Work Text:
There were only four days left for Jotaro and Joseph to leave Morioh and return to America. Only a few pending issues regarding Kujo's PhD delayed the return: he was classifying different types of marine species that he had encountered in the city since the day he arrived, exclusively dedicated to cataloging it and writing about it in his thesis. The day was somewhat cloudy, as it usually used to be in the early morning. The yellowish color of the city sky, even behind all the fog that led the winter of December in the northern hemisphere, continued framing a joyful landscape to behold. It is what Kishibe Rohan was doing now, in the chair next to Jotaro, along with the rest of the group of students that was composed by Koichi, Okuyasu and last but not least, Josuke.
Rohan was too engrossed in his work to notice the considerably loud volume that accompanied the voice of the three hysterical teenagers near him. They had just returned from classes, and like all the other days leading up to the two men 's close departure, they launched themselves to the edge to be able to spend as much time with them as possible. Jotaro could admit that he was going to miss them all when he left, especially after the chaotic memories that the battle against Yoshikage Kira brought them... If it not for all the growing irritation that had been lodging in his chest for the past twenty minutes that young people couldn't keep quiet and their mind was drifting to other lines of thought that were not their research.
"You guys should either be quiet politely, or go away and leave Jotaro alone. He's clearly busy now." That was what Rohan said, looking away from his sketches for a moment to direct his sharp gaze to the group.
Okuyasu's eyes widened in front of the older one, hovering with the ice cream scoop in the air. Jotaro coughed as if unaware of Rohan's speech. They cast a look at Koichi, who flinched a little beside the two tallest boys.
"It was not our intention to cause any problems! We just wanted to hear a little bit about what Jotaro is writing." Koichi argued when defending his friends from the artist's accusation, smiling exasperatedly back.
Okuyasu nodded: "We're just excited, Rohan-sensei! Jotaro-san will be leaving shortly, so there is no way around it."
"Anyway, that's no reason for you to be inconvenient. Jotaro is uncomfortable."
It was Josuke's turn to frown, starting to get irritated by the mangaka's smug attitude. There was always a rivalry between them, and even after Kira's damage, they still hadn't resolved those differences. Especially because, if it depended properly on Rohan and his colossal pride, they wouldn't be doing it anytime soon. At least, not now.
"Did you even ask him how he feels about this?"
"Is that necessary? Please, Higashikata, you have no morals to give an opinion on something here. You see, it was you who came, after all." The other countered.
Kishibe was still bitter, and Josuke would never be able to endure it.
"I don't think you can say much, either."
Rohan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Josuke brushed the strands of his hair back in some kind of boastful act, avoiding his rival's emerald eyes as if he weren't about to nudge him. "It is nothing new for anyone here that you're just close to Jotaro now and you're hoping that we will leave because you want to be alone with him."
"Hey, Josuke, what do you mean by that, bro?"
Higashikata swallowed when he realized that Rohan seemed to want to punch him and that his hands seemed to shake on the table, ignoring Okuyasu.
“Jotaro has a lot of experiences with struggles against stand users...” He said, letting a sigh escape in the process. “For me, it is obvious that you want to take advantage of this and gain this information for use in your manga.”
It didn't take more than a few seconds for Rohan to express a characteristic reaction. The artist squirmed in his place, letting a long, muffled laugh intimidate the figure of Josuke once again before restraining himself.
“Certainly, I can't lie that it hasn't crossed my mind. But, if you really want to know, Jotaro's personality and appearance could incorporate an incredible protagonist into my story. Everyone would love him, because he fits the positions of a true hero in the context that I seek to inspire me, unlike you.” He grunted, reaching for his cup of black tea and finishing drinking it after a brief pause while Josuke was still terrified on the way. “I really believe that he is feeling irritated by the uproar you guys been making in the past few days. My intention, in fact, is to keep myself well away from you.”
