran into the room, out of breath with his braid coming loose. “There you are!” he huffed. The six year old (at least they assumed) marched in and gently took his little brother by the shoulders. “You promised not to bother sis today! We were gonna play games outside!”
“But I wanted to see Mama!” Tsubasa pouted.
“And you did. Now let’s go back to our game.”
“Okay…” Tsubasa gave Jotaro’s arm another squeeze. “Bye bye Papa. Bye bye Mama.”
“Have fun with Giorno,” Kakyoin said, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. “We’ll call for you when dinner is ready.” And with a pat to his back form Jotaro, Tsubasa followed Giorno out the screen door, hand in hand.
Kakyoin reached for Jotaro’s hand, not quite holding it but placing hers on top. “You know, you can tell him to call you ‘Jotaro’ instead of ‘papa’. He would learn it quickly.”
“I don’t mind,” Jotaro said, turning his hand to grip hers. “Do you remember the first time he called me that?”
“Just after his first birthday. It was his second word, after ‘mama’.”
“Honestly, I was really happy when he said that.” Jotaro smiled. “He’s a nice kid.”
“I couldn’t have asked for a better son,” Kakyoin admitted. “And I couldn’t have asked for a better home for him to grow up in. I can’t thank you enough for letting us stay here.”
“I’m glad your here too.” Jotaro shifted closer so he sat on the same side of the kotatsu as her. He put an arm around her shoulder and she leaned into his side.
“Jotaro?”
“Hm?”
“Do you love me?”
Jotaro didn't say anything for a few moments, adjusting his arm around her shoulder. “I think I could,” he finally responded. “We’ve been though a lot since that day.”
“The first moment you held my hand,” Kakyoin said, “when I was delirious from pain, and you kept talking to me to distract me… I think I first felt it then. And when you held me, just like this, in the hospital room, I knew I wasn’t going to let you go any time soon.”
“You fell in love with me?”
“I knew I needed you. I knew you would help me get better, and care for me and my boys no matter what. I fell in love the first time Tsubasa called you ‘papa’.” She turned her head to settle into the crook of his neck. “They would never have a father figure if you hadn’t shown up that day.”
Jotaro smirked. “You want me as a father figure?”
“No, stupid,” she laughed, shoving his arm a bit but not enough to dislodge it. “I want you for me. The fact that the kids love you is a bonus.”
“I know.” He hugged her tighter. “I think I started liking you that day too. I wasn’t sure what feeling it was at the time, but I think I’m figuring it out now.” Nestling his face in her hair, he said “I think I love you, Noriaki.”
“I think I love you too, Jotaro,” she said with a soft smile. “Does this mean Tsubasa can keep calling you ‘papa’?”
“Yes that’s what it means.”
“Good.”
They cuddled in silence for a while, listening to the birds and distant laughter of the children outside. “Hey,” Jotaro spoke up, “Whatever happened with your parents? Have you heard from them since we last met with them?”
Kakyoin sighed. “Dad keeps in contact with me. The occasional email or call, nothing big. Mom is… well, she’s a whole other story.”
———
They’d been back in Japan for five months. They’d celebrated Giorno’s “birthday”, though it was just a date they had picked to mark his birthday since no one knew exactly when it was. Tsubasa was becoming more active, not yet crawling or saying words, but making noises and learning to grab onto things. Holly had been an absolute godsend for the new mother, having kept lots of things from when Jotaro was a child (he’d been so embarrassed, it was cute) so they didn’t have to invest in new clothes for the baby just yet.
It was at this time that Kakyoin finally felt comfortable contacting her parents. Most of the stresses of motherhood had become commonplace, she was used to getting less sleep, and she had many people to help out. She’d started to feel guilty that her parents didn’t know where she was. So she asked Joseph Joestar to help her get in contact with them.
Joseph made some calls and arranged a meeting. Over the phone they had sounded beyond excited. It had been over a year, almost a year and a half, since their daughter had disappeared. They were eager to see her again.
So they met at the Joestar home, since that’s where Kakyoin felt the most comfortable. She’d been waiting in the living room, sitting in her favorite plush armchair in the house. Jotaro had taken Tsubasa for a bit, leaving the family to reunite without stressing the baby out. He’d bring him back later.
