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Abdul, Polnareff, and Joseph rush Kakyoin before Jotaro can even fully comprehend that he’s actually stood right there in front of him, whole and hale and so very much alive.
Kakyoin beams in the joint embrace of their three companions and even Iggy (as disgruntled as he looks) ends up in Joseph’s arms and in the middle of their happy huddle.
“Oh my god, Kakyoin! Are you a sight for sore eyes--“ Polnareff quickly slaps a hand over his mouth, eyes bulging. “Oh no. Oh no I am so sorry Kakyoin I--“
Abdul sighs long-sufferingly and nudges Polnareff in the ribs and out of the way. Hard.
“It’s good to have you back, Kakyoin.” Abdul says with a wry smile, squeezing Kakyoin’s forearms. “I have to say, almost dying multiple times on a daily basis just hasn’t been the same without you.”
“Holy SHIT!” Joseph as good as yells in Kakyoin’s face. “We missed you so much!”
Jotaro would roll his eyes with a fond little huff if he weren’t so struck speechless at Kakyoin’s sudden presence. A fierce, joyous feeling roils in his chest, flooding his heart like a tidal wave. He feels caught, suspended in this impossible moment, can only stuff his hands into his pockets and stand by to watch the blissful reunion unfold.
But then Kakyoin catches Jotaro’s eye over Abdul’s shoulder and his wide grin falters, almost sliding right off his face. They stare at each other and when Jotaro blinks the smile that replaces Kakyoin’s grin is small and sincere and with the strength of a thousand suns, blinding and bright and just for him.
“Jojo,” Kakyoin murmurs through a thick throat, almost identical to the time they’d parted ways at the hospital in Aswan. Kakyoin fiddles with his sunglasses, about to speak again but Jotaro is already pushing forward and elbowing a whining Polnareff out of the way.
He’s only vaguely aware of Star Platinum’s presence beside him, hastily removing his cap as Jotaro strides right up to Kakyoin and cups his jaw with shaking hands, leaning down to press their foreheads together. This close he can see clearly the thin scars that almost cost Kakyoin his sight, if not his whole life. Jotaro is so suddenly flooded with relief, breathless and lightheaded with it he could collapse right there. Lay him to rest on this random street in Cairo, he doesn’t care.
Again Jotato feels Star Platinum looming over his shoulder like a friendly shadow in case he actually does collapse. He can’t even summon up a flare of annoyance though, Jotaro knows Star Platinum isn’t just there on the pretence of catching him. His Stand is peering down at Kakyoin with a huge grin lighting up its purple face. Their relief and joy is echoed between them, their ineffable affinity thrumming, Jotaro’s muted and quietly fierce and Star Platinum’s visible from space. Good grief, with that thought Jotaro flushes and firmly wills Star Platinum away.
Kakyoin remains rigid for all of two stunned seconds before sagging in Jotaro’s gentle hold with a choked sound. He grabs at the edges of Jotaro’s open gakuran to haul him close. Jotaro can feel him tremble faintly, mouth quivering with suppressed emotion.
It’s too much, it’s too much. Jotaro squeezes his own eyes shut. There’s so much to say and also nothing at all and Jotaro has no idea where to even start or how. This would be one Stand he could never hope to defeat, but this is Kakyoin; Kakyoin who had no obligation to leave his home and his family to journey with them to save a woman he didn’t even know, Kakyoin who’s saved them and bled for them and almost died for them countless times, Kakyoin he’s holding in his palms and in his heart and who returned to him like he promised.
There’s nothing he could possibly say to everything Kakyoin has done and given, but if Kakyoin wanted to hear it, Jotaro would spend the rest of his life finding the words Kakyoin deserves to hear.
“I didn’t know if I would ever see you again.” Kakyoin laughs shakily, and they both know he means it literally.
Jotaro lets out a shuddering breath and ducks his head to press his lips to each of Kakyoin’s scarred, closed eyelids. Then he punches Kakyoin’s arm and growls. “That’s not fucking funny, you asshole.”
Kakyoin only laughs louder, practically cackling as he clutches Jotaro closer with an arm slid around Jotaro’s waist. With his free hand, he punches Jotaro back hard enough to make him wheeze.
“Ahhhh, young love.” Jotaro hears the old man sigh happily with just as much happy nostalgia (like he’s some kind of expert on it) and hugs an unimpressed Iggy to his chest. Abdul fights a fond smile and loses. Polnareff looks like he might cry again.
But Iggy takes that exact moment to squirm out of his Grandpa’s grip and jumps to the floor and with barely a backwards glance he unsteadily bounds off on three legs.
“Hey, Iggy!” Joseph frowns, running to catch up. “Where are you going?”
It jars them both from the moment. Jotaro watches Kakyoin slip through his fingers as they step away from each other. Kakyoin glances away and slides his sunglasses back on his face and after a brief explanation all five of them chase after Iggy’s lead and just like that they’re back to business. Well, almost all business.
Twisting through the labyrinth-like backstreets of Cairo, Jotaro reaches to his side and twines his hand with Kakyoin’s, not even faltering in their perfectly matched rushed footfalls.
That wide grin stretches Kakyoin’s mouth again. Jotaro wants to kiss him, desperately so, wants to taste that smile for himself. He doesn’t, he can’t. If he starts now he might never stop.
“I wish we had more time.” Jotaro tells Kakyoin grimly. Not time to prepare for the upcoming battle, not time to train or scout further. Just time for this, Kakyoin’s smile, his hand firm and warm and so very real in Jotaro’s own. Time to be together, the time they deserve.
Kakyoin squeezes his hand impossibly tight. “After this is all over and we go home, we’ll have all the time in the world.” Kakyoin brings Jotaro’s hand to his mouth and kisses his bruised knuckles. “I promise, Jotaro. We’ll have our time.”
And under the sudden gloom of Dio’s towering mansion and it’s suffocating presence, flanked by his dearest friends and family and the love of his short life, Jotaro believes him.