Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Infancy.

Its 3:00AM.

“Jotaro… Jolyne’s awake again.”

No response, though it was to be expected. Jotaro was a very heavy sleeper.

He sighed, sitting up in bed, next to his partner, staring tiredly at Jotaro’s sleeping body before he gave up. He kicked the blankets off and made his way out of their bedroom, although he could hardly see straight.

Jolyne’s crying was loud, high pitched and upsetting. She wasn’t a particularly fussy baby, but once she started – it was difficult to stop her.

And sometimes only Jotaro was able to get her back to bed.

“Ahh – I’m here, I’m here.”

He walked to the crib, lifting the infant up and into his arms. He still hadn’t quite decoded her types of cries; hungry, sleepy, lonely, quite like Jotaro had so these nights were never too easy on him.

Jolyne was flailing her little arms, crying so hard he figured that even she was annoyed by it.

Kakyoin was frowning, looking down at his adoptive daughter, leaning in and pressing a series of soft kisses to her cheeks, her forehead, her nose. “I don’t know why you’re crying, sweetheart… help me out here.”

Of course, it didn’t help too much. Jolyne didn’t let up, and instead let out wails that were even louder. Kakyoin knew that she was only an infant – she wasn’t doing this to make her parents miserable. He reassured himself of that over and over again. Jolyne was just a baby…

He sighed even deeper, holding Jolyne close to his chest, stroking her hair.

“You’re not gonna let up, huh?” He shook his head, defeated. “You’ve been fed, changed… attention’s not helping you out either.”

Holding her against his shoulder, rubbing her back, he sleepily made his way back into their bedroom. Jotaro was knocked out like a damn rock, arms splayed out now that Kakyoin had been gone for more than 5 minutes.

Seeing the opportunity, Kakyoin climbed onto the bed nestling close to Jotaro, though Jolyne was still fussing. He continued rubbing her back and cooing at her, though to no avail. Looking to Jotaro, he frowned, sitting up once more with their fussy baby in his arms. Gritting his teeth, he slowly and gently placed Jolyne on his chest, then grabbed his arm and placed it over her back.

Jolyne had almost immediately stopped crying.

Kakyoin grit his teeth, looking away from the two so he could recompose himself. He laid back once more, head hitting the pillow with a thump, closing his eyes so he could finally sleep. 

---

 

“Why’d you bring Jolyne into bed?” Jotaro had asked the next morning.

Kakyoin practically slammed his cup of coffee to the table, looking up at is partner with a glare. “You didn’t hear her last night?”

“…No.”

“Not even when I was sitting next to you in bed with her?”

Jotaro shook his head again.

“Whatever. She wouldn’t stop crying so I figured she wanted attention – she didn’t stop until I gave her to you.”

“That’s weird.”

“It’s not. You’re her father. Of course just being near you quiets her.”

He looked up at Kakyion, brows furrowed. “You’re her father too. And you spend much more time around her than I do.” He stated, “I don’t see what that has to do with it.”

Kakyoin ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on it, unable to put out his frustrations. “You’re her real father.” He mumbled, “Jolyne’s not going to feel the same connection to me as she does to you.”

He stood up from his seat, walking towards the sink and dumping half his mug down the train.

“Oi.”

He ignored Jotaro’s call, gathering his papers for school, “The babysitter will be here in about an hour.”

“You don’t have to leave for another hour.”

“I should get there early. It’s fine.” Kakyoin shrugged. He grabbed his coat, and his car keys, attempting to pass Jotaro on his way out.

Though Jotaro grabbed Kakyoin by his wrist, tugging him back. “What’s buggin’ you? You only act this way when you’re upset.”

Kakyoin closed his eyes, avoiding Jotaro’s gaze. “Nothing.”

“I’m not stupid, Noriaki. What’s up?”

“It’s like I said… You’re Jolyne’s father… Even if she grew up disregarding that – we’re never going to have the same connection that you and her do. She’s going to realize that I stepped in months after her birth … that I wasn’t involved with her at all before then… and she’s…”

Kakyoin trailed off, biting his lip.

“It’s stupid. I need to go to class if I’m going to get that internship at the studio. We’re not going to live off of your salary alone, right now.” He muttered, “I’ll see you when I get home.”

Kakyoin yanked his hand away, only for Jotaro to wrap his arms around Kakyoin’s waist. “Relax, would you?”

“I can’t.”

“She’s an infant. She warmed up to you easily… is it still gonna take some time and effort? Sure. But you can’t write her behavior off as their being no parent to child connection. You’ve hardly just begun.”

They stood still, and gradually Jotaro tightened his hold on Kakyoin, bringing him closer, pressing his lips against his neck, up to his jawline.

“She’s fussy and it’s probably from me. It’s got nothing to do with you being a bad parent.”

“I guess…” He sighed, leaning into Jotaro’s touch. “I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” The two stood like that for a moment, until they heard Jolyne crying out from her bedroom. “C’mon. Bond a little before you leave. She’ll love it.”

Kakyoin cracked a small smile, nodding to his lover. Jotaro kept his hand around Kakyoin’s waist as they approached their daughter with caution.

 

---

 

“I knew that you were leaving for this trip.”

Jotaro nodded, baby Jolyne sleeping quietly on his chest.

“Do you really have to leave?”

“If there’s a guaranteed promotion at the end of it, yeah. I really do.”

Kakyoin closed his eyes, leaning against Jotaro’s shoulder. “I’m not ready to be alone with her.” He mumbled. “I’m going to mess up. Something bad’ll happen.”

“I told you… if you wanted to go back to Japan for the duration that I’m away, I’d have arrangements set up as soon as possible.”

Kakyoin shook his head, curling up even closer to Jotaro. “I just moved out here with you. Moving back would be cheating.”

“Cheating? How so. You’d be with our families.”

“I need to stay away for as long as I can… unless absolutely necessary.” He spoke, “I’m homesick enough as it is. Going back would make it worse.”

“It might be good for you. You’re nearing on your first year out of Japan, you can see your parents, mine too – plus I’m sure your mom or mine would love to help out with Jolyne.”

Kakyoin slumped slightly, looking towards the floor.

“I just want what’s best for you. There’s nothing wrong with not being ready to handle her on your own…” Jotaro frowned, pressing a kiss to the top of his boyfriend’s head. “What do you think I did when I was left alone with her? I flew out to Japan to see my mom.”

“I know… but.”

“It’s up to you. If you choose not to – it’s fine. If you choose not to but then during the second week you decide you’ve had enough and you want to go? That’s fine too.”

Jolyne began to stir from her sleep, whining against her father’s chest.

Kakyoin stood, taking Jolyne from him and into his own arms, rocking her gently, cooing at her. “I’ll take her to bed.” He spoke, holding her close before he left the room.

Jotaro took a deep breath, removing his hat to run a hand through his hair.

“He’ll be fine.”

 

---

 

“N-No, I promise it’s going fine… I’m not crying… I miss you is all.”

Kakyoin held his head, standing by their livingroom window. Jolyne was sitting on the floor playing with some of her toys. She was just learning how to walk and talk – so most of the time, Kakyoin was distracted with teaching her how and making sure she didn’t crawl near anywhere dangerous. She was still a bit stubborn, but she was giving her father an easier time than he anticipated.

Though he still didn’t feel entirely right.

Kakyoin was set to graduate in a few months, and he would begin his job soon after. Really, this was the best situation that he and Jotaro had been in since he had moved in with them.

He held the phone close to his ear, listening to Jotaro tell him the usual. He missed him too, he would be home in just a few weeks, he was proud of Kakyoin for doing so well with Jolyne and a whole bunch of stuff to make him feel better. It worked for a short while, but he knew it wouldn’t last while Jotaro was still gone.

Kakyoin looked back towards Jolyne, but had found her crawling towards the kitchen. He sighed, preparing to tell Jotaro to hang on before he went to go and get her.

Before he could do that, though, he found Jolyne grasping onto on of the chairs by the table and she had pulled herself up so she was standing.

Kakyoin blinked a few times, looking over at her to make sure that he wasn’t just imagining it or that she wasn’t just replicating what she did when she was in her crib, standing but using the railing for support.

She turned around, smiling at her father, slightly bouncing up and down to show her excitement. She had let go, turned towards Kakyoin and took a few small steps towards him.

“J-Jotaro – hold on a sec… Jolyne is standing and s-she just… walked towards me.”

Kakyoin set the phone down, slowly approaching his daughter, getting on his knees to make sure she was at his eye level.

“C’mon sweetheart, just a little more…”

Though clumsy, Jolyne was definitely standing, and she was definitely taking steps towards him. He held his arms out, focusing on her small steps, close enough so that if she fell, she wouldn’t hurt herself.

But much to his delight, she had done it – walking right into Kakyoin’s arms, where he took her into them and stood up, gently spinning around as she smiled and giggled.

“Ah, you did so wonderful, Jolyne! I’m so proud of you!” He pressed multiple kisses on her cheeks, her forehead, holding her tight. “Daddy’s going to be so happy when I tell him”

Kakyoin had kept Jolyne in his arms, racing towards the phone.

“She did! She just took her first steps, Jojo!” Kakyoin exclaimed, a wide smile on his lips. “S-She was just sitting playing with her toys but then she crawled into the kitchen and she started walking towards me. I can’t believe it…”

Jotaro, on the other line, was excited – he could tell although he wasn’t too good at expressing it. He cooed to Jolyne through the phone, telling her how proud he was and that he wished he was there to see it.

“When you come home I’m sure Jolyne would love to show off how amazing she is, isn’t that right?!” Kakyoin smiled, bouncing his daughter in one arm and holding the phone in the other. “You’ll be back in a month, right…?”

Kakyoin received the answer he had wanted, hanging up with Jotaro a few moments later, exchanging their goodbyes and I love you’s.

This was needed, after the past few weeks of being stressed out and lonely. Jolyne was good company when she wasn’t being fussy, but considering she was a baby, he wasn’t able to dump all worries onto her.

After this special moment, he’d go back to doing whatever he was doing, Jolyne would return to playing with her toys, and eventually they’d both retire to bed where Kakyoin would lay there in the dark, by himself until he couldn’t stand it anymore, where he would then take Jolyne from her crib and tuck her into bed beside him.

He wouldn’t return to his parents no matter how hard it got.

 

---

 

“You’re going to be home for a bit longer, right?”

“As of right now, I shouldn’t have to go on any more trips for a while. But anything can come up, babe.”

“Right.”

They sat on the terrace to their small apartment, Jotaro smoking a cigarette, Kakyoin accompanied by a glass of wine.

“You did so good without me.” Jotaro looked over at his boyfriend, “I’m really proud. Jolyne’s warmed up to you so much, too.”

Kakyoin smiled, accompanied by a blush. It always felt good to be praised by Jotaro, considering how insecure he felt on the matter. He leaned against his boyfriend, closing his eyes, Jotaro reached for a hand, intertwining their fingers together.

“What are we going to have Jolyne call me when she can finally talk?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re dad… what would I be? Papa would take a bit of getting used to.”

“I think it’s cute. You could have her say it in Japanese. Otou-san.”

“That seems a little formal.”

“Tou-chan. C’mon, that’d be cute too.”

“Ahh, I guess.”

“We could see whatever she comes up with. Or try both out, see what she likes better.”

“I’d like that.”

Jotaro put out his cigarette, wrapping both his arms around Kakyoin, pulling him close. “Finish your drink and lets go to bed. I wanna get the most out of you before you start working full time.”

Kakyoin chuckled, swinging his legs over Jotaro’s lap, downing the remainder in his glass.

“I’m all yours.”

Chapter Text

Rustling in the sheets, it felt like an eternity since the two had been together like this. Truthfully, before they had gotten serious, Jotaro and Kakyoin would do it daily. But, since their lives had turned quite domestic, they had to cut down drastically – but usually, they were simply too tired to do it together. 

They were juggling work and parenthood, and Jotaro’s frequent traveling made it too difficult for things to ever really settle down.

But there were times where they simply missed each other so much.

This was one of those times.

