Chapter Text
Jotaro never really understood his husband’s vast interest in video games. To his knowledge, it was just trying to get to a certain number that was called a “high score…” right? He would play the occasional Street Fighter or Smash Brothers with him, and it made a little more sense because you were playing with real people. However, Noriaki had been keeping himself occupied with another game - it was one of those handheld concoctions, making it strictly single player. This time, Jotaro absolutely wasn’t having it.
“Nori... “ Jotaro cooed in his ear, breathing in his intoxicating floral scent as he wrapped his huge arms around him. “You’ve been playing for two hours now.”
“Oh, has it been that long?” Noriaki asked hazily, unaware of his spouse’s sudden romantic advances. “Then Jolyne will be coming home from school soon…” He then drifts back into the game.
He pursued him once more, his arms now closing in tight and his lips brushing against his ear. “Nori… what are you playing that’s so interesting?”
“Animal Crossing.”
Jotaro looked down at the tiny screen. It definitely didn’t look like a fighting game, a racing game, or a puzzle game. In fact, he was sure that all Noriaki was doing was walking around. “Okay. What are you doing?”
“Planting fruit trees.”
“So... is doing that more important than paying attention to me?”
Noriaki couldn’t help but laugh at his morose tone and his pitiful little pouting face to go with it. He wouldn’t admit it, but from the first moment, he saw this coming and was just waiting for him to break. “I’m sorry, baby, are you feeling ignored again? Okay, I’m saving and turning the game off for right now, see?”
“Hmph. Thank you.”
He knew that Jotaro was practically dying for a smooch, so he closed his eyes and braced for impact, except that he almost fell over and missed. An ugly laugh belted out of the snarky red-headed one, who, despite being so much smaller in comparison, still tried to help by pulling him in closer.
“Hey, now, that wasn’t funny.” Jotaro twirled Nori’s little noodle of hair and smirked as he remembered back in their high school years that he used to absolutely resent him whenever he did that. To others, touching even a strand of his hair was a very special privilege, given the effort he had always put into it; but Noriaki never scared Jotaro, so he messed with it as often as he pleased. It was always cute watching him get angry and try to stand up for himself in defense. Much like a housecat, Noriaki dreamily flutters his eyelids as the other continues to stroke his cherry wine locks. This was his happy place.
As their lips were only a mere inch away from each other, Jolyne breaks the silence (as she usually does) by hollering out after slamming the front door, “I’m hooooome!! Ewww, what are you guys doing now?”
“Jolyne, what the hell are you doing home so early?” Jotaro asked her agitatedly as the girl made a beeline to the kitchen to make some pizza rolls. “What happened to baseball practice?”
“Why are you talking to me like that? Aren’t you happy to see me?! And practice was cancelled today because our coach had to go to the emergency room for something I don’t know or care about.”
Noriaki got up, leaving Jotaro barren and cold, to shift through the backpack Jolyne left on the table.
“Papa!! What are you doing? That’s… that’s privacy invasion!”
“Oh, but after all those times that your grades have tanked because of skipped homework assignments, I do believe I have the right to at least look through your school work. It says here on the student planner you have a science essay due soon, so you will get right to work on that as soon as possible, won’t you?”
“Ugh! You’re so nosy and annoying, papa!”
“For wanting my lovely daughter to succeed? Oh yes, I must be the worst. Finish your pizza rolls and I better see you busy at work on your computer.”
“Hey now,” Jotaro chimed in as he picked his nose, “Want to know who can be annoying? Talk back some more and you’re sleeping out in the yard tonight.”
“I don’t need your help right now, Jojo.”
Jolyne wanted to roll her eyes, but decided to not add fuel to the fire as she remembered the two hour lecture she received last time. Jotaro flicked away a booger, the microwave dinged, and the tween collected her snacks and her books. “Fine! I’ll go up to my room so you guys can… can just make out and be all gross and stuff while I’m actually busy with real work, since you never want me around.”
Noriaki and Jotaro watched her walk of shame up the stairs, as she faked a sob or two. “We’ll try not to be loud,” Jotaro said.
“Don’t slam the door,” added Nori. She slams the door. He plops back down next to his giant husband, tired and defeated. “Ah. Your mother always did warn me about days like these. She really had to go through the brunt of it, you know.”
Jotaro blinks and responded by playfully pulling on the hair noodle. “Hey, hey. I know I used to be an asshole, too. Let’s just pick up where we left off, please.”
The redhead glances up with a slight tinge of worry on his face. He tries to break into a smile as he leans in to rest his head on the other man’s giant pillow of a chest, his arms pulling him in as close as possible. Jotaro felt him sigh.
“It’ll be fine,” he says, peppering kisses on Nori’s head and his ears. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”
“I know I’m not. I’m just tired.”
“Yeah? Just lay here with me.” He moves to give him more room and make him more comfortable, positioning to where Nori’s head was just high enough so he had easier access to his lips. He finally closes the gap between them and he whispers, “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”