Chapter Text
The group was seated adjacent to the vivid shores of Kuşadası, looking across the waves of salty blue and a softly setting sun. Jotaro and Kakyoin were chatting idly at a separate table over sweet tea and cakes. Joseph sat across from his two teammates, admiring the array of colors the sunset had to offer. Abdul had been tending to Polnareff’s wounds from his petty fights, cleaning up irritations, dirt and blood, then laying bandages over the wounds with a light tap of his flat fingers.“There, that should do. If you keep it clean and take care of yourself, it will heal in no time”
Abdul hummed cheerily before taking a sip at his Turkish coffee, stirring the thick coffee grounds at the bottom to create a syrupy texture, making it easier to drink. The way his lips puckered to greet the liquid, the soft skin against the hardened texture of the ceramic surface of his cup made Polnareff’s heart flutter. Abdul peered towards him, a bit suspicious of Polnareff’s silence, yet even then his eyes held the purity of humor, so even when he wasn’t smiling, it felt like he was.“Is something the matter, Mr.Polnareff?”
Polnareff faltered for a minute, his eyes darting away from Abdul’s sparkling gaze upon him.
“No- no, it’s just, the sunset behind you is really beautiful this evening”
“Ah – yes, I too can see that. Kusadasi has always been my favorite scenic getaway”
Again, that dazzling smile unhinged Polnareff quietly.“Yeah” It came out like a hushed breath of relief.
Abdul chuckled again, moving a fraction closer to Polnareff’s body.
“You know, I’m not sure I’ve experienced a time when you were this quiet. Perhaps this wounding and flaying has tamed you, my friend?”
Polnareff smiled gaily towards him, speechless in response to Abdul’s deductions – he didn’t mean to be noticed in this flustered state.
“WOW, look at me,I’m making a fool of myself...” He mumbled the last part, pretending to be more interested in the gritty last parts of his coffee, letting the grounds coat his teeth with that unsavory sandy feeling.
Then came the chorus of embarrassing thoughts - of hugging and holding Abdul, of resting his head lazily on his lap, to feel those warm, dry hands against his cheek and forehead.
‘Do it. Do it. Fucking hold his hand already do it. You literally have nothing to lose, you know how much he appreciates you. Even if he rejected you, he’d still love you all the same’
Though some of his thoughts were fabricated by a false sense of security and unabridged courage, he still felt it wasn’t a bad argument.
Both Abdul and Joseph had finished their coffee and were walking out to the sunset-kissed beaches, the sand clinging to the bottom of their feet, a contrast of blonde white color and brown melding delightfully.
Polnareff abandoned his coffee, respectively setting it down on it’s porcelain dish and doggedly followed behind Abdul’s long and elegant strides. His hands swayed slightly - the right hand in the pocket of his large jacket, and the left out, feeling the chilling winds coming off the shore. Polnareff pulled up on the left side of Abdul, barely catching their hand in his. Abdul stopped momentarily, taking his time to register what - or rather, who, he was holding, then confirmed his acceptance by running his fingers over Polnareff’s lightly, leaving that exciting tingly sensation.“You are a strange man, Jean-Pierre. You feign shyness only to be an impulsive pup” He chuckled, those gorgeous plump lips lifting into more of a smile than anything.
“I am NOT impulsive! I am a man of romance who recognizes an opportunity when I see one” Polnareff scoffed.
“Mhm, if you say so” He hummed - still tapping his thumb against Polnareff’s fingers, digging his toes in the cooling sands that had been wetted by the waters.
It was just those two, figuratively, standing toe-deep in the sands of some dusky Turkish shore. This was fine - it wouldn’t last long but it was more than they could ask for in this turbulent journey.