Kakyoin had Jotaro pinned to the bed, lips pressed against each other with desperation. Kakyoin had been grinding against Jotaro’s arousal, Jotaro squeezing his boyfriend’s ass, teasing him.

“Shit… ride me.” Jotaro pulled Kakyoin down, whispering into his ear, earning a moan from the smaller man.

Kakyoin was more than happy to oblige, straddling his lap as he prepared to take Jotaro entirely.  

He paused for a moment, hearing the floor creak from down the hall.

“What?”

Kakyoin hushed Jotaro, placing his palm over his boyfriend’s mouth. Maybe she was just using the bathroom, or getting some water, but the footsteps got closer, and though their door was closed, Jolyne was tall enough by now to open it.

“U-Um… papa?”

“Shit…” Kakyoin pushed away from Jotaro, practically throwing himself on the floor to find his pants, Jotaro following suit before they both got back into bed as if they had been sleeping the entire time. Kakyoin was almost as red as his hair, but Jolyne had been suffering from nightmares for a few weeks now, and she was still recovering from a nasty fever. He felt as if this should’ve been expected.

Kakyoin sat up, looking down at Jotaro to make sure he was presentable before he turned his attention towards Jolyne again. “I’m up, hon."

“I had a bad dream…”

Kakyoin sighed, running a hand through his hair as he shifted around, making sure there was enough room for their daughter in the middle. “C’mere. You wanna talk about it?”

Jolyne nodded her head, shuffling over to the bed, climbing up onto the surface with minor help from her father.

She was four years old now, and quite full of energy. Kakyoin loved her with all his heart, and the bond between them was inseparable. He still felt insufficient as a father, but nights like this, when she showed him just how much she trusted him and wanted to be by his side, made him forget those feelings.

She snuggled onto his lap, resting her head against his chest.

“There were monsters… they were tall and scary… and I was in a crowd of people but I was the only one who could see them…” She spoke quietly, rubbing her eyes. “It didn’t feel like a dream.”

Kakyoin frowned, pressing a kiss to the top of Jolyne’s head. “Don’t worry. Daddy and I will make sure that those monsters don’t get you.” He smiled, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “We’ll always be here to beat up those big bad creatures.”

Jolyne gave a sleepy smile to her father, nodding in agreement. Kakyoin helped her move to the middle of the bed, making sure that she was comfortable, before Jotaro stretched out, giving a playful roar and capturing his daughter into his arms, pulling her close to his chest. She giggled, squirming in his grip while he pressed kisses to her cheeks. Kakyoin was a bit surprised by the action, but he smiled none the less, admiring his boyfriend as he gently let her go, kissing her on the top of the head as she snuggled into their sheets.

Kakyoin joined both of them, wrapping his arms around Jolyne, with Jotaro wrapping his arms around the two of them shortly after.

“G’night, you two.”

“Goodnight, love.” “Night, daddy!”

---

 

“Is daddy going to be home for dinner tonight?” 

Kakyoin stopped in his tracks, looking over at his daughter who was coloring at their kitchen table.

“He told me he was going to be late, dear.” He answered her, “Probably when you’re already in bed.”

Jolyne frowned, swinging her legs underneath the table. “Can’t I stay up so I can see him?”

Kakyoin was silent for a moment, turning back to the stove. “We’ve spoken about this. You can only stay up late on Fridays and Saturdays.” He sighed softly, “Would you like a special side dish?”

“But it’s summer! I don't hafta go to school – why can’t I just stay up tonight?”

“Jojo… I’ll need to speak to daddy about that, alright?”

Jolyne huffed, folding her arms over her chest. “Stupid…”

Kakyoin snapped his head back, giving his daughter a stern look. “Jolyne Kujo, this is not up for discussion. No more attitude or else you’re going in your room until dinner.”

“Daddy always comes home late! I never get to see him!” She pounded her small fists against the table. “It’s not fair! It’s… it’s stupid!”

He was gritting his teeth now, turning off the stove. “I know sweetheart, but-“

“I just want to see daddy and you aren’t letting me! Y-You’re being stupid!”

“Enough!” He turned towards her, running a hand through his hair. “I know you miss daddy but you are not going to make him come home sooner by throwing a fit!” He was never too great at being stern with his daughter, but he couldn’t allow her to keep going like this, especially using hurtful language towards her parent. He kept going, expressing his anger to her before he noticed the tears swelling in her eyes, before he noticed he wasn’t even speaking English anymore. He hadn’t even remembered what he was trying to say, none the less to a five year old, and instead stared at her at a loss for words.

“Please… go to your room, Jolyne…”

Jolyne clutched at her dress, sniffling as she hopped off the chair and sped down the hall, directly into her bedroom, slamming the door with all of her might.

“Gomenasai…”

He needed to sit down, ignoring dinner for the while. Calming himself down was more important.

Jotaro was set to leave on another trip in just a few days so naturally he was stressing out, more quick tempered than usual. Fuck, he missed Jotaro too – all the time. He knew Jotaro was just doing his best to keep them safe, to keep them stable – but the stability wouldn’t last if Jotaro wasn’t there to keep the pieces together. Kakyoin was very capable of taking care of himself, but things were different when they had a child in the picture, one that was very much like her father, one that looked up to her father very much. But Jotaro had to do these important tasks to keep things relatively normal, so they could buy the house they had been looking at for months, so they could wed at the end of the year.

Kakyoin’s job paid well, but only when his income was combined with his boyfriend’s did it really keep them well rounded.

He placed his head in his hands, his body shaking as he thought of being alone with his daughter for extended periods of time again, how the feeling that she simply didn’t love him as much as she loved Jotaro never faded and how it never would. He wanted to be a good dad, and a good boyfriend but he just felt so insufficient all the time.

He hated feeling so weak, and so dependent on his boyfriend’s love but it was simply how he was built. He didn’t realize he was crying until a small puddle formed on the linoleum floor beneath him – and realizing the tears only made him sob audibly.

He hated yelling at Jolyne for being upset over something that he was upset about too.

He wiped away his tears with his sleeve, hearing the small pitter patter of feet approaching him. Once he looked up, he was met with Jolyne, her eyes puffy and red, her nose running.

“I’m sorry papa…”

Kakyoin offered a smile, shaking his head as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry too, sweetheart.” He cocked his head to the side, playing with her hair as he reached for a tissue with his other hand, wiping away her tears, and her nose.

“I’ll tell daddy to kiss you goodnight when he comes home, okay? I’m sure he misses you too.”

She nodded, wrapping her arms around her father, burying her face in his chest.

“Dinner’s just about ready, let’s eat.”

“Okay…” She sniffled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “Um. After dinner can you read me a story?”

“Sure, love.”

“Can you read me one in Japanese, though?”

Kakyoin blinked, pushing her hair from her eyes. “Why? You don’t speak Japanese.”

“I know… but I like how you sound when you speak Japanese.”

He chuckled, nodding to his daughter, scooping her up into a big hug. “If you insist. Just don’t complain when you can’t understand it.”

---

“Jotaro, we need to talk.” 

It was late at night, Jotaro at his desk in their small livingroom. Jolyne was tucked in bed, and Kakyoin was just about ready to call it quits himself. Jotaro had just come back from another trip, just the night before, but he was about to head out on personal business in less than a week.

This was becoming more frequent than was alright.

Jotaro turned, catching his fiancé’s glare, illuminated by a single lamp that was switched on in the corner. He gave a heavy sigh, turning his chair around.

“Look, Noriaki… I’m sorry, but-“

“Jotaro. This isn’t about me anymore. Jolyne’s getting older – I can’t keep distracting her or coming up with excuses as to why daddy’s never home for more than two months at a time…”

Jotaro removed his hat, running his fingers through his hair.

“You don’t have to go on this trip. B-Besides… we’re marrying in just three months. I know our wedding isn’t going to be any spectacular, but you’ve hardly been around for our arrangements… I hate doing that stuff alone.”

“I’m going on this trip to keep you guys out of danger.”

Kakyoin frowned, approaching Jotaro slowly, gently sitting on his lap. “Then why not take me and Jolyne? I’ve got a stand – you seem to forget. I can take care of myself if danger happens. Jolyne’s in good hands, with her dad being the most powerful stand user in the world, yunno… and I’m not that bad either.”

Jotaro huffed, shaking his head as he grasped Kakyoin’s night shirt, tugging it up to his chest. “That’s why I’m not taking you.” He muttered, tracing the scar on his fiancé’s stomach with his fingers.

“That’s nothing, Jotaro. It hardly even hurts anymore… I haven’t even thought about it in months.”

“Noriaki…” He sighed.

“You’re too paranoid… you don’t think I worry too? Of course I do! But by your logic, someone’s going to snatch me and Jolyne up here in Florida and you’ll be too far away on business while I’m too weak or whatever to save myself and my daughter.” He narrowed his eyes, pushing away Jotaro’s hand, pulling his shirt down. “I know that after this trip you’re mine until the end of our honeymoon, but you also have the option of not taking this one… so we’ll have even more time together.”

Jotaro was silent, wrapping his arms around Kakyoin, nuzzling his face into his chest, letting the moment sink in. Kakyoin returned the affection, pressing a kiss to the top of Jotaro’s head.

Of course Jotaro hated leaving his family. He figured that much was obvious. He and Kakyoin worked so well together because of Kakyoin’s impeccable understanding of his mind.

Perhaps he was afraid. Not just afraid of his family getting destroyed by some stand user that had a grudge against him, but afraid of his family. Afraid his family would hate him. Afraid that Jolyne would misunderstand her father’s mannerisms and personality. He truly wasn’t a master of fatherly affection, probably due to having little to none from his own father, either. But he’d look at Kakyoin, his fiancé, who had no idea that he would be walking into fatherhood by rekindling his relationship with Jotaro, who’s parenting skills were flawless.

Kakyoin didn’t come from the most loving family either, having dealt with a lot of strain from his uptight father and apathetic mother. Yet Kakyoin had no fears getting in the way of raising Jolyne, or so he thought.

Whenever Jotaro approached him about the issue, Kakyoin simply said; “Well, I want to raise Jolyne the way I wish I could have been raised.”

Jotaro wished he knew how to follow that goal.

“Has Jolyne been giving you issues?” The silence broke.

“Kind of…” Kakyoin’s voice was quiet.

“I’m sorry…” Jotaro kissed at Kakyoin’s collarbone. “Has it been because of me?”

“She just misses you, is all… sometimes she tells me she doesn’t think that you love her…”

Jotaro closed his eyes, burying his face into the fabric of Kakyoin’s shirt, his hands balling into fists.

“I’m so sorry, Nori…”

“Just don’t go. That’s all I’m asking…” He stroked Jotaro’s hair gently, planting kisses every so often. “We love you so much. We just want you around more… you don’t have to be so afraid.”

Jotaro lifted his head, looking into his fiancé’s eyes, meeting his gaze. He leaned forward, pressing their lips together in chaste kiss, rubbing soothing circles into Kakyoin’s lower back.

“C’mon… let’s go to bed. You work so much – you’ve got circles under your eyes.” Kakyoin chuckled, pecking Jotaro on the cheek once more before he stood up, offering his hands to him.

Once up, Jotaro scooped Kakyoin into his arms, holding him close to his chest.

“You’re ridiculously important to me, Noriaki. I don’t want you to think that I do what I do because I don’t care about you and Jolyne…”

“I would never think that… but I’ve got feelings too, Jojo… I’ve got fears, and dreams that require you to help me get through…” Kakyoin pressed a finger to Jotaro’s nose, like a button, earning a chuckle out of the larger man. “Remember that, love.”

“Of course.”

---

 “Papa… am I not going to school today?”

Jolyne sat on her parents bed, gently rocking Kakyoin as if to get a reaction out of him.

I’m a terrible parent…

“Jolyne… would you mind staying home and keeping me company today?” He asked, rolling onto his back, giving his daughter a full view of his face. His eyes were wet and puffy, and his nose red, his breathing interrupted with a sad sounding hiccup every few seconds.

“If you want me to…”

“Thank you, hime.” He opened his arms to her, allowing Jolyne to crawl onto his lap and into his chest, pressing her face against his neck.

“I’m sorry that daddy had to go.”