The atmosphere became quiet. Kujo was still too distracted by all his chores to meddle.
“You can't really be friendly for even a single day, Rohan. If you want to stay away from me, do it on your own!”
The mangaka snorted. Koichi gave him a pitying look, like a silent request that Kishibe no longer prolong the uncomfortable mood. "Okay, I'll be leaving." He stood up, stopping as he placed his sketchbook on his shoulders and, suddenly, pointing his index finger at Josuke. “Just know that I'm not the greedy type like you, Higashikata. I can live to add content to my manga, however my respect for who I consider is above my desire to ignore the measurement of efforts to get what I want.”
And he said goodbye to Koichi properly, just like the others - with the exception of Josuke - with a basic greeting. He was about to walk away from the coffee shop completely after leaving his money on the table, but he was surprised by a person who narrowly almost ran into him.
"... I didn't realize you were after me." Rohan said, politely.
The event could have gone unnoticed had the stranger's appearance not been so peculiar. Kujo interrupted his reading when he heard his voice, glancing at them. He was a short man, with just over a few centimeters above Hirose. He also had a bizarre and familiar hairstyle for Jotaro's vision, which - strangely - resembled a duster with decorative bells hanging below it.
He let out a low laugh, narrowing his brown eyes a little at the three boys when he came across the figure of Jotaro. “I believe that you no longer remember me, Joestar. At least, not with that scar on my face that I acquired because of you in Egypt.”
Kujo opened his eyes wide, searching his memories for any evidence trail that reminded him of the stranger's face. A chill ran through his body when he came in contact with those memories again. He still didn't know who it was, but a certain part of him said he should be cautious.
"Get away from him, Kishibe."
Rohan frowned, moving a few steps away. "What's happening?"
The man rested his hands on his chin, outlining the scar mentioned earlier. “My name is Alessi, and in 1989 I was sent by Dio to kill you and your companions. You and that damn Frenchman kicked my ass even after they were under the influence of my stand, Sethan. ”
Exclusively at that moment, Kujo Jotaro remembered him. Among all his Cairo opponents, Alessi was one of the most sadistic and cowardly men he has ever met. As soon as he and Polnareff subjected him to a combined approach of Silver Chariot and Star Platinum and left him unable to fight any more, the only image left about Alessi is that he was a dirty man who took pleasure in humiliating his opponents before defeat them with cheating.
“... We're in five stand users, and I have beaten you in the past. Even after surviving this, do you still have the courage to come back to me?”
“Don't underestimate me because of my defeat. My skills have evolved a lot in the last few years and I could never forget what you did to me and Lord Dio.” Alessi adjusted his sunglasses, forcing a stern look that made him less convincing. “I tried to go after your mate first, since he deceived me with such mastery that I couldn't sleep remembering his stupid face. But when I approached an employee of the Speedwagon Foundation, who I discovered was involved with the Joestar family, I learned that he was no longer active in the organization and was no longer providing services over there. So, having only your whereabouts, my only choice was to discover directly from you the location of Jean Pierre Ponalreff.”
So he had hurt members of the organization. Thinking about the possibility that something might happen to Polnareff, whom he had not seen for years since his involvement with the arrows, made Jotaro's blood boil with rage.
“Honestly, Joestar, I preferred it much more when you were in your childish form. You looked so much more pathetic that way, even though you gave me a nice spanking.”
In a step, Alessi ran forward a short distance from Jotaro, summoning Sethan after take his ax from his wide jacket. The other customers of the establishment were scared by the hostility of their conversation, quickly leaving the tables while the group took a defensive position. When Kujo was about to jump exactly towards Alessi, the stand user rose from the floor vertically and extended the range of his stand.
He clenched his fists, materializing his stand on the prowl. “Don't let him come near you. His stand is capable of turning back the age of those who are hit by a type of shadow. I don't know how much he improved his skills, but as long as you stay away from him, you can't be reached, so don't risk direct contact!”