Joseph led the Kakyoin’s into the room, and the froze in the doorway at the sight of their daughter. Finally her mother broke the silence, sobbing loudly and rushing to hug her. Kakyoin had been fighting back tears, trying to stay strong, but when her father joined the hug himself, also crying, she let go and cried with them. It was a lot of emotion that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
She gave them an abridged version of the story when they all settled down. Her parents knew nothing about the existence of Stands, so she kept the story simple but believable; that she’d been kidnapped on her trip, was rescued, and spent the last couple of months recovering. Her mother made a comment about telling them sooner, but it was quickly forgotten. Partially because they had more important things to talk about, and partially because that was the moment Jotaro brought Tsubasa back into the room.
Tsubasa was beginning to whine, the little cries he made when he was about to start crying but wasn’t quite there yet. He probably just wanted his mama back, and Kakyoin took him gladly. Her parents were speechless, staring at the baby as Kakyoin rocked him to calm him down. Jotaro hovered behind the chair, making sure everything was okay. Later, Kakyoin would thank him for staying. Things began to turn south.
Her father reacted first, scooting closer and asking for Tsubasa’s name. A big smile was on his aging face, and when Kakyoin maneuvered the baby for him to get a closer look. Even when he was teary, Tsubasa was a cute baby, and Kakyoin could see her father falling in love with him every second he continued to look. He put a hand on her arm, squeezing gently, and told her that he was a beautiful baby, and she should be proud. No discrimination, no looks of pity, just acceptance.
Her mother was another story. She stayed quiet while her father took his turn, but immediately after cut in with a sharp “how?”. The question stung a bit, but she carefully explained what Dio had done to her. She also mentioned Giorno and how she was raising him too. She made a point to tell them that the Joestar’s had been helping, that she wasn’t alone in all this. Her mother wasn’t having it.
She began to yell at her daughter, calling her irresponsible and unclean and all other sorts of mean names. Kakyoin shrank back in the chair, clutching Tsubasa close to her chest. Jotaro even moved around to the side of the chair rather than the back, ready to support her if needed. Kakyoin’s father tried to calm his wife, pulling her back and trying to explain the situation rationally, but the older woman wasn’t having it. She hurled insults like stones, striking Kakyoin in way she knew would hurt her. It didn’t take long for Tsubasa to start crying in response, shocked and scared by the noise.
Jotaro finally hauled her and the baby up into his arms, shielding her mostly from view. In his stern, gravely voice, he told her mother that she needed to leave. The words seemed polite, but his tone indicated anything but politeness. Kakyoin’s father nodded, pulling his screaming wife after him, but not before he slipped Jotaro a piece of paper with his phone number and email address on it, saying that if Kakyoin wanted to contact him she could do so. Jotaro pocketed the paper and nodded, escorting Kakyoin out of the room.
She ended up shaking, trying to repress her own tears in favor of caring for her son, but Jotaro sat her down and took Tsubasa from her, settling him into the crook of one massive arm. He wrapped the other around her shoulders and pulled her close, comforting them both until the tears stopped.
It hurt. It hurt a lot, having her mother reject her like that. If anything Kakyoin thought she would at least hear her out, and try to understand. But her mother didn’t care what happened to her. She didn’t attempt to understand the situation and rejected her without a second thought. She cast her own child aside. How dare she?
Jotaro held her close and dried her tears, as well as Tsubasa’s, who’s little hand gripped Jotaro’s shirt and wouldn’t let go. A stone pillar of strength, an anchor keeping her steady, Jotaro was a godsend. She thanked him profusely though her tears and he just shushed her. They’d talk about this later, for now they just needed to relax.
———
“So nothing from her?”
“Dad thinks she’ll come around eventually, but I don’t think so. It doesn’t bother me as much anymore. I mean, it bothers me… but it’s not that bad?”
“No I understand.” Jotaro glanced over at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting close to dinner.”
“Do you want to go help Holly?” Kakyoin asked, scooting out from under the kotatsu and reaching for her empty tea cup. Jotaro hummed in response and followed her out. Soon they were reminiscing and laughing while preparing food, and soon the kids had joined them and the family enjoyed a big meal at the table, the cicada’s chirping outside.