“Me too, baby.”

Chapter Text

They did wed.

Jotaro’s family had almost insisted on a big wedding, especially considering it was affordable – with Joseph having been about Jotaro and Kakyoin’s relationship from the beginning, he wanted nothing more than to make a show out of his grandson. But Jotaro wasn’t the type, and Kakyoin wasn’t necessarily for it either. His parents had been happy that he finally made a name for himself, raising his own family, hardly even phased that he had been engaged in a relationship with another man. 

They had a few friends attend, though it was mostly their immediate family. Polnareff flying out from France to see his two buddies tying the knot – finally, as he had been saying practically the entire time he was there. He said Avdol would be proud, too – saying that he had predicted that the two of them would be together the moment he saw Jotaro walk into his home with Kakyoin flung over his shoulder.

But Polnareff wasn’t there to mourn, and wished the newly weds a long and happy life, cooing over little Jolyne for a good portion of it, teasing Jotaro about how she was practically his clone, in the form of a five year old girl.

They were together as a family, finally. It took a long time to get there, but all the strain had seemed worth it in the end.

He was no longer Noriaki Kakyoin, taking his husband’s surname; Noriaki Kujo. They discussed long and hard about which name either of them would take, but Kakyoin opted for Kujo, considering Jotaro’s family legacy, but also because he was never too attached to his own name in the first place, considering his past relationship with his parents. He’d rather be a Kujo, siding with he family that took him in without second thought.

Of course, his relationship with his parents wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been when he was 17. He had always loved them, but he felt as if he never quite earned their love and respect. It took his near death for them to start showing him how much they truly did love him, that they were proud of their only son.

He was so taken aback from their positive treatment of him since he returned, that they were even able to convince him to attend college in Japan. Splitting him and Jotaro up for a few years – resulting in Jolyne, from a failed relationship, who was around 5 months old when the two of them decided to try things out again.

Jolyne was their flower girl, walking down the aisle barefoot while Holly helped her toss out the flowers.

The ceremony was short, though it was quite lovely. They married at a beach in New York, exchanging their rings in front of the ocean, something that both Jotaro and Kakyoin appreciated.

Jotaro scooping Jolyne up into his arms at the end, as the small family of three left the scene, headed to their reception, blissful smiles on their faces.

They were headed to Egypt on their honeymoon, deciding to spend two weeks revisiting the area where their lives changed for good – leaving little Jolyne with her grandmother in Japan (just in case.) They discussed whether or not it would be a bad idea, pushing the danger aside, in case it opened up any old wounds – if being there brought back any traumatic memories. It had been about 10 years since then, and they came to the conclusion that they could handle it.

After that, things were calm and back to normal. They returned to their home in Florida, purchasing a beautiful house that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, including an office for Jotaro, so he wouldn’t have to spend as much time in his cramped lab, and an art studio for Kakyoin, where he began his freelance work, becoming quite an asset for museums in central Florida. And of course, the home was big enough for their daughter to grow and explore.

They were on their feet finally after so many years of struggling to get it together. Jotaro hadn’t been traveling as much, and things were just rather peaceful.

Kakyoin felt at peace.

 

---

 

 

Kakyoin didn’t necessarily like being awake at 7 o’clock in the morning, every day, but with Jolyne being in the 1^st grade, and having steady work hours, putting his daughter on the bus became the start to his long day. 

Today wasn’t really different, but Jotaro had off today, and if there was one thing he was really skilled at – it was sleeping.

Kakyoin was much too tempted to return to bed with his husband, rather than to start off the day early. So he followed his gut and slipped underneath the covers, against his husband’s chest.

“Jolyne’s out?” He heard Jotaro mumble, burying his face into curly red hair.

“On the bus and she’s off.” Kakyoin yawned, wrapping his arms around his lover. “What time do you plan on waking up?”

Jotaro was silent, adjusting Kakyoin in his arms, getting cozy with him. “Maybe 12… or 1… no later than 2, though.”

That earned a laugh from his husband, who shook his head. “You’re 29 years old and you still sleep like you did in high school.”

“I work a lot, give me a break.”

“You’re wasting away the day. You’ll still be in your pajamas by the time Jolyne gets home from school – is that setting a good example for her?” He teased, “Once she becomes a teenager, she’ll be sleeping as much as you do and slacking off – all thanks to you.”

“Oh, relax. It’s no big deal. I’ll wake up by 12… but you’re not leaving me until then, you got it?”

Kakyoin rolled his eyes, pushing himself up to get a better view of his husband. “I don’t like taking orders.”

“Please?”

He laughed, pressing a kiss to Jotaro’s lips. “Fine… but you’re picking up Jolyne from the bus stop.”

“What if I have to talk to the other parents? They’re annoying… Yare yare…”

“Oh, get over yourself.” Kakyoin huffed, kissing Jotaro once more. “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

---

 

Kakyoin had this gut feeling that the years of married bliss would be coming to an end soon. Not that they’d begin feeling unhappy as a couple, or anything, but their careers were beginning to become a lot more serious. Jotaro was getting promoted to the top of his own job, and had been talking about returning to school in order to earn his Ph.D. Kakyoin was making it big for a freelance artist, the companies commissioning him were getting bigger and more important, offering him large quantities of money. 

They were adults now, so this was to be expected – but it was keeping them busy. Along with raising Jolyne, they hardly had any true alone time.

Each night, Jotaro and Kakyoin would lay on the couch together, after putting their daughter to bed. They’d watch TV for a while, have some idle talk and cuddle. Then, they’d head off to bed together and prepare for the next day.

Routines weren’t a bad thing, but once you were accustomed to them – they were hard to break out of.

In America, Jolyne was finally on her summer vacation, so Kakyoin spent a lot more time with her so they wouldn’t have to rely on a babysitter. Jotaro was still working, but he came home early, and he took a lot more days off, even though they were all on Kakyoin’s request.

It was comfortable, and Kakyoin felt significantly less stressed out than he usually did.

A particularly cool summer night, the small family of three was finishing up dinner, Jolyne, who was only 7 years old, getting up as she began to put their dishes away.

Jotaro stood up to do the same shortly after, teasing his daughter every so often, holding the plates way above her head, as she pounded her little fists into his leg. Kakyoin sat, watching as the two bonded through their chores, smiling all the while. Maybe he didn’t mention it to Jotaro all that often, but he felt so incredibly lucky that he was a part of this family.

He loved Jotaro and Jolyne more than he could put into words.

Eventually, Jotaro lifted Jolyne over his shoulder, sitting back down at the table with Kakyoin. He looked at his husband with a certain message in his eyes – they were going to have a serious talk, and he didn’t want Jolyne to be there to hear it.

“Jolyne, why don’t you go and get ready for your bath, alright?” Kakyoin hummed, watching as Jotaro lowered her back onto his lap, roughing up her hair before letting her go.

“Okay… I can stay up and watch Sailor Moon tonight, though, right?”

“Mmhmm – hurry up so you don’t miss it.”

Jolyne smiled, nodding her head to her parents as she zoomed down the hall and up the stairs to her bedroom.

Once she was out of sight, the two adults sat still, staring at each other in silence for a few moments. Kakyoin knew what was coming, but he wouldn’t pry it out of his husband.

“Noriaki…” Jotaro spoke, finally. “I have to go to Japan…”

“What for?”

“It’s… a family matter, actually.”

Kakyoin leaned forward, running his hand through his hair. “And…?”

“Uh… the old man… gramps… apparently had an illegitimate child a few years ago…” Jotaro explained, “He was writing up his will – found a name on the family register that nobody recognized… I’ve gotta go see what we’re dealing with.”

“In Japan?!”

“Your guess is as good as mine, babe…” He sighed, sinking into the chair. “With that said, gramps also mentioned that there’s kind of an evil stand user in his kid’s town, or something… I don’t know if Joseph Junior’s got powers like us, but I think it’d be best if I was around to check it out.”

“Let me and Jolyne go with you.”

“What? No… are you nuts? It’s dangerous.”

Kakyoin rolled his eyes, standing from the table as he went to make a jug of coffee. “You’re going to Japan, where you and I were born… and you expect me and your daughter who knows practically nothing about her own culture to stay here, while daddy’s off and away with your newly found family? Hell no, Jotaro.”

“…I mean, when you put it like that, you make it seem like I want to go and deal with this bullshit.”

“I know you don’t but… I want to go with you, and I want Jolyne to come, too. We can go as a family, and meet your grandfather’s bastard child together! And – I know you’ve got poor memory, but I have a stand, Jojo. One that works perfectly fine. One that I’ve had since I was a child that I know how to use without issue. We’ll be fine.”

Jotaro was quiet, watching as Kakyoin went to fetch two mugs for the both of them, gently placing them on the table. He sighed, rubbing his temples with his index fingers.

“Noriaki, I just want you to be safe.”

“If things get really out of hand, we’ll go visit our parents… I haven’t seen my mother and father in years – since we married… plus I think Holly deserves to see her beloved granddaughter, don’t you think?” Kakyoin smiled, taking the coffee jug and pouring each of them a glass. “You’re not going to Japan without us, and that’s final.”

Jotaro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re incredible…”

Kakyoin grabbed his mug, waltzing around Jotaro, his hand combing through dark hair, gently pulling his head back against him. He gently caressed his husband’s cheek, taking a sip of his warm drink.

“You worry so much.”

He huffed, tilting his head back further, looking up at his lover. “…If anything remotely suspicious happens, you two are going straight to mom’s…”

Kakyoin rolled his eyes, shoving Jotaro’s head forward again in a teasing manner. “Ahh, yare yare daze~” He mocked, “Whatever. Come watch some anime with me and Jolyne~ It’s the season finale – no new episodes until next year.” Kakyoin, frowned, eyeing Jotaro’s legs as he subtly brought out Hierophant Green, quietly slipping around his husband’s feet.

“You like… watched the entire goddamned series in Japanese already…”

“It’s a good show and it’s fun to rewatch.” He hummed, placing a kiss to Jotaro’s cheek before he left the room.

Jotaro grit his teeth, staring down at his own mug of coffee. He grasped the handle, taking a large gulp, feeling it burn his throat. He scooted his chair back, standing up, when he felt Hierophant’s tendrils tighten around his ankles, tripping him almost instantly, causing him to land hard on the floor.

“Fuck! I get it, your stand works fuckin’ fine!”

He heard Kakyoin cackle from the other room, followed by his daughter’s loud objection; “Daddy said a really bad word!”

 

---

 

“You guys are kinda weird together.”

Jotaro looked up, eyeing his relative carefully. “What do you mean?”

“…I mean, with all due respect – you’re just super serious all the time… and um… Noriaki? Yeah, Noriaki-san is lighter… he uh, smiles.”

Kakyoin was chuckling, finding Josuke’s naivety kind of humorous. He could tell he didn’t feel all that comfortable referring to them on a first name basis yet, despite them having been there for two weeks already, and he was simply still trying to process the situation as a whole.

The three of them seated outside by a park, a beach not too much further down, where Jolyne was running around freely in their sight. The location reminded Jotaro and Kakyoin of Florida quite a bit. It wasn’t necessarily a beach town, but Morioh’s ocean side location made them feel at home. Kakyoin quite enjoyed it – it felt like the perfect combination of his homes in both Japan and America. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever want to leave.

“Josuke…” Jotaro’s intimidating aura became increasingly more obvious.

“Sorry… I don’t mean it in a bad way or anything, I swear!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine – Jotaro and I just have quite a bit of history together… we’ve gone through a lot and the only way to go with him was forward…” Kakyoin laughed, casually reaching for Jotaro’s hand, stroking his husband’s wedding ring with his thumb. “We understand each other, is all.”

Josuke found himself blushing, scratching the back of his head with a nervous laugh. “Sorry if I came off as rude… All this shit goin’ around with my dad and all… it’s a lot to take in.”

“I’m sure it is.”

“Daddy!”

Jolyne’s voice got the attention of all three of them as they looked her way. Jolyne had numerous shells in her hand, dumping them onto the table her parents were sitting at.