Jotaro was convinced to use Star Platinum to stop time and, in the possible seconds, strike him without stepping on Sethan's shadow through a sequence of attacks from his fist. The others were too stunned to take any action other than to dodge the shadow, so as soon as Joestar took a stand to counter him, it was too late. Alessi changed his target, also taking his old long-barreled revolver and aiming a few meters at Rohan.
Luckily, it was at this very moment that Alessi stayed vulnerable. Kishibe noticed this, then he wrote in the air to invoke Heaven's Door at the same time the bullets were fired. But, for some reason, when he closed his eyes, the impact didn't come. In reality, not even the sound of his shots could be heard from that moment on. When the mangaka opened his eyes, a completely confused vision came to him. Star Platinum still delivered merciless punches to his enemy's body, in a way he supposed it was through the pause of time. Only something was wrong, because although Heaven's Door was at his side, he could be sure that he felt the air flow around him abruptly change when Alessi suggested that he would attack him.
Only when Rohan stared at the other students near him, who had horrified expressions on their faces, did he realize what had happened. Kishibe was covered entirely by his large clothes, with a height suitable for a child of about five years.
"Rohan-sensei!" Shouted Koichi, running up to him.
The artist held his tiny hands in the air, beginning to feel his stomach churn as he analyzed them and compared them with his actual measurements.
"Good grief..." Jotaro murmured, ceasing his movements against Alessi's defeated body. "This shouldn't have happened."
"H-How...?" Hirose said, his voice trembling at Rohan's feet in his youthful form.
“As soon as I hit him with Star Platinum, the effects should have been reversed. It was how we got back to normal in Cairo, when he attacked us. ”
Josuke's eyes widened, so shocked he wasn't sure if he should just stay put or try to do something about it. His feet stopped the instant he faced the mangaka. "But I don't understand, he was pointing a gun at him seconds ago and his stand was in our direction, not at Rohan!"
Jotaro sighed, staring at the gun leaning on the ground a few feet from him. “His plan was not to shoot Kishibe. His aim was aimed at any place that was close to him, and not specifically on his body. The shadow cast by the bullet on the ground would be manipulated so that it would attract Sethan to its target, however much it would generate a less effective result.”
It was a great relief, starting from the point that he could have regressed much more than that at his age.
“And what are we going to do now? We can't leave Rohan that way!”
Rohan hugged his own body, sitting on the floor and getting the attention of the group as he did so. “I-I can't summon Heaven’s Door with that body. I thought that maybe I could write on myself to cancel out Alessi's effects, but when I was a kid I didn't have my stand, so there's no way I can materialize it now.”
They were silent again, still staring at the artist. Okuyasu was unable to contain himself for long. He held back laughter, placing one hand over his mouth. “Sensei, your serious voice is very funny when you're that size!”
Hirose coughed: "O-Okuyasu!"
Josuke eloquently elbowed his best friend. "I mean, I didn't mean to offend you, I'm sure we'll find a way to get you back to normal!"
The eldest fixed his cap. “I need to take his body to the nearest headquarters of the Foundation. Maybe I can find more recent data and find a way to solve the problem.”
The shorter boy watched Jotaro rise from the floor in disbelief. "Will you leave us alone with him like that?"
“There is nothing that can be done now. The only one who could have any ability to resolve this would have been Rohan.”
"Does this mean that you will have to anticipate your trip?" Josuke asked, becoming somewhat frustrated internally because the unexpected event accelerated the departure of such remarkable people in his life now. He was still recovering from all recent conflicts and having them close by was becoming a custom he would suffer to extinguish.