———
10 Years Later
16 year old Giorno Giovanna thumbed at his phone screen, nervously hovering over the call button. He was supposed to call his sister, but he was having a hard time figuring out how to tell her the news he had.
Giorno had kept his mother’s last name all his life, though he still considered himself a Kakyoin, or rather a Kakyoin-Kujo now that the two were married. They still lived in the Kujo house, especially since they went to school in the area. Though Giorno wasn’t in school right now, at least not technically.
He’d gotten the chance to go on a study abroad trip with one of his classes, and was spending a couple of weeks in Italy. He was especially excited because this was where his mother had been from, before she went to Egypt with Dio. Sure, his sister had been nervous sending him on a trip, considering what happened to her the last time she left the country. So he made sure to call her at least every other day, though mostly every day. Today though, he didn’t know how to start the call.
Sighing in resolve, he pressed call and put the cell to his ear, listening to it ring. After the third ring, his sister picked up. “Hello, Giorno.”
“Hey sis.”
“Do anything exciting today? Or just your usual classes?”
“Mostly class, but we spent the afternoon wandering around town.”
“That’s good, get out and see the city a bit. Be sure to send Jotaro and I pictures. Tsubasa’s been bugging us for more.” She paused, the line quiet for a moment. “Did… did something happen? You seem more quiet.”
He huffed. She always knew exactly what was going on with him. “Yeah, um…”
“Take your time,” Noriaki said. She could tell when something was bothering him, and encouraged him to tell her on his own time. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“Okay, I uh…” Giorno took a deep breath. “I met a boy.”
The line was silent for a few moments. Then, “Tell me everything!” she said excitedly. “Wait, his name! Start with his name!”
“His name is Guido Mista,” Giorno said, sitting down on a bench in a nearby park and getting comfortable. “He’s two years older than me and works a a local coffee shop with his friends, one of whom owns the place.”
“How did you meet?”
“I went to the shop. I wanted a quiet place to finish some homework and he was my server. I don’t know why, I just… God, he just smiled at me and told me to have a good afternoon in Italian and I just-!”
“Aww, Giorno! That’s so sweet!” For a moment Giorno could hear Jotaro’s voice in the background of the call, asking what was going on and his sister explaining that “our little boy is growing up and has a crush!”.
“What do I do, Nori?” he asked her. “I’ve never, you know, felt anything like this before. And even if I wanted to do something about it, I’m only in Italy for a few more days.”
“Giorno, focus on enjoying your time for now. Talk to this Mista a little more, get to know him, and things will work out somehow. If the solution is you stay longer, we’ll make it happen. If you come home and go back in a few months, we’ll do that. If he wants to come visit you in Japan, that’s fine too.”
She really did always know what to say to make him feel better. “There’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“I think he has a Stand.”
“What? Explain.”
“I had knocked my empty cup off the table and had Gold Experience catch it for me, and when I looked up he had just looked away from me. He seemed surprised, so I think he saw.”
“Honestly I’m not that surprised. Stand users tend to attract other Stand users. That might be something to test the next time you see him.” More noise came from the other line, this time two much younger sounding voices. Giorno smiled to himself. It was probably his siblings.
Sure enough, one voice on the other end said, “Is that GioGio? I wanna talk to him!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll put it on speaker. Hang on.” A second passed. “There we go. Say hi you two!”
“Hi!” two little voices sang.
“Hello Tsubasa. Hello Jolyne. How have you been?” Giorno asked.
“I got a 100 on my English test!” said Tsubasa. His little brother was 12 years old now and in middle school. He grew into his spitfire personality but was dedicated and loyal to his family. Especially to their newest member.
“I saw a butterfly in the garden!” When Giorno was nine and Tsubasa was seven, Jotaro and Noriaki had a child together after being married for five years. They named her Jolyne, and when Giorno first laid eyes on her, much like when Tsubasa was born, he swore to always take care of her. She was his precious little sister and he loved her. He loved them both.
While both of them had yet to develop Stands of their own, Jotaro and Noriaki weren’t concerned. They were young, there was plenty of time. Let them enjoy their youth without worrying about inheriting their family’s struggles.