“Daddy – um! There’s a weird looking sea creature in the water and I don’t know what it is…” Jolyne pouted, tugging on Jotaro’s coat. “I-I really wanna know what it is so…”

Jotaro gave a simple nod, bringing Kakyoin’s hand to his lips before letting go and joining his daughter on the beach. “Maybe daddy will find something good for his thesis.” He shrugged, taking Jolyne’s hand as the two wandered off.

“Jolyne takes after him a lot…”

Kakyoin was silent, watching the two as they walked down to the shore.

“Uh – sorry…”

Kakyoin blinked, looking up at Josuke, not even realizing that he was being spoken to.

“What? Oh – it’s fine. She does take after him… it’s cute.” He smiled, “She’s stubborn like him too… I love her dearly, but she’s going to be a difficult teenager to deal with when the time comes.” He chuckled.

“He’s protective, huh?”

“…Yeah…”

Josuke leaned forward on the table, burying his face in his hands. “I’m sorry if I’m getting invasive. I didn’t have like… a lot of family growing up so… I dunno, you guys are interesting. I wanna get to know you better.”

“I understand.” Kakyoin offered a smile, “I was pretty happy to hear about you! As odd as that sounds – Jotaro and I are both only children, and although Jotaro’s family is quite… eccentric, we don’t live near them so – any chance that we get to be with family, we take it…”

“I don’t mean to like, prod or anything… but living all the way in Florida does sound like it could get a bit lonely when all your family is out here in Japan.”

“It is.”

Josuke immediately shut his mouth, and silence grew between them, becoming increasingly more awkward by the second.

“Um.”

“I’m sorry, Josuke.”

“Naaahhh!!! It’s fine! If you uh… wanna vent or anything… we’re… family, right?” Josuke popped his head up, smiling at Kakyoin to lighten the tension. “Unless you don’t wanna. That’s fine too.”

Kakyoin looked at the young boy, his face stern, serious – probably intimidating poor Josuke.

“Jotaro travels a lot.” He admitted. “And I love him with all of my heart… I don’t want to be with anyone else… but it’s difficult. He almost didn’t let Jolyne and I come with him, but I put my foot down… I was just… sick of being left at home, yunno?”

Josuke’s expression softened, listening intently.

“I suppose I’ve got quite a bit of anxiety… I’ve been living in Florida since I was 22, and I still get homesick… only when he’s not there, though. And having Jolyne to take care of only added onto it, I panicked a lot… Jotaro could probably list the number of phone calls I’ve made to him crying.” Kakyoin chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “And… if you haven’t figured it out – Jolyne isn’t my child.”

He paused.

“I mean… she is. I’ve been her legal parent since I moved in – but she’s not my… she’s not my biological daughter, and it worries me that one day, she’ll wake up and realize this and simply stop thinking of me as her father.”

“Have you spoken to Jotaro about this?”

“Numerous times – but he’s… he’s stubborn.” Kakyoin chuckled, turning his attention back to the beach, looking out for husband and child. “Jolyne’s the same way. But with Jotaro leaving so often, she acts out a lot – and I simply don’t know how to handle it.”

“I’m… really in no place to give you any advice… but…” Josuke folded his arms over his chest, looking towards Jotaro and Jolyne as well. “You’ve been with Jolyne since she was a baby, so even if she does find out that Jotaro had her with another woman, you were the one who raised her, you were the one who’s always been there for her. If I were in her position, that’s how I’d feel, I think…”

Kakyoin nodded, seeing that his family was on their way back up to them.

“I mean, I grew up without my dad… so who am I to talk, really? I know you say that if Joseph had known, he’d have been there for me – but if I did have a second parent, even if they weren’t related to me by blood – I’d still see them as my family… the one who matters.”

A small smile spread across Kakyoin’s lips having listened to that. Maybe it was something he needed to hear, but it did give him a little more hope for his future with Jolyne.

“Papa! I found out what it was!” Jolyne exclaimed, running for Kakyoin’s lap.

“What was it?! Was it something new? Something daddy’s never ever seen before?!”

Jotaro scoffed, taking his seat back. “It was just an eel. We’ve got like, hundreds of those back at home, Jolyne.”

“I know – but this one looked weird! Like a dragon…”

Kakyoin chuckled, kissing his daughter on the top of the head.

“Uncle Josuke, do you wanna see it? I can show you!”

Josuke grinned, practically knocking his chair over as he stood up. “Yeah! Show me! Maybe it is a real dragon, and your dad’s just trying to keep it a secret.”

Jolyne giggled, taking Josuke’s sleeve in her fist. The two ran off, earning a smile from both of her parents.

Jotaro looked at Kakyoin, pulling him onto his lap.

“Looked like you guys were discussing something important.”

“…Just asking what he knew about the stands and what not.”

“Your eyes are kinda puffy…” Jotaro frowned, “Everything alright?”

“…Everything’s fine, love. You worry too much.” Kakyoin leaned in, kissing his husband softly on the lips. “…I love you.”

Jotaro smiled, pressing his lips against Kakyoin’s once more. “I love you too.”

 

---

 

 

Things eventually did get dangerous, and Kakyoin and Jolyne were sent to his and Jotaro’s home town. Kakyoin didn’t want to fight it, either. He knew Jotaro meant well, and he was simply thankful that he was able to spend so much time with him and his family. 

He only hoped that Jotaro would come back soon, and safe.

Returning to his parents’ home was quite surreal. His room was left completely intact, though he could tell that his mother had been keeping it clean, and neat. It looked as if he had never left, despite his numerous belongings missing – which made it feel a bit too bare for it to still be his room, but it didn’t look like he had been gone for 7 years.

His home was small, and his parents were still working. He felt suffocated, still, and with his parents being gone – it was still rather lonely.

By the third day of being in his home town, he paid Holly a visit with Jolyne and he felt overwhelmed with hospitality and family warmth.

He felt like he was in high school all over again, leaving his parents house to be with his boyfriend’s family instead.

Kakyoin’s mother was upset when he told her that he was going to be spending the rest of his stay in the guest room at the Kujo residence. He told her it was larger, and there was more space for Jolyne to run around, and that Jotaro would be back in no time so he’d rather be there for when his husband came back instead of having to move everything over once he did get there.

It was a small lie, but he couldn’t handle the amount of stress he felt just by being back at his parents’ house.

Jolyne said she didn’t remember being here as a baby, which wasn’t surprising to Kakyoin in the least, but she said she was happy to be in the places that her dads’ grew up.

As the week went on, his mother had been visiting the Kujo residence a bit more frequently too. It wasn’t anything new to his mother and his in-law, as they had quickly become friends after their sons did, and had tea together often. He was happy that his mother loved Jolyne as her grandchild, and that she treated her kindly, even attempting to remember her English, as she was fluent when Kakyoin was a child, but as she aged, her memory wasn’t as sharp as it had used to be.

Kakyoin was happy, even though he knew he’d be happier if Jotaro were there too. His husband was the only thing missing from his happiness.

At the end of the second week, Jotaro called with some progression.

“We think we know the identity of the killer – now all we have to do is corner him… if things go according to plan – I’ll be able to see you in just a few days.”

“…How solid is your plan?”

Jotaro was quiet on the other line.

“I don’t know, Noriaki.”

“…You’re one of the most powerful stand users in the world, Jotaro. Don’t let me down.”

“I’ll come home to you safe. I promise… tell Jolyne that I love her, and that I’ll see her soon.”

“I’m counting on you…”

“I love you, Noriaki Kujo – I mean that with all of my heart…”

“I love you too… stay safe.”

Jotaro had hung up, Kakyoin following suit. He sighed, placing the phone back down in the receiver, as he ran his hand through his hair. He was shaking, though only slightly, and he felt dizzy. He trusted Jotaro, but in a situation where he was against a stand user where he knew little to nothing about his abilities… it was frightening – and it hit way too close to home.

The last time they were battling a stand user who’s abilities were a mystery – it ended in the obliteration of Kakyoin’s midsection – the result of Kakyoin’s two month long coma… the reason for just about all of his physical suffering that he had been enduring since 1988.

Odds were that he wouldn’t catch a wink of sleep until Jotaro came home to him.

“Noriaki-kun~?”

Kakyoin froze, turning around as he locked eyes with Holly.

She smiled at him, approaching her son-in-law carefully. She could tell that he was nervous, and whatever he was talking about on the phone upset him. Now wasn’t the time to be embarrassed about it, not that he even had a reason to be – Holly was his family, after all.

Her smile was warm, and comforting. She took one of his hands into her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. Holly was well into her 50’s by now, but she hardly looked her age. That seemed to be a trait within the Joestar bloodline, as he remembered Joseph in 1988 (though, now in 1999 – his age had definitely caught up to him) and even Jotaro, almost 30 years old, still looked like he should be in college. Kakyoin was kind of envious – especially with his poor health, he wasn’t sure if he’d be as lucky as his husband to stay young forever.

She stroked his hand with her thumb, seeming unphased by whatever she had heard her son speaking about.

“Terribly sorry – I’ve always had a bad habit of eves dropping!” She giggled, cocking her head to the side. “You do look rather upset though, Noriaki. I’m your mom now too,  so – you don’t have to hide anything from me!”

“I-I appreciate that, Holly-san, but-“

“Mom.”

“…R-Right… But I’m not sure you’d understand… I just miss Jotaro a lot… that’s all…”

“My son’s put his life in danger for the safety of others, once again, I see…” She sighed, shaking her head. “He’s always been such a good boy, but now that he’s got a family of his own – I can see how that’d be troublesome.”

“…He’s got good intentions… I just want him to come home safe…”

“He will, Noriaki. I promise.”

Holly looked at him, a look of certainty in her eyes.

“He’s my son… while I may not know exactly what’s going on, and though I still don’t know what exactly you all did while you were in Egypt… I know he’s going to come back to you and Jolyne safe and sound… and you three can be on your way back to your normal lives.”

Kakyoin nodded, closing his eyes.

“It’s scary… I know…”

“It is – um… I’m sorry.” Kakyoin bit his lip, fighting back tears that wound up streaming down his face anyway. “I-I wanna help him but he wont let me… I worry about him so much because he puts himself in danger all the time… he never considers how him leaving so often messes me up… how Jolyne feels about it…”

Holly frowned, letting go of Kakyoin’s hand so she could grab a box of tissues not too far away. She removed his glasses for him, wiping his tears away.

“Jotaro’s never been all that good at expressing himself… You know that, don’t you?”

Kakyoin nodded, lip quivering still.

“Tell him this. Be firm… he’s stubborn… but he loves you and Jolyne so much – he doesn’t know how to show it, is all…” Holly offered a smile. “Be strong, Noriaki-kun! I know you’re a strong boy! It’s alright to be afraid, and to be upset – but don’t back down just because you’re afraid something wont work out in your favor. It’s all going to be alright.”

“Thank you… mom…”

 

---

 

“You wrote your entire fucking thesis while you were in Morioh…” 

“Surprise… I’m graduating with a Ph.D…”

Kakyoin chuckled, wrapping his arms around Jotaro as he pressed a kiss against his husband’s lips.

“That means you’re mine for good, right?”

“Right.”

The two embraced, hugging each other as tight as they could. Jotaro had brought Kakyion and Jolyne back to Morioh, for an extra night before they boarded their flight back to Florida – to say goodbye to their family and friends. To make sure that everyone knew that it wasn’t the last time that they’d all be seeing each other.

“Oi! For when I graduate high school, think you’d be up to letting a few kids crash at your place so they can visit Disney World?”

Jotaro turned his head, spotting Josuke, Okuyasu, Koichi, and little Jolyne perched on Josuke’s shoulders as they approached.

“Our house is big enough, Jotaro~” Kakyoin pointed out, grinning at his husband as he rolled his eyes.

“Please daddy! Uncle Josuke’s really cool!”

“I don’t see why not… as long as you three are quiet.”

The small group of teenagers expressed their success, exchanging high-fives with one another.

“I’m gonna take you up on that, Jotaro! I don’t forget! But… thanks!”

Josuke crouched on the ground, letting Jolyne back onto the ground.