“Yes, I will send news when I know. I have my suspicions of what may or may not be useful to do, but I cannot resolves everything without permission.” Jotaro ducked his head, physically preparing to collect the opponent's body and all his belongings, taking his cell phone from his pocket to make the necessary calls. “I need you to be mature and take care of him until I call again. I don't know how long it will take, but it's necessary. ”
They hurriedly said goodbye, given the urgency of the case and the fact that Jotaro could not remain in public for long with a man unconscious on his shoulders. It was not long before some Speedwagon Foundation employee arrived to take them, as well as pick up Joseph on the way later. In all those minutes that passed more than quickly, the three teenagers were witnessing Rohan speechless. They moved up to somewhere further away from the circulation of people, where it was safe for the mangaka to settle.
Koichi sat on the grass on the hill that gave a wide view of the city, helping Kishibe to do the same beside him. It was not far from the cafeteria where they were, so they didn't have to walk so far to reach the coastal region. Hirose took a deep breath, looking at the other boys who looked as nervous as he was. “I wish I could help Rohan-sensei, but I'm afraid it won't be possible let him be with me. My family would think beyond logic to explain why I would be taking care of a child at home, or going out without a plausible excuse...”
"I'm not so close to him, but I think I can take it." Okuyasu said, shrugging. Everyone looked at him, even Rohan, who seemed too stunned to react to the stimuli around him, grimaced. "What's it? Don't look at me like that! My head may not work very well, but children usually like me!”
Koichi rolled his eyes, gesturing for his next alternative. "Josuke?"
He crossed his arms. "You know. Rohan literally hates me.”
“We're not in a matter of choice, neither you nor Rohan can afford to use your enmity as an excuse now. You're the only one who can do this! Tomoko wouldn't mind if you went out for a night!”
“Okay, let's say I could invent something for my mom, but I understand almost nothing about looking after children! I already had some contact with Shizuka, that invisible baby, but Joseph who did most of that!”
Rohan frowned again, puffing out his cheeks and staring at the tallest teenager. "I'm not a child, Josuke."
"Your size says the opposite now, since you can't wipe your ass on your own, so you're a kid to me."
“Okay, it's already decided. Rohan-sensei will be under Josuke's responsibility. ”
The mangaka snorted so hard that the teenager thought he was really going to explode.
-
The temperature in Morioh had dropped stupidly when mid-afternoon set his hours on Josuke's wristwatch. He felt his structure tremble when he stopped walking, watching his body cool quickly with the absence of movement. Higashikata looked sideways at the child below him: arms crossed, staring at any point on the stairs leading to his house.
Rohan had looked good in his clothes, after all. It were old and a little big in him, but warm enough to keep him out of the cold. It took some time for Josuke to find among the pieces in his wardrobe something from his past, when he was younger. Considering that the boy was somewhat more robust than the mangaka, that was the most appropriate explanation for the misfit size.
The climate was nevertheless embarrassing, however.
"Are we going in…?" Asked the teenager, with some kind of transparent nervousness in his tone of voice.
The artist looked at him, with an unreadable expression for Josuke. His face was different now, with those baby fats accumulated over most of his body. Rohan looked cute like that, with his big green eyes that instead of intimidating Higashikata as before, outlined in him only a growing desire to take care of him. But… It was still Rohan, anyway.
Josuke extended a free hand to him. "I mean, the stairs are a little high."
"I can do this myself." The thin voice echoed through the ears of the other. It was still strange to see someone with a childish aspect acting mature. "What are these bags?"
Josuke was confused for a few seconds, having a recall point in his brain after noticing the bags in his hands. "Oh! When you were with Koichi, and I went out to found clothes for you, I thought it would be right to buy food too."
"I have food at home."
"Well, I just thought you were going to be the kind of guy who eats bullshit all the time because of your job."
"I think I'd better spare you the detail that I used your money for this…" Thought Josuke. The young man trusted his culinary skills, or at least what his mother taught him to do. The minor just started up the stairs in front of him and ignored him.
When Kishibe's steps became more hasty, it was almost a reflex for Josuke to predict the moment when he lost his balance, materializing Crazy Diamond quickly to avoid his fall. "... You should have accepted my help, you could have been hurt."