“That sounds wonderful, Jolyne!” Giorno said. “And congratulations Tsubasa! You must have studied so hard.”
“I did! Now what’s this I hear about you meeting a boy?” Giorno could practically hear the smirk on Tsubasa’s face.
“GioGio met a boy?” Jolyne asked. “Is he pretty?”
“Yes I met someone, yes he’s very pretty, and no I don’t know what I’m going to do about it.”
“Go get him Giorno!” Tsubasa cheered.
“Okay, okay,” he heard Jotaro say. “Leave him alone you two. He’s supposed to be enjoying his trip.”
“Thanks Jotaro.” Giorno happened to glance up at that moment, and his breath caught in his throat. There he was. The boy from the coffee shop was walking through the park! “Hey guys, sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got to go.”
“Awww, I wanted to talk more!” Jolyne whined.
“He’ll call again tomorrow, JoJo,” Noriaki said. “Goodbye Giorno. Call again tomorrow, okay?”
“I will.”
“Bye bye Giorno!” And with a gentle click, the phone hung up.
Giorno pocketed the phone and subconsciously ran a hand through his hair, checking to make sure his braid was still in place. Looking up again, he caught Mista staring at him, and he felt his face go red. He twiddled his braid in his fingers out of nervousness. But Mista broke into a huge smile and jogged over to him.
“Hey, Giorno right?” he said. “It’s good to see you again!”
“It’s good to see you too, Mista,” he replied. “Off work for the day?”
“I’m on break. Thought I’d take a walk. Never thought I’d run into you again.”
“Me either.”
“Mind if I sit?”
“Not at all.” Giorno scooted over a little bit to make room for Mista, who sat next to him. There was a little bit of awkward silence, before Mista broke it.
“Look, this might be kind of weird, but… what was that I saw earlier? The gold thing?”
So that’s where this was going. Giorno took a deep breath. “So you could see it?”
“Yeah… Is that a bad thing?”
“No, not at all, I just-“ he paused for a moment. “I just didn’t expect it. I’ve grown used to people not seeing him.” So he brought Gold Experience out, the gold Stand gazing curiously down at Mista, who stared back, just as interested. “This is Gold Experience.”
“He looks a lot different than mine.”
That made Giorno jump in surprise. “What?”
Mista leaned back a bit, and then another Stand manifested. Or rather, six little creatures that Giorno assumed were part of the same Stand. They cheered happily, probably happy to be out, and eyed Gold Experience.
“Who’s the new guy?” one of them asked. Giorno saw that he had the number 1 on his little forehead. They had such cute little voices, each enquiring as to what the new Stand was, circling Gold Experience’s head.
“Don’t be rude, guys. Introduce yourselves,” Mista said, a little annoyed.
“We’re Sex Pistols!” the little Stand said, all at once. “We go by our numbers!”
Giorno nodded in understanding. “There’s no number 4?”
Mista paled and shook his head. “Absolutely not. Four is unlucky!”
Giorno just nodded again. Everyone had their quirks, who was he to judge? “I see. What can they do?”
“They move objects around,” said Mista. “They can grab onto things and direct their movement. I think they’re supposed to be used with bullets, cause of their name, but I don’t need to use a gun very often in a coffee shop, so they help out around there instead, in exchange for some food every now and again.”
“If he doesn’t feed us, we don’t work!” the one with the number 7 on his head yelled.
“And your coworkers don’t find it strange?”
“Nah. They’ve all got Stands of their own too. Some are more useful than others, but we’ve all got them.”
That sounded wonderful. Just like with Giorno’s family who could all see Stands, having all your friends and coworkers able to see them must have made things easier.
“How’d you get your Stand?” Mista asked.
Giorno fidgeted with his braid again. “It’s… kind of a long story?”
Mista reached up to brush a stray strand of hair off his cheek, making Giorno flush red again. The older boy smiled gently. “I’ve got time.”
The two gazed at each other a little longer, smiles on their faces. Their hands found each other, fingers gently tangling together. The world seemed to disappear for a moment, just the two of them.
Giorno couldn’t wait to tell his family about this the next day.