“I hope you guys have a safe trip home… and uh… thank you… for everything.” Josuke smiled, “None of this would’ve been possible without you… and… I really dig that I can call you guys my family…”

A small smile spread to Jotaro’s lips, as he nodded. “Same to you, Josuke. We’ll keep in touch, okay?”

“Alright! And Noriaki! You’ve got one hell of a husband – I wish you guys the best!”

“Thank you, Josuke…”

Chapter Text

“Christ, she’s just like me.” 

Kakyoin closed his eyes, sitting in the passengers seat beside his husband. They didn’t know what to expect when Jolyne had told them that she was spending the night at her friend’s house, whom they had never met before, but the last thing they could’ve expected was a call from the police.

They were fairly laid back parents, making decisions for Jolyne that they figured were simple enough for her safety, and for the most part, she followed the rules that they gave her.

“Well, at least this wasn’t a call about her knocking out her teacher.”

They pulled up to a red light, allowing Jotaro to exhale a chuckle, as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Florida was quiet at night, and though the stress of picking up their daughter from the police station was still present, the drive was a pleasant one. The roads were a bit wet from a prior rainfall, but the way the lights illuminated their small town made the two of them rather relaxed.

There was nobody else on the road, as Jotaro hit the gas and they continued on their way.

“True… though I wonder what compelled her to do this… robbing a 7/11? I mean… not for nothing, but we’re loaded, Noriaki, We could own a 7/11.”

“I don’t know. I hope this mystery friend is there though. She’s been acting up ever since she started hanging out with him…”

Jotaro shrugged, and though they were both silent as the car drove on, they both knew that wasn’t entirely true. Jolyne had always been quite stubborn, and rebellious. They never really knew exactly why, as the Kujo’s were a fairly normal family. Kakyoin was often home, and Jotaro had somewhat put a stop to his extended business trips. They lived in a rather large house, had dozens of fish, a cat. The small family of 3 would even visit their family in Japan every other year, and often spent the holidays in New York, with Jotaro’s grandfather. Jolyne was loved unconditionally by the both of her parents, and may have been a bit spoiled, thanks to Kakyoin’s natural parenting abilities.

Yet, here they were, approaching the police station in their relatively quiet, ocean side town, at 1:45 in the morning. Their 16 year old daughter had been arrested on account of robbing a 7/11 of beer, which they didn’t even know she drank, and something about vandalism too. The call was abrupt, and woke them up from a peaceful slumber, after an hour or so of intimacy, and forced them both to go out in their pajamas to pick up their delinquent daughter.

Truthfully, Jolyne had been showing this kind of behavior since she was rather young, but most of the time it was self defense, from bullies at school and what not. As if having a 6’4”, brawny, angry looking marine biologist father wasn’t threatening enough, Jolyne was pretty strong, and often beat the crap out of anybody who would look at her the wrong way. And of course, whenever Kakyoin would pick her up from school after being suspended, he’d pat her on the head and say “I’m proud of you for sticking up for yourself.” And Jotaro would show her his support when she got home. But for those reasons, Jotaro and Kakyoin weren’t ever worried, and supported her when she needed it.

But the kind of attitude she put on unfortunately attracted the wrong crowd, whereas Jotaro and Kakyoin figured it would just scare people away, it brought about people who probably weren’t a great influence to her.

They didn’t quite know anything about Romeo, which should’ve been a red flag. Yet their faith in Jolyne was strong, and they hadn’t questioned much about this mysterious new boy in town.

Kakyoin and Jotaro stepped out of their car, and Jotaro put on his ‘stern father’ face. Seeing Jolyne handcuffed with 3 or 4 other teenagers was almost comical to him, but the severity of the situation helped him contain himself.

“Care to explain?” He asked, sitting across from the small group. He wasn’t all that concerned about what was going to happen to them, but scaring the shit out of these teenagers was definitely something he was aiming to do. Kakyoin stood behind him, his hand on his husband’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze.

“…Well, Romeo…”

Jolyne was cut off by Romeo, who seemed eager to take the hit. “I was throwing a party – we ran outta beer… and money… so…”

“God, that’s such bullshit.” Jotaro scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Romeo blinked, unsure of how to respond. “I guess?”

As if Romeo didn’t know that the Kujo family was one of the wealthiest families in the town. Jolyne sunk in her chair, avoiding her father’s piercing stare.

“Well like, you guys get my debit card history every month, so you’d know.”

“Jolyne…” Kakyoin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. That wasn’t untrue, but they were hardly interested in what their teenaged daughter was buying. They checked for her allowance, which was now going to be cut.

“I’m sorry Mr. Kujo… I made her do it, it was a bet.”

“A bet with no money…? Also, that’s Dr. Kujo to you.”

“Uh.”

“I’ve had enough… Alright. Jolyne, let’s go.” Jotaro stood up, never looking away from the young Romeo. “If I ever see your face again, I’m going to make you wish you hadn’t – if I ever hear that you’ve gotten my daughter into trouble again, I’ll probably break your arm. Got it?”

“Y-Yes sir…”

“Nice meeting you, Romeo~” Kakyoin hummed, wrapping his arm around the small of Jolyne’s back, hugging her close to him.

As soon as they got in the car, Jotaro adjusted his rearview mirror in order to get a better look at his daughter. He shook his head, and began driving. Jolyne avoided the eyes of her parents at all costs, keeping her gaze focused on her knees, her hands tightly folded in her lap. She knew that she had fucked up immensely, and that she was going to soil her parents’ good reputation. There were more than enough people at that party to begin rumors at her school, and life as she knew it for the most part was over. She wanted to be grounded, and not be allowed to leave her room, and do chores all day. She deserved it.

Or maybe it was simply the ominous silence of her parents that made her feel this way. This made the ride long, and awkward – she didn’t even think that they lived all that far from the police station, but after sitting in that painfully quiet car made it feel like they were hours away.

Once they pulled into the garage, and stepped foot into their home, Kakyoin almost immediately went for a bottle of wine, and Jotaro stood in front of the kitchen counter with his arms folded over his chest. Jolyne didn’t really know where to position herself, and stood awkwardly against the frame leading to the dining room.

“Um.”

Jotaro didn’t budge, and Kakyoin took a seat on a stool near the counter, taking slow, and concentrated sips of his wine.

“It’s late so… I’m-“

“We’re gonna talk about a punishment for you. Since this is your first offense, and since you come from a family of troublemakers… it was going to happen eventually… I dunno, maybe you don’t have to worry all that much. We’ll talk about it.”

Jolyne looked at her father, whose gaze was still fixated on the floor, though he spoke as if he already had something in mind.

“Jolyne, if you ever, ever do anything as stupid as that again, your allowance is getting pulled completely, and you’ll need a reason to steal.”

“Yes dad.”

Jolyne looked up to her other father, who hadn’t said a word since they walked in, not sure what she was expecting him to say. But eventually he looked up at her, his cheeks a bit red, and he smiled.

“Goodnight dear, see you in the morning.”

With that, Jolyne nodded and gave each of her fathers a kiss on the cheek, before she made her way down the hall and to the stairwell, far enough to just barely hear her tipsy, bespectacled father laugh out loud, and say “We’ll have to laminate this and put it in the binder with all of your criminal records.”

To which Jotaro replied with a “Shut up.”

Jolyne couldn’t help but grin, and so she jogged up the stairs and into her room.

---

 

Jolyne was acting as well behaved as she could’ve, though with a number of school suspensions, a few threats of expulsion, and staying out past her new curfew, it was beginning to grate on her parents nerves quite a bit. Sometimes she’d come home bloodied, and bruised, other times with a note she’d show to Kakyoin and not Jotaro, (though he’d find out about it anyway) and there were times where she simply wouldn’t come home at all, leaving Kakyoin worried sick. 

Kakyoin was essentially in charge of the Asian Arts department at the museum he worked at, so his hours were fairly laid back. He had liked keeping it that way, so he could spend time at home on his freelance work, and be home for Jolyne. He’d been doing this since she was little, and with Jotaro traveling so often, for a while, he was often the only one home.

It wasn’t like he didn’t expect his daughter to have a social life, as outgoing and beautiful as she was, he expected the opposite, and was correct on her blossoming popularity in high school. He knew that she was a growing teenaged girl, and she wasn’t going to be as clingy to him as she got older.

But this behavior seemed a bit extreme, what with how she was raised and all, and it made Kakyoin become easily distressed. He couldn’t figure out why she was acting this way, and he was beginning to blame it on his parenting skills.

Time and time again, Jolyne would disobey her parents, and each time, she’d bring things up a notch. Last year, she began attending parties, and coming home drunk, and this year she was arrested. The first few years it was just a few altercations at school, but as she got older, she’d rebel more, and her punishments would be more severe.

Her punishment this time around was an allowance cut, and a stricter curfew. Though Kakyoin thought that even that was a bit laid back considering she had just been arrested. She couldn’t go out on weekdays, and on weekends, she had to be in by 10PM, otherwise Jotaro was going to pick her up himself, and embarrass the hell out of her – and if she wasn’t where she said she would be, they’d call the police.

They didn’t expect it to come to that, of course, but they needed to drill this into her head. That her parents had lived and seen the life of a delinquent, and that a life of delinquency wasn’t something that she wanted.  

Kakyoin hated disciplining his daughter more than anything, but it was unavoidable as a parent. He was beginning to think that she was acting this way out of resentment for her upbringing. Kakyoin was too attached to her, and wanted to keep her as close to him as possible. He simply wanted to be a good father, and make sure that she felt loved and wanted in her own home.

They didn’t let her know when her punishment would be over, so as the days went on, when she originally sucked up to her parents as much as she could, it was obvious that she was getting sick of it.

Her mood would get more and more sour, and she wouldn’t even greet Kakyoin after she came home anymore. His confidence as a father and self esteem was dropping fast, and seeing how she’d simply ignore him in favor of trying to explain what she was upset about was stressing him out.

They had such a strong relationship, ever since she was an infant – and fatherhood was tearing everything apart.

He hesitated knocking on her door, after she got home, but tried to convince himself that it was ridiculous for him to be afraid of speaking to his own daughter.

“Jojo, may I come in?” He called out to her, waiting a few moments before he reached for the doorknob, only for Jolyne to yank it open before him.

“You need something?”

Kakyoin sighed, and offered her a smile, before nodding and letting himself into her bedroom. She had her computer tossed on her bed, and her television on, playing some repeats of One Piece, something they had watched together when she was younger.

He took a seat by her desk, while she reclaimed her spot on the bed, closing her laptop to give her father her full attention.

“Dad’s not gonna be home till later, so I was wondering if you wanted takeout tonight… firstly. I’m not feeling all that great tonight, otherwise, I’d cook…”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Jolyne answered with a straight face, her attention drifting back to her television, as she was clearly bored with the conversation already.

Kakyoin wasn’t trying to bluff, but it was something he tended to do out of sheer nervousness.

He paused for a while, before looking up at Jolyne, and looking her in the eye. “I know you’re upset about your punishment… and I guess…” He exhaled, “I just want to know what’s going on. I’ve always been really open with you, and I want you to grow up in a happy and healthy family… I don’t want you to be afraid to talk to me.”

He was being as sincere as he possibly could, folding his hands in his lap as he looked at his daughter. She was frowning a bit, her expression almost identical from Jotaro’s usual stoic appearance, and it tugged at his heart. He wasn’t sure how to get through to her, these days. While Jotaro wasn’t all that great at expressing his feelings through words, he made up in actions. Jolyne was essentially the opposite, so when she didn't want to speak, Kakyoin was at a loss.

“The school write ups… the crimes. Jolyne, it just worries me a lot…”

“I don’t want to live up to the reputation you and dad have. That’s all.”

“…What?”

“You’re some pseudo-famous free lance painter, and dad’s a world renowned marine biologist. I’m the privileged daughter of a rich, gay couple, and people at school treat me like it and I hate it!” She clenched her fists, “Oh, Jolyne, Dr. Kujo is so brilliant, I’ve read all of his research papers! Why aren’t your grades that high? Ah, Jolyne – Mr. Kujo is so talented and does so much for the art community in town – why don’t you contribute a little bit more? Hey – Jolyne, do your parents want you to be a lesbian? Or do they prefer you like men because they’re both men. It’s irritating, dad!”