"Doesn't it look humiliating enough for you? Give me a break!”
Josuke rolled his eyes, watching him finish up the stairs and return to his usual scowl. It was okay that he could feel the other man's anguish, or rather, now a child near him. There was something satisfying about seeing Kishibe with his pride in shambles, especially right after an argument like the one they had earlier, but Jojo's strident empathy warned him about how terrifying it would be to be in his position. So he struggled to keep quiet on the way instead of annoying the little one even more.
Higashikata removed Rohan's keys from one of the compartments he was carrying, pretending not to see the confused expression that welled up on Kishibe's face.
“W-Wait! You will not be entering my home after you deceived me!”
"Rohan-sensei," He purred, letting a cynical smile be drawn on his lips when using such unusual honorific treatment. "don't tell me that you expected me to stay out here?"
The artist opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to say a word. Josuke just disregarded it, turning the key in the lock while whistling under his breath.
"Higashikata!" He exclaimed, clinging to Josuke's slender legs in order to stop him. “I can't let a brat like you come into my house with me like that! What will people think if they find out about it?!”
Jojo clicked his tongue at the roof of his mouth, gently removing Rohan from him and poking his nose with his fingertips. "If you keep crying like that, I believe your neighbors will be imagining something illegal. And the only brat here, at the moment, is you."
Josuke didn't understand exactly why, however something seemed to work after he said that. Rohan pulled away from him, eyes slightly wide.
“I know that the two of us don't really get along, and I tried to apologize for what happened at your house after that day, despite all the damage. But I'm doing my best too!” He had to lie to Tomoko, saying that he would be sleeping at Okuyasu's house because of a video game night. Luckily, the woman showed no difficulty in believing him. "Deep down, I even believed that this could be the chance to become something more friendly, but-"
Rohan's eyes suddenly started to water. "W-Who are you?"
"What?" The student blinked, somewhat anarchically.
"I do not know you! Where am I and what did you do with Grandma?”
“Wait, is this some kind of joke? I didn't push you that hard, don't you tell me you hit your head?” Josuke said, trying to approach him. Kishibe only moved away, with a shrunken and frightened countenance.
"This is..." His throat went dry. “You have no memory of this place? Doesn't the name Higashikata Josuke sound familiar, or Hirose Koichi?”
The child shook his head negatively, hiding his face between his knees on the wood floor.
Damn it. Josuke closed the door behind him, trying to process what Rohan had just said. Didn't he remember anything else? Jotaro had mentioned nothing about it, or any details related to long-term memory loss when a person was affected by Sethan. However, it made sense to Higashikata's mind that forgetfulness was a symptom of this condition.
Josuke realized he was starting to sweat.
"You don't have to be afraid of me." He bit his lower lip, keeping his expression as neutral as he could when looking at the other. What he was going to say next was not convincing and made all the fibers inside him explode. “We're friends. I don't intend to and I won't hurt you.”
The child softened his frightened face even more, looking away from Josuke's light eyes, his small shoulders shaking a little. "How can I trust you?"
Josuke tensed. Was Rohan really such a smart kid? That is, the mangaka has always proved to be quite intelligent, being able to decipher mysteries with calm and wisdom. He was responsible for helping to quickly discover the identity of Yoshikage Kira, all thanks to his full sense of investigation.
Higashikata gasped, trying to measure convincing words that could enter Kishibe's mind.
"I know things about you that a stranger couldn't know." He said, relaxing next to him. It wasn't exactly a bluff, because it was partly true information, but the student didn't know the artist that well.
The shorter forced a mocking expression. "Like what?"
"W-What do you mean?"
“I want you to set an example for me, silly! My grandmother taught me that I must not listen to strangers without any proof!”
Okay, maybe Rohan was smarter than Okuyasu at sixteen. Josuke started to think, resting one of his palms on his chin in an act of reflection.