Kakyoin blinked as she rambled, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He had known that Jolyne was teased at school a lot, but he never heard anything about her teachers and peers having high expectations of her. Even he and Jotaro didn’t push her towards anything they knew she didn’t want – they let her choose her own path. And Kakyoin was never told of the blatant homophobia she had been experiencing also, considering Jotaro had beaten the shit out of anybody who said something that rubbed him the wrong way, and Kakyoin wouldn’t be merciful either if it really grated on him.

“And no, you and dad don’t talk to me like that, but I always go with you guys to your art shows, and dad’s science fairs and shit, and I always feel like I’m supposed to get dressed up and keep my mouth shut and look like the kind, respectable heir to the Joestar fortune, or something… I feel so pressured, and I don’t wanna deal with it anymore.”

She had tears forming at the corners of her eyes now.

“So, I finally make some friends who don’t treat me like I’m some rich piece of meat, and I get caught, and grounded so I can’t see them anymore – and now they’re thinking that everyone else was right! I am just the innocent rich kid from the well respected Kujo household. I wanna be my own person! I don’t wanna live in your shadows!”

“Jolyne…”

“That’s it! There. Now, can I just do my damn homework? It’s the only thing I can do.”

He knew that normally, Jolyne wouldn’t speak that way to him. She was upset, and he felt as if it was with good reason. Of course, he didn’t think that it excused her recent antics, or the language that she was using to her parent, but what she was expressing were simply her feelings.

Jotaro had come from a wealthy, well respected family, and was very much a delinquent throughout most of his teenage years. But he and Jolyne were completely different people, and had to find a way to cope with their upbringings differently, no matter how similar they were.

Kakyoin even felt bad for constantly comparing the two but he couldn’t really control himself.

He gave one last glance at Jolyne, before nodding his head.

“I’ll call you when our food arrives.”

---

 

“She’s angry at us." 

“She’s 16 and just got arrested. Of course she’s gonna be mad at us, Noriaki.”

“No, it’s not just that… she’s resentful.”

Jotaro blinked, finally shutting his laptop to look at his husband, curled up on a loveseat across the room.

“What do you mean, resentful.”

“She feels like we’ve set her up for too many expectations.”

Jotaro seemed dumbstruck, placing his computer on a coffee table before he turned to face Kakyoin. This was the first time he was hearing of such feelings out of his daughter; she never really complained about her parents and how she was raised all that much – at least not to their faces.

“…We tell her like, every damn day that we don’t expect her to follow in either of our footsteps. She’s already got inheritance lined up for her, so it’s not like we even have to be worried.”

“Apparently, she’s seen as the rich kid of the intelligent, respected gay couple in town.”

“Fuckin’ really?”

Kakyoin shrugged, sinking even further into his spot on the couch. “That’s what she told me.”

“What can we do? …We bring it up to the school, the fuckin’ American School system doesn’t give a shit if the parents complain. They’ll tell us what we wanna hear, put a stop to it for a few months, and then it’ll be like we never even said anything. Jolyne’s a strong kid – she knows how to stick up for herself.”

Kakyoin could only nod in agreement. Jolyne was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for.

But Kakyoin didn’t want to take anything she told him lightly. Throughout his own childhood, time and time again, his feelings and concerns were always ignored by his parents. He was often told to simply stick it out, ignore his bullies, and how awful his teachers were to him when they wanted to get him out of his shell. He knew what it was like to be ignored just for the image of his family – and he wasn’t going to let Jolyne suffer the same.

Only if she’d let him help.

“I know… she takes after you a lot. But she isn’t you, Jotaro.”

Jotaro cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

There was a pause, and Kakyoin averted his gaze.

He stared at the floor, his voice hardly above a whisper. “…Do you think we embarrass her?”

“What?”

A frown tugged at Kakyoin’s lips, “Do you think she finds us embarrassing…? Does she find me embarrassing?” His voice became quieter. “I-I don’t know… I just think that she doesn’t like me… she’s realized that you’re the one who’s actually related to her by blood – that I don’t have any business telling her what to do…”

Jotaro sighed.

It had been a while, but this was a fear that plagued Kakyoin since his early 20s. He would swear with all his heart that Jolyne simply didn’t love him or view him as her father. They didn’t argue all that much, but when they did, Jolyne would give him the cold shoulder for a few days until Jotaro finally calmed her down. Though, Jotaro and Jolyne hardly spoke to one another as it was – Jotaro was never one for words, so actually communicating with his daughter was a task.

They’d often go months, years, without those types of arguments though – and everything would be peaceful within their small family.

But once something actually did come up, it would be hard to convince Kakyoin otherwise. The anxiety that he suffered from he was mostly quiet about, which often worried Jotaro. However, once he had any doubts on his mind, he’d dwell on it for a while.

“Nori. You know that she loves you. Hell, she feels way more comfortable around you than she does me.” Jotaro stood up, making his way to the loveseat that his husband was curled up on. He pulled Kakyoin close to him, lifting him up slightly so his legs were over Jotaro’s lap. “She’s 16. 16 year olds are moody as hell.”

A chuckle left Kakyoin’s lips, as he laid his head against Jotaro’s shoulder. “That’s true…”

Jotaro shifted around a bit on the couch, resting his hand on Kakyoin’s thigh. He was quiet for a moment, pressing a kiss to the top of his husband’s head. He took a deep breath, before he reached for Kakyoin’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “You were 16 when we met.”

“…You mean when I was brainwashed and you beat the living shit out of me?” Kakyoin playfully rolled his eyes, shifting so he could get a better look at Jotaro, feeling his husband’s lips against his hand.

Jotaro sighed, “That was necessary and you know it. How was I supposed to know you had a bug embedded in your brain?”

Kakyoin was smiling as he remembered those times. It was so long ago, but many of the memories were still fresh. Though their time in Egypt was full of anxiety and pain, many of the memories were fond ones. After he had gotten the flesh bud removed from his skull, of course.

“You were 16 when we fell for each other.”

A blush spread across Kakyoin’s cheeks. “Yeah? I guess I was.”

“I’m just sayin’. We were pretty moody and shit when we were 16 and 17.” Jotaro released his hand, in order to give Kakyoin’s thigh a squeeze, pressing his face into red hair. “Jolyne’s gonna act out. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.”

“I know, I just… I worry.”

Jotaro leaned down, pressing a kiss to Kakyoin’s cheek. “Yeah, I know. C’mon, let me take your mind off of things, alright?”

Jotaro adjusted both of their bodies, laying Kakyoin flat on the couch. For two men nearing their late 30s, they still had a rather active, and shameless sex life. Jotaro had little to no issue initiating some intimacy when he felt it was necessary, and Kakyoin never failed to become seduced by Jotaro’s attempts. For being together for over 20 years, Kakyoin could never deny that he was still head over heels for his husband.

He let his thoughts get whisked away by Jotaro’s actions, feeling his lips against his collarbone, and his hand sneaking underneath his shirt.

Kakyoin grimaced, an uncomfortable tightness had been present in his abdomen for quite a while, and now that Jotaro had been touching him, it was becoming harder to ignore. Though he didn’t stop Jotaro, and instead encouraged the affection.

He kissed Jotaro with no intention of telling him to stop. He let his hands comb through his thick black hair, and he felt Jotaro smile against his lips.

Jotaro’s hands explored Kakyoin’s stomach, and chest, his breath hitching, as he shivered with excitement. They didn’t seem to care that they were in the living room, and the idea of Jolyne walking in on them hardly phased Jotaro as he began to push up Kakyoin’s sweatshirt, attempting to get it over his head.

Kakyoin jerked slightly feeling a sharp pain in his lower belly, clutching onto Jotaro’s biceps, halting him in his tracks.

“W-Wait… stop.”

Kakyoin pushed himself up slightly, and Jotaro moved off of him to allow the movement. Kakyoin’s hand was pressed against his lower abdomen, and he had his eyebrows knit together.

“What’s up? Something wrong?”

Kakyoin nodded his head as he sat up completely, lifting his shirt to expose his stomach. “Sorry, I just feel really uncomfortable all of a sudden… I just felt a rather sharp pain.”

Jotaro sat still for a moment, eyes focusing on the scar that was slightly exposed with the raised fabric of Kakyoin’s shirt.

“…Is it anywhere you’ve had surgery before?"

“I-I guess. I mean… it’s still kind of throbbing but… it doesn't… really hurt. Not anymore.”

“Should I call up your doctors? Last time this happened, you had to be hospitalized for like, two weeks. I don’t want to take that chance again, Noriaki.”

“No, no. I’m fine, honestly!” Kakyoin waved his hand at Jotaro, tugging his shirt back down. “It was probably just overly sensitive due to the stress I’ve been under! It always acts up when I’m upset.”

Jotaro seemed unconvinced.

“If I’m still feeling anything in the morning, I’ll call up my doctor. I promise.” Kakyoin leaned in, pressing his lips to Jotaro’s cheek. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m up for sex tonight. Let’s just go to bed, alright?”

“If you’re in pain – I’ll know. And I’m taking you to the doctor the moment I catch it."

“I’m fine. C’mon.”

Kakyoin smiled, stretching himself out as he stood up from the couch. As he lifted his arms, he felt the pain return, though it was nowhere near as painful as it had been the first time. Jotaro was watching Kakyoin carefully, and it was only natural.

He had almost lost Kakyoin back when they were only teenagers, so it only made sense for Jotaro to be so concerned about his husband’s health.

Back in Egypt, Kakyoin had a good chunk of his digestive system destroyed – and his doctors had no idea if he was going to pull through or not. The months of Kakyoin’s hospitalization, and his recovery afterwards, were stressful, and it was the most distraught Kakyoin had ever seen Jotaro. Kakyoin didn’t understand how he survived either – he hardly understood how he was able to walk, though with the Speedwagon Foundation’s advanced medical technology – he didn’t really bother questioning it.

When they were teenagers, Jotaro was hardly conscious of it, but he waited on Kakyoin day and night. And Kakyoin was appreciative of it – but Kakyoin just felt so damn guilty when Jotaro doted on him at all times, and dropped everything he had to do in order to take care of him. Kakyoin wasn’t about to ignore his problems for the sake of Jotaro’s career, but he wanted to believe that he could handle these issues on his own.

Even if he didn’t exactly want to.

“I’m not going to risk losing you.” Jotaro broke the silence.

“You aren’t going to lose me.”

---

 

“Jolyne, I got a call from your school." 

Jolyne popped her head into the dining room, finding her father surrounded by piles of painting supplies.

She had come home, unexpectedly greeted by Kakyoin, whom she figured would’ve been at work. She wasn’t disappointed to find her father splayed out in the living room when she walked in, but this was the first time in a while he had stayed home from work without having told her about it. He only did this when he wasn’t feeling well.

Jolyne was beginning to put two and two together.

“What’d they say?”

“Your grades are a lot better. They’re gonna take you off of academic probation.”

Jolyne flashed a smile at her father, waltzing into the dining room to plant a kiss on his cheek.

“Sooo, is this going to cut down on my punishment time~?”

“I’ll talk to dad about it.” Kakyoin hummed, “You’ve been real good, though – so I’m sure he wont have any issues with it.”

“Thanks, daddy.” Jolyne perked up a bit. Looking at her father, she stepped closer to him. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask earlier, but did you stay home from work?”

Kakyoin set down his paintbrush.

“I wasn’t feeling well.”

“…Like… common cold? Or …”

Kakyoin found himself sighing. The pain hadn’t subsided like he thought it would’ve, and he had been feeling it for a few days. After waking up this morning, and being unable to hold any food or drink down, he knew it would simply be best to call out of work and work on his projects at home.

Jolyne was worried, and it was clear in her eyes. She sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Dad says that if you’re in pain, you need to go see a doctor.”

“…” Kakyoin slumped back in his seat, wrapping an arm around Jolyne’s waist.

He had been sitting in this chair for hours, attempting to work on his freelance projects, though the pain made it so he was unable to concentrate at all. He had hardly gotten anything done.

“I’m not in that much pain. I just need to maybe take an extra dose of my medication… it’ll go away.”

“…You’re on some pretty strong stuff, though. Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

“I’ve been taking it for years – I think I know my limits.”

Jolyne wasn’t swayed, though her father was stubborn. Arguing wasn’t good for either of them right now, and she wasn’t going to push him any further.

“…Don’t do that unless dad’s home. That’s all I ask.”

“Of course, dear.” Kakyoin knew that she was probably right about taking more than what he’s been prescribed, but he was beginning to feel desperate.

---

 

Only a few days had passed by the next time Jolyne had wanted to know about her punishment. But the air in the Kujo household was beginning to grow tense. Kakyoin was home for the fourth day in a row, and showed no signs of improvement. 

Jolyne had walked in to find him curled up on the couch, shivering uncontrollably despite the weather conditions not being all that bad in Florida. The house wasn’t particularly cold, and he had a number of blankets dropped over him.

Asking him how he was feeling was useless, as he kept insisting that he was fine. There wasn’t anything wrong. It was just a cold. Though Jolyne had been hearing him vomit after every meal that their family shared.

Jolyne was so worried and yet she was clueless as to what she could do to help.

“Dad…”

Kakyoin didn’t budge, though he gently waved his hand to her.

“Sorry, dear. I’ve been sick like this all day.” His voice was quiet, and his speech seemed a bit slurred. She could only guess that all the medication he was taking was making him a bit unfocused and out of it.

“How was school?”

Jolyne sat with him, if only to keep him company in his time of illness.

Seeing him like this was upsetting, but later on in the day, Kakyoin had successfully gotten himself out of bed without being doubled over in pain. Jolyne and Jotaro were both a bit skeptical, considering he seemed to suddenly feel fine out of nowhere. They figured, maybe after days, the medication had finally kicked in, and he was going to be back to his old self.

Jotaro made sure he was cautious and kept out of work until he was back to his one hundred percent. He might’ve been housebound for a while, but he was definitely being more active than he had been originally. 

He was getting his work done, using the time off he had, and the color in his face was beginning to return. Jotaro wasn’t staying late at work for the time being, and though Jolyne was doing much better in school, both of her parents hadn’t said a word about her being punished.

Since things were getting better, she was beginning to get anxious. She never enjoyed being housebound, and knowing that there was a life for her out there, waiting for her, it was driving her mad.

And she knew it wasn’t the greatest idea to pester her parents about it again.

But her father was hardly able to form a coherent thought with the medication he was on, and so it made it easier for her to ask things of him.

He sat on the floor in their living room, going through magazines for inspiration. He often did this when he was bored, and she could tell that he was beginning to feel restless from being at home all the time.

Carefully, she stepped behind him, taking a seat on the couch. He was looking for reference photos or something, though he had the television on for background noise. She leaned over, watching him for a short while, before he took a short break and rested against the cushions. He tilted his head up, gaze meeting his daughter’s.

“Is there something you need?”

He had too much experience reading facial expressions.

“Maybe I just wanted to watch my dearest father work his creative mind.”

Kakyoin scoffed, rolling his eyes slightly as he looked back down towards all of the scattered magazines on the floor. “I hardly call this work…” He sat up straight, “Seriously, what’s up? If this is about you being punished, it’s out of my hands for now.”

“Okay, but dad…” Jolyne sighed, sliding on the floor next to him. “Daddy wont listen to anything I have to say. He’s stubborn. But you, you like hearing me out, don't’ you?”

Kakyoin cocked an eyebrow, “Jolyne. You got yourself arrested. Being grounded for two weeks is hardly what you probably deserve.”

“Really?! It’s not fair. I make one mistake-“

“Arrested, Jolyne. It was the last straw.” Kakyoin sighed, “You’ve been suspended from school, practically expelled a couple of times. You’ve been escorted home by police. Your grades have been slipping. This isn’t just one mistake. And if we let you off the hook easy, then we’ve already failed as parents.”

“You’re failing as parents by keeping me locked up!”

“Please, you live in central Florida for christ’s sake. As the daughter of the, and I quote, “rich gay couple,” you being “locked up” at home can hardly be considered harsh. We cut your allowance, and you have to be home by 10pm every weekend for a month. You get to keep your cellphone, your computer, you can see friends on the weekend as long as you get home by a reasonable time.” Kakyoin grit his teeth, “You got arrested, and we are not punishing you as badly as you think we are.”

“Easy for you to say!”

“Really? If I got arrested, my own parents might’ve disowned me.”

Jolyne practically flung herself back on the couch, folding her arms over her chest.

“Jolyne, it’s only for a month. Originally it was going to be for two, but we saw how good you’ve been, so we cut it. We just don’t want to regret making that decision.”

“You and dad are unbelievable. You never listen to a damn thing I have to say!”

“Do not use that language with me.”

“Oh, come on. You’re acting like you’re making such a big life changing decision for me, but what kind of life am I going to live if I can’t make a mistake once in a while? I bet you dad doesn’t even care! Dad has no fuckin’ idea how to raise me, and you always tell him what he should be doing as my father and he just listens to you! But you’re so stuck up, sometimes!”

“Jolyne.”

“I’m your only child! It’s not like you have more experience with raising me than dad does! Yet he doesn’t do shit.”

Jolyne was getting louder with each sentence, and Kakyoin could feel the situation getting out of hand fast. It pained him to do so, but he stood up, and turned to face her. She was red, and there were tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Of course he wanted to give into what she was asking for, but when it came down to it, it wasn’t the responsible thing to do. She didn’t see getting arrested as a serious offense, but it wasn’t going to erase itself from her criminal record; and she didn’t understand that.

“We’re not doing this because we enjoy doing it, Jolyne.”

“You’re doing it because you think it’s right or whatever. But it’s not doing me any good!”

“We can’t afford to have you make the same mistake, Jolyne!”

“Why the hell do you even fucking care so much?! It’s my future! It’s not yours! But – oh, wait. Sorry, that’s right, I make you and dad look bad. Can’t fuck up the pure Kujo household name, right?! I have to be your good daughter, so you can show me off to all of your friends!”

“You’re my daughter, why the hell wouldn’t I care about your future?!”

“Oh, cut that crap. You’re not even my real dad, you have no reason to care!”

Kakyoin stopped, his eyes burning as he stared at Jolyne with a dead gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t find the proper words to respond. His voice became quieter, and he could practically feel his teeth breaking from how hard he was grinding them.

He hadn’t expected those words to ever leave Jolyne’s mouth.

He knew that she was smart, that she was eventually going to find out about Kakyoin being her adoptive father, but he hadn’t predicted that conversation ever happening like this.

The words felt like a knife had been twisting around in his stomach. He felt physically ill. His eyes burned, his mouth was dry.

“…What did you say?” Was all he managed to choke out, his entire body had begun shaking.

Jolyne scowled at him, standing up from the couch, practically equal in height to Kakyoin. He wondered if she could see the hurt in his eyes, if she could feel just how fast he was falling apart.

“I’m not fucking stupid. I know the only reason I was even born was ‘cause dad knocked up some girl in college. I know you only agreed to take care of me because you were head over heels in love with him – I bet you would’ve hated me if dad’s girlfriend never left us!”

“Jolyne Kujo, how dare you…”

“You know I’m right! You act like I don't remember all the times I walked in on you crying because you didn’t know how to take care of me without dad around! You’re even struggling now! Oh, Jolyne’s being such a brat right now, huh? All over being grounded! She’s so ungrateful!”

He had his hands balled into fists, and he found himself unable to look his daughter in the eye. His vision was cloudy, and the small sound of his tears dripping on hard wood floors was the only sound he could get himself to focus on.

“You’re not my real dad so why do you step all over me all the fucking time?!”

“Jolyne, that’s enough."

Both Jolyne and Kakyoin turned their heads at the sound of Jotaro’s voice, startled to find him stomp up the stairs into their living room.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing these words from my own goddamned daughter. It’s one thing if you’re frustrated at us, but you are way out of line.”

“Dad-“

Jotaro’s voice was stern, and he towered over the both of them.

“If we’re going to discuss these things, we’re not going to fight about it. I’m disgusted right now – I’ll deal with you when I can think of the proper words to say.” He grit his teeth. “Just – go…”

“I didn’t-“

“Now.”

As Jotaro’s stare burned through her, he could tell that she had finally realized what she said to Kakyoin. He saw the hurt, and regret in her eyes, though she didn’t apologize, and instead, stormed down the hall into her bedroom. 

“Noriaki…”

He was having a hard time snapping out of it. Her words echoed through his head, replaying over and over again as if to torture him more and more. He stared at the floor, fingers gripping at the hem of his shirt as he tried to bring his attention to Jotaro. Before he knew it, his husband was leading him into their bedroom, and he was seated on the bed, pulled into Jotaro’s arms for comfort.

“Nori.” His voice was quiet, in an attempt to not startle him. “She didn’t mean it.”

“How does she know?”

“I don’t know. She’s never asked.”

“She doesn’t think I love her – because I’m not her real father.”

“You are her real father.”

Kakyoin closed his eyes, shaking his head in protest. “I just want to lay down. Please let me lay down…”

Jotaro complied without hesitation, assisting his husband further onto the bed. “Noriaki, I love you.” He spoke, leaning down to press a number of kisses on Kakyoin’s cheeks. “You’re the best husband I could’ve ever asked for. Jolyne loves you too – you’re a fantastic father, and she knows it. I’ll talk to her, alright? We’ll figure this out.”

Kakyoin bit his lip, nodding his head ever so slightly.

“I’ll come back in a little while.”

The door closed shut and he felt all of the terrible thoughts returning quickly. Laying alone and in the dark, he could only bury himself within the blankets, clutching onto Jotaro’s pillow for comfort.

He felt fucking awful, though awful was hardly a word that could truly describe it. He found himself curled into a ball, vertigo keeping him from making even the smallest motion.

Jolyne was bound to learn about her mother eventually, and he and Jotaro weren’t intentionally keeping the information from her. They felt that if she was told that the woman who gave birth to her ran out on them years ago, she’d have felt unwanted, and distant from her parents. They wanted her to feel loved, and supported. It was never their intention to hurt her.

Kakyoin loved her and took her in with open arms since day one, though the fears of her treating him as anybody but her father haunted him since a very early age. He wanted to love her openly, though he knew she would find out somehow.

He just didn’t want it to be like this.

Tears began streaming down his face, but each sob he made only made his body feel worse. His stomach felt like it was on fire, and it was as if the medication he thought had been working was failing him after all.

Kakyoin wasn’t destined for a happy ending – he should’ve died back in Egypt. He shouldn’t have stepped in and invaded Jotaro’s family due to his undying love for him. He wasn’t made to support a family. He wasn’t supposed to be part of any of this.

An intense wave of nausea sprang over him, and he found himself dropping to the floor, scattering to get himself up and into their bathroom. Of course, Jotaro had to walk in at that exact moment, witnessing Kakyoin shove past him and to the toilet.

“Noriaki!”

Kakyoin was heaving into the toilet, letting the contents of his stomach spill. He gasped for air, finding himself unable to calm down enough to breathe properly. Jotaro knelt by his side, rubbing his back in soothing circles.

“Jesus… let me clean you up-“

“Jojo – don’t. Please, just don’t touch me. I’m – I feel so sick.” He panted, arms wrapped around his stomach.

“We should go to the hospital.”

“I’m not going to the fucking hospital!” He spat, shoving Jotaro off of him. Jotaro was taken aback, staring at Kakyoin with confusion. He hadn’t seen him act like this in all their years of knowing each other, in all their years of being married.

“I can’t be here – I just want to get out of the house for an hour. I don’t care. I’ll come back. Just please, let me be alone…”

Kakyoin stood up, his face pale, tears still streaming down his face.

“Just let me…”

“Nori – c’mon, you’re sick. You can hardly walk…”

He ignored his husband’s pleas, storming down the stairs, grabbing his shoes and coat. “I’m fine. I feel great.” He hissed, shooting a glare at Jotaro.