“You're passionate about manga, this is your biggest occupation. People also say that you're a bit eccentric, and that your habits aren't very rational, but you believe that everything has its purpose and is constantly analyzing something.” All he needed to do was to abstract out certain details he knew about the mangaka and hope that they were already real at the age he was at. “Your grandmother is fine. I'm just in charge of looking after you while she can't do it, so stay calm and trust me, right? I promise that I will prove that I don't want to cause any inconvenience.”
Between Josuke saying that he was a friend of Rohan's and that his grandmother was fine, the first quote seemed more liar. However, Kishibe's reaction seemed positive to both of it: his eyes shone before him.
The artist got up carefully and slowly, walking up to the biggest one as if it were a new object in the middle of his living room. He stopped when he came in front of him, his standing height almost equivalent to that of Josuke when sitting. Before the boy could operate it, Rohan offered his hands for a squeeze. Jojo hesitated, but did so, greeting him in a kind way, as the two should have done from the beginning when they met.
It was as small as Josuke imagined, proportional to how warm it was too. It sparked protective instincts in him again, which made him wonder if they could ever start again.
He smiled. "You must be hungry."
"... Yes."
-
Josuke felt relatively unruly as he headed for Rohan's kitchen in the next room - still on the first floor. A chill ran through him whenever he faced the bottom of the walls and reconstructed materials compared to the first time he entered there, when Koichi was kidnapped by the mangaka. Kishibe, on the other hand, didn't seem to remember anything about it. He just kept exploring the new environment with his eyes glued to his surroundings, with a curious and analytical look.
Higashikata deposited the bags on the counter, removing all the products he had managed to buy with the notes that Rohan had in his wallet previously. It wasn't much, but if Josuke could use what the artist already had at home, it would be enough for both of them.
"What do you like?"
The other returned his attention to the teenager. Josuke estimated that he was the non-sociable type from the beginning. "I think miso soup is fine for me."
"Okay, we have the ingredients here." Josuke stated, checking Rohan's lockers. “I usually put a lot of things on miso. Is there anything you don't like specifically?”
"I'm allergic to some spices..."
"I’ll make sure there’s none of that, don't worry." As he predicted earlier, much of what the mangaka had was not so healthy food. In general, there were a small number of vegetables, mushrooms, and more meals that could be prepared and served in a short time. At least, Kishibe appeared to be organized by leaving everything in its proper and clean place.
Josuke let Rohan examine the rest of the first floor while he looked for a pot to put water and other ingredients. Tomoko did a lot of miso when the student got sick, so he had memorized different ways to do it. He put everything he thought be as a good composition that Rohan would also like, turning on the artist's sophisticated stove and letting the water boil.
"It will be a while before it is ready." He said when he saw Rohan appear behind him, sending a chill down his spine as he leaned unscrupulously on his legs again.
"I feel dirty." The little boy pouted, showing the old, wrinkled clothes. “And these clothes are ugly! My grandmother would never let me use this.”
Josuke struggled to ignore the impolite comment.
"I have other pieces here, you can choose."
Kishibe walked away, noting that the teenager did not understand what he meant. "I want you to give me a bath."
Give Rohan a bath. In fact, Josuke never expected this to happen in his life. Thinking about what it would be like to hear that sentence if the artist was of his normal age made his cheeks burn meaningless. Well, they had time. Josuke still needed to organize the tofu cubes he had previously purchased at Kameyu and divide the quantity evenly into the two bowls.
He traveled with Rohan to the second floor to be able to clean it and look for where the bathroom was, taking into account the size of the mangaka's house and the detail that he had almost never entered this area of the residence. The only obstacle he encountered on the way was the stairway too long for someone the size of Kishibe. He had to hold him up quickly because of that (he was a lot lighter than Higashikata expected, so it wasn't necessarily a problem). In this proximity, Josuke could see how even more delicate Rohan was at his young age. His eyebrows were thinner and the sides of his hair were not yet trimmed, just as it was peculiar to see him without his usual accessory on his head. The artist also had a more childlike smell, so to speak. Completely different from the expensive and masculine fragrances that Josuke could smell whenever he was close of the other before all this happened.
Rohan's bathroom was also somewhat luxurious, too. Josuke found himself envying Kishibe's premature success without even realizing it.
"Your home is really cool." Said the smallest.
Josuke laughed nervously. He finished filling the bathtub, rolling up his sleeves so as not to get it wet.
"Uhm, you can take your clothes off."
Higashikata was able to detect some kind of red coloring filling Rohan's face. "C-Could you look elsewhere?"
"We're both men..."
"This is an invalid argument for me."
Definitely Alessi had turned Rohan's age back by less than he imagined. It's not like he wants to make the mangaka feel bad, since they weren't so close, so he didn't see any problems with going out. Besides, what the boy said was right, wasn't it? If he stopped to think about the situation with the adult version of Rohan, of course. Josuke was exploding with this.
“Do you want me to wait for you outside? It has everything you need here.”
"I'm afraid of being alone." Rohan said, sounding more emotional than he planned. Josuke realized that. "I miss Grandma."
Josuke sighed, approaching him and ruffling his greenish hair. For some reason, his chest tightened when he saw the artist demonstrate any kind of anguish. It was a feeling that tingled in his body in a way that he only felt for his loved ones and closest friends.
"I will close my eyes." The teenager promised, smiling in the corner and being genuinely returned by Rohan. It wasn't the first time he had seen Rohan smile, but it was the first time he had smiled directly at him. Josuke found that Kishibe's smile was always fascinating.
Just like his word, he let the youngest take off his clothes and get into the bath. Rohan only asked for his help a few times when he needed washing his head or back. Josuke was able to make Rohan laugh by playing with him through the water, feeling a little bad for not having thought of taking anything to distract him. Despite the circumstances, he was a child now.
Josuke was handing the towel to Rohan when they remembered the miso in the fire, trying to hurry up more. He would be leaving soon to take care of this and leave the mangaka free to put on the pajamas that the boy brought, when a question reached the height of curiosity in your mind.
"Can I ask you something?" He just received a grunt in response. “When you spoke to me, you mentioned about being taken care of by your grandmother. I never heard you speak of your parents. Is there a reason for that, or...?”
Rohan was silent for a few seconds. His countenance seemed to have lost some of the energy that Josuke had ignited earlier. At that moment, Josuke knew he had gotten into a delicate subject.
“I live with my maternal grandmother. We've lived at her hotel since my grandfather died. She told me that my father and mother also died early, but I don't remember that.” He replied, nonchalant.
Higashikata felt something hurt in him. He could not say whether it was for all his ego that prevented him from generating empathy for Kishibe Rohan who had just disintegrated, or if it was merely by emotion itself. It made sense now every time he witnessed an evolved discernment on the part of the other, or the lines that intertwined about his conduct.
"I'm so sorry." It was the only thing that came out of his lips.
The little one shook his head, holding the towel against his body more tightly as he faced the taller one again. "Can I ask you something too, Josuke-san?"
"Of course?"
"Why is your hair so strange?"
The memory of Rohan defeated and bleeding on the bedroom floor was not very encouraging. Josuke left, going to the kitchen without waiting for him.
When the mangaka came down the stairs fully dressed and clean, Josuke had already finished preparing the soup: he was finishing placing the bowls on the dinner table and had already done the dishes. The two ate together after that, while Josuke took the time to respond to some text messages from Koichi and Okuyasu. So far, no news from Jotaro.