His husband stood in the doorway, watching as Kakyoin ran for his car, yanking the door open with his stand, slamming it shut. Jotaro sighed, making his way to the driveway. Kakyoin was obviously still incredibly ill, so he didn’t want to be too rough with him and cause him any pain – but he knew this wasn’t going to lead them anywhere good.

Kakyoin’s hands shook as he shoved the keys into the ignition, and he began to feel flashes of intense pain in his lower stomach. He hadn’t felt pain this intense in years, and his vision was getting unfocused as he tried to deal with it. Though it felt like he had a knife shoved into his stomach, and it was being twisted around, without mercy. His body kept moving though, and soon enough his car was in reverse, pulling out of the driveway, though he didn’t really feel like he had control of what he was doing.

He could hear both his husband and daughter call out his name, reaching out for him as they chased his car down the street.

He didn’t know how long he had been driving for, though he was certain it wasn’t for very long, when his vision had turned completely white, and he felt shards of glass embedded in his arms, and his head had been pressed against the steering wheel. The excruciating pain he had been in, now felt as if it were going to kill him.

Kakyoin hadn’t even seen what he crashed into. Time seemed to stand still, and though he was conscious – the confusion was overwhelming. He wanted to move, and get himself back home – he wanted to speak to Jolyne and tell her everything he was feeling about their argument.

Jolyne had practically jumped onto the hood of his car, and he saw her banging on the glass, shouting words that he couldn’t comprehend. He saw Jotaro wrap his arms around her waist and pull her away, though she kicked and screamed in protest.

He remembered having his body pulled out of the car, and being able to catch a glimpse of Jolyne yelling at her father to come with her into an ambulance, but in the end, he lost consciousness.

---

 

“Dad, you can’t make me go with him alone! I-I don’t know what to do… what am I supposed to say?!” 

Father and daughter stood to the side while Kakyoin was being transferred into the ambulance. Jolyne had been hysterical nearly the entire time, but Jotaro was trying his best to keep his cool. He gave one of Jolyne’s hands a firm squeeze, before kissing her on the top of the head.

“I’ll be right behind you. I gotta take my car to the hospital so I can get us both home once he’s alright.” Jotaro spoke with confidence, “You’ll be fine. You know everything that you’ll have to tell them. I gave you our insurance, his medical records – just answer them when they ask you.”

Jolyne didn’t protest anymore, and threw her arms around Jotaro once more, whispering a small apology before she got into the ambulance with her father.

The ride to the hospital was quick, though it seemed to take forever. Jolyne could only stare hopelessly at her father’s face, unconscious and bloodied. She hadn’t ever let go of his hand though, the EMT’s ensuring her that everything would be alright – and that they thought they knew what the pain was from, despite his extensive history of stomach issues.

Once they got there, Jotaro was waiting for them just as he told Jolyne he would be. Kakyoin was rolled into a surgical room, and all the small family could do was wait.

Jolyne had fallen asleep against her dad’s shoulder when the doctor had finally come in to tell them what was up. She was kind, and informative to them – which put Jotaro at ease. After witnessing his husband in so much pain, only to storm out of the house and crash his car into a lamp post two blocks away, it was needless to say that he was incredibly worried – and he wanted to make sure that Kakyoin was safe.

“Mr. Kujo is doing fine. In a way, crashing his car might’ve saved his life – he had appendicitis. If he didn’t come to the hospital within another day or two, he probably would’ve been dead.”

Jotaro almost rolled his eyes at that. Something as easily fixable as appendicitis was what had been causing his husband pain for the past few days... And yet he had to crash his goddamned car to finally be taken to the hospital. He didn’t show it, usually, but Noriaki Kujo was incredibly stubborn.

“The crash only left minor wounds – it didn’t give him a concussion either – so there’s nothing to worry about there.”

“When you performed surgery, did anything else look… I dunno, bad – like it was failing?”

“No, everything else seems to be working just fine. We took a look at his medical records, and we did everything to make sure that nothing else was damaged or acting up.”

“Thank you…”

The doctor smiled, giving Jotaro a pat on the shoulder before she took her leave. But a nurse came by a few minutes later to give them the okay to see him, though he wouldn’t be conscious for a while. He had woken Jolyne up so they could move to his hospital room, and camp out for the rest of the night.

He looked much better now that he had been cleaned up, and operated on. The color was beginning to return to his face, and his sleeping expression didn’t seem as pained anymore. Though he was still hooked up to an IV, and had a breathing tube hooked up to his nose, Jotaro and Jolyne were both relieved.

“Let’s call it a night, alright kitten?”

Jotaro roughed up the top of Jolyne’s head, kissing her on the cheek, before the two of them finally decided to rest.

---

 

Everything was really sore. Granted, everything was sore, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as it had been a few hours ago. Hours? Kakyoin didn’t exactly know how much time had passed, but as his eyes opened, the sunlight burned through the curtains, causing him to shield his eyes from the brightness. Turning his head to the side, he caught Jotaro asleep on a rather stiff looking couch, with a thin blanket draped over him, though his vision blurry, and unfocused. 

His glasses were placed on the nightstand next to him, and he reached his hand out to grasp at them, but was caught off guard when he saw an IV hooked up to his arm. Kakyoin sat up slowly, and cautiously, placing his glasses on his face, pushing them up the bridge of his nose.

The bed shifted slightly, and he looked to his other side, Jolyne slept soundly, as she clutched onto his hand, which had been pressed close to her cheek.

A smile tugged at his lips, but he hadn’t quite forgotten what had happened the day before. The sting of her words still rung in his head.

“You’re awake.”

Kakyoin jumped slightly at the familiar voice, gaze meeting with Jotaro’s as he sat up from the couch, looking sloppy and disheveled, probably from sleeping on that uncomfortable couch.

“How do you feel?”

“I feel fine… Sore…” Kakyoin replied, rubbing his forehead with his palm. “…I don’t remember what happened after I walked out of the house.”

“Well… you took your car, crashed it into a lamp post about two blocks down from us. They took you to the hospital, and it turned out you had appendicitis.” Jotaro explained, “You stubborn bastard…”

Kakyoin found himself laughing, though he shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Jotaro stood up, walking over to Kakyoin’s side. “It’s fine… I’m just glad that you’re alright… don’t ever fuckin’ scare me like that again. I couldn’t live without you.” He kissed his husband on the cheek, brushing his fingers through Kakyoin’s red hair.

“I’m gonna go get coffee. I’ll be right back.”

Kakyoin nodded and smiled at his husband; “I love you.”

“…I love you too.”

As the door shut closed, he felt Jolyne stirring by his side. Her eyes opened slowly, though once her gaze met with Kakyoin’s, she sat up – alarmed and frazzled.

“D-Dad!”

“I’m here, sweetheart.”

“N-No… I-” Jolyne was quick to let go of her father’s hand, practically shoving her face into his chest. “I-I’m so sorry, I’m so so sorry. I didn’t mean anything I said – I was being awful, and spoiled. I could never ever say anything so mean to you.” She was tripping over her words, and they began to turn into sobs. “I love you so much – you’ve done so much for me!”

“Jojo…”

The hospital gown he was in was becoming damp, and her grip on him was becoming tighter.

“C’mon, sweetheart – I’m still recovering.”

“You’ve been such a good father to me – I appreciate you. You’re the best dad I could’ve asked for – I don’t want you to hate me! I don’t want to lose you!”

Kakyoin smiled softly, wrapping his arms around her as best he could, stroking her hair gently.

“I love you. You’re my little girl – I’ll always love you.”

He felt her nod, though she didn’t cease crying. Before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face too.

Kakyoin pulled away for a moment, wiping away her tears with his thumb.

“We should’ve never kept information about your mother from you… I’m sorry, Jolyne – I just never wanted you to feel like you were unwanted…”

“I don’t care about that.” She sniffled, wiping her eyes using her sleeve. “I never did – I found out because I looked through dad’s stuff while he was on a trip – and you were at work. I found pictures of me as an infant…”

“You deserved to know.”

“It hurt when I saw some woman holding me, and dad had his arm wrapped around her – but after the shock… I dunno, I… realized I didn’t feel any attachment to her. I always just thought you and dad had me through a surrogate mother or something. So I never questioned it. I was happy having you two as my parents…”

Kakyoin bit his lip, gazing down at his daughter. He brushed his fingers through her messy, undone hair, and tried to put on a smile.

“I only ever wanted to make you happy, Jolyne.”

“You do make me happy.” Jolyne smiled, her lips still quivering as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. “I couldn’t ask for a better dad.”

He pressed a kiss to Jolyne’s forehead, and she wrapped her arms around him once more. He nuzzled into her hair, giving her a light squeeze.

“We’re going to look embarrassing when your father comes back.”

“I don’t care…” She mumbled into his shirt.

“Yeah… me neither.”

---

 Kakyoin had to be put on bedrest, the weeks following the accident, and his subsequent surgery. Though with all of that said and done, his recovery was quick, and he was to be back on his feet in no time.

The three of them were happy to find out that everything that had to have been replaced and fixed up after the damages that he had suffered when he was 16 had still been working just fine – the Speedwagon Foundation’s resources had yet to let Kakyoin down. And he was grateful for it.

His car’s damages weren’t so bad either, and he had gotten it back a week or so afterwards.

Jotaro nearly insisted that he take off from work as well, but Jolyne promised him that she would stick around and help out Kakyoin as much as she could – despite her injured father insisting that he felt better than they thought he did.

He’d often come home to the two being inseparable; somewhat like how it had been when she was still little.

They’d be laying down together and watching some anime, or Jolyne would be assisting him with his artwork. Jotaro was happy to see the two finally getting along again, after what seemed to be forever of unrest and passive aggressive behavior. He might not have been around his family as often as he would’ve liked to – but it truly warmed his heart to see how close his husband and daughter were to each other. It made it easier for him to get in on the family bonding.

Jotaro and Kakyoin promised Jolyne that she’d get the full story on her parents’ relationship once everything settled down, as well.

Kakyoin hated staying home from work, but it wasn’t so bad anymore.

He was able to work on his freelance projects, and he felt inspiration constantly flow through him. He was happier now, and the stress of not knowing whether or not Jolyne was satisfied with him being her father was completely gone. He had nothing holding him back.

He enjoyed sitting in the living-room with his paintings, while Jolyne sat to his side working on school assignments and keeping him company. It was peaceful.

“Dad…”

Kakyoin looked up, snapping out of his thoughts.

Jolyne was sprawled out on the floor, pulling up some website on her laptop. She grinned at him, pointing to a specific photo.

“Do you think you can buy this for me?”

On her screen, she had a beauty website open, and a photo of a young woman, with piercings and tattoos who had bright, red hair.

“What is it? If you’re asking for a face piercing again – don’t. Do it when you’re 18 and I can’t tell you not to.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s hair dye.”

“Oh… red?” Kakyoin cocked his head slightly, squinting as he tried to imagine Jolyne with the color that the woman in the photo had.

“Yeah. I wanted to switch things up a bit.”

“Why red? I mean, I’m sure it’ll look good – but you usually go for more neon colors, don’t you?”

“I mean, it kinda looks like your hair color…” Jolyne shrugged, “And I was always jealous that you got to have this nice, natural, bright hair color but I didn’t. So… I thought I’d give it a try.”

Kakyoin was taken aback, as he tried to process the information that she was giving him.

“So wait… you want red hair… because I have red hair?”

She nodded, “Well… yeah. I have for a while, actually…”

A grin spread across Kakyoin’s lips, and he gave a nod to her. “I don’t see why not. My color is a bit darker than yours, though. If we’re going to dye your hair, we have to get it perfect.”

Jolyne giggled, sliding her laptop over to give her father better access to it. “Go ahead – show me your redheaded ways.”

“Of course. Anything for you.”

“Hey, dad?”

He looked down, meeting turquoise eyes that gleamed brightly at him. The smile on her face immediately filled him with certain happiness and warmth, and he couldn’t help but smile back. She nestled herself into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could manage without hurting him too much.

“I love you.”

Kakyoin’s heart swelled with pride and joy at those words. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, rubbing her back gently.

“I love you too, sweetheart. More than you could imagine.”