Rohan said that Josuke's food was great compared to what his grandmother did, and it's obvious that he warmed up with it. He thought his own food was reasonable - he still had a lot to learn from Tomoko. After organizing the kitchen again, the taller took Rohan to the second floor again to find a room for him to sleep. When Josuke went to his house before, he found that the artist's master bedroom was next to his studio, so they would need to go through there. However, the moment he opened the space door, Rohan was unable to stand still for even a second. Higashikata thought it would be more honest not to identify that all the manuscripts inside that room were made by him. Likewise, Rohan continued to look at the illustrations with his eyes shining all the time. The bluish one let him stay there, entertained with all the pieces of art while he tidied up his room.
When Josuke was finishing building a barrier of pillows on the double bed to prevent the child from falling, the cell phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He hurried to take it, confirming his suspicions when he saw Jotaro's name on the caller ID.
"Do you have any news?" It was the first thing he said. Josuke listened to his nephew cautiously as he went to the studio to see what Rohan was doing. "Yeah, he is fine. But you didn't tell me anything about the memory loss, that's kind of hard to deal with!”
Kujo said it was too late when he thought to warn him about this detail. He told how Polnareff, being hit by Sethan and spending more time than Jotaro on his effect, completely forgot who his mate was or how to use his stand.
Rohan was still checking the stacks of sketches that were stored. Josuke was relieved that he wasn't making a mess there. "Did the Speedwagon Foundation find any way to fix this?"
Josuke found that they had arrested the user and collected as much information as possible that could help not only in the case of the artist, but also about the loose ends that he could answer about Dio. Alessi claimed that, even if he wanted to, he couldn't undo its effects now. The two exceptions were: to kill him - which would nullify Sethan's action - but which unfortunately went against the organization's policy, or to wait twenty-four hours. Josuke imagined that his nephew was indicating the second alternative.
Rohan entered the room seconds after the student hung up the call, letting a tired yawn come out of his mouth.
“Hey, we need to rest. It's time for you to sleep." Kishibe went to him, holding two papers that Josuke couldn't identify what it was. "What is it?"
"I found it in those drawings."
Higashikata caught it, watching with one raised eyebrow what those sketches were about. Initially, he presented some drawings of people he knew, like Koichi. He laughed at how vivid the boy looked in the artist's style and the way his friends looks were most expressive in the paper. Only when he moved on to the next sheet did he understand why the child insisted on showing it. There were countless drawings of Josuke all over the page. From images where he did some kind of dramatic pose, to casual moments where he was distracted by something that the illustration left openly for interpretation. In addition, his face expressed several different feelings.
Why did Rohan draw him? It was the question that ended Higashikata's sleep.
The child slept in a light sleep above him, with his soft breathing and low snores being the only sound Josuke could hear besides the clock on the wall. There was also the insistent noise of the boy's racing heart, with doubts that would not even let him sleep. He was almost managing to close his eyes for a longer period and remove the mangaka from his memories with visions that surpassed the naiveté that existed in him, when something shook his left shoulder and made him get up in the darkness.
"... I-I thought you was sleeping." Josuke said when he saw the silhouette of the minor, breathing deeply in search of breath after the fright.
"I was, but I had a nightmare.”
Maybe Josuke was too distracted to notice.
Higashikata scratched one eye. "Do you want something?"
"I wish you could sleep with me in bed. It is too spacious, and I would feel safer if you stayed with me, Josuke-san."
The teenager got up from the mattress, trying to carefully pick up the smallest child and place him on his side of the bed gently. He took his blanket and lay down beside the artist, accommodating him as best he could there.
"It's okay, I'm with you." He whispered, feeling the other relax again.
Unconsciously, intoxicated by the scent of the sheets and a certainty that burned his chest in the white heat, Josuke pulled the boy into a light hug, being squeezed in the same measure back. "Sleep well, Rohan-sensei."
Finally, he managed to sleep, knowing that at some point he would have to face Kishibe when he realized that he was gradually falling in love from the beginning with his biggest rival.
Higashikata Josuke woke up to a 5' 8.5" tall man completely naked hugging his body the next day.