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Jotaro has never been interested in soulmates.
He knows the basics: “Soulmate” is a person who, in your last life, you had very strong feelings for. It’s impossible to say which feeling it was, and if you’ll ever feel that same feeling again if you do meet your soulmate; some do, some doesn’t. It’s basically just a stamp with someone’s name that has no other objective but be a plot point in soap operas.
So, no, he’s not thrilled when he looks at the palm of his right hand and sees a name.
It’s his seventeenth birthday and this is the Universe’s gift. The name of a person Jotaro doesn’t care to meet written across his hand. Worst part is that the soulmark actually makes the skin sensible, so now he has to be mindful of his hand. Thank God he fights with punches and not slaps. Life’s small mercies and all that.
(Can you hear his eyes rolling?)
Sadly for the teen, though, his mother is absolutely ecstatic, which means every single living relative now knows he has gained his mark. Damned be whoever invented smartphones and group chats. Of course, that means old man Joseph and grandma Suzie Q came to visit to see it for themselves.
Grandma Suzie Q is ok, great woman, a bit too hyper for Jotaro—clearly where Holly got it—but he can deal with her in medium doses. Problem is her husband. Old man Joseph is someone Jotaro, and probably the entirety of the world, can only take in small doses spread along the day. The boy loves his grandfather, he loves all his family no matter how annoying, but, by God, can the old man be a drag.
So, that is why Jotaro is sitting in a cutesy coffee shop, the type of coffee shop his grandpa wouldn’t think he’d ever be, sipping in the sweetest cup of coffee he has ever ventured trying while looking at his phone. He’s not much into sweets, but he can’t smoke inside the shop and he knows that Joseph will find him if he leaves. With enough luck, the sugar crash will stop his itch to smoke.
Can’t feel stress if you’re passed out from the ungodly amount of sugar the cup in his hands has.
There is nothing much interesting in his phone, really, but at this point he’ll watch the same sumo fights and ocean documentaries a thousand times if it means he’ll get to escape Joseph for the day.
A video about cats catch his attention, and he he’s midway through it and seriously considering getting a new toy to Star Platinum, his kitty, when two loud bastards sit at the table behind his.
Or, well, one loud bastard with a very heavy accent. The other one is answering with a collected tone, but there is a tinge of uncertainty to it.
His voice is nice.
“I’m just saying, Kakkers! You should look for them!”
“Jean, call me Kakkers one more time and I will make you swallow your earrings.”
Jotaro snorts quietly, taking off one of his earbuds. He’s not one to pay attention to whatever the people around him says, but there is something in “Kakkers” voice that just makes him want to listen.
“Yikes, your soulmate is going to reject you if you keep being so vicious.”
“You do know soulmates aren’t always romantic or even platonic, yes? Maybe the feeling I had for mine was hate. Do you really want me to waste my time looking for someone I may have hated before?”
Oh, Jotaro likes this guy more and more. Was he a bit better with social interactions, he would totally turn around and high five him. Instead he supplies his body with more sugar, comfortably leaning back on the chair to pretend he’s watching the video and not eavesdropping on other people’s conversations.
“Kakkers” guy literally just said what Jotaro had tried to make Joseph’s thick head understand.
There is no way to know if what you had with your soulmate was good or not. It is not uncommon for soulmates that had hated each other in their last lives to hate each other the same this life. Or even more, considering that something must have happened for them to despise each other back then in the first place.
“I still think you should at least look in this Kujo fellow.”
Wait.
What?
Jotaro chokes with his sugar filled coffee, coughing so violently he lurches forwards on the table, phone falling from his hand on the hard wood of the tabletop. His drink is almost in the end, thankfully, so it doesn’t make much of a mess when he quickly puts the cup down with maybe a bit too much of strength. He feels a firm hand hitting his back gently, someone asking him to breath.
It takes him a few moments to regain his breathing, and a few more to process that the one who came to his rescue—and is standing besides him while wearing some very nice white pants—is no one else but the one that caused his distress.
Kakyoin Noriaki.
Kakyoin Noriaki is his name and he has to be the most beautiful guy Jotaro has ever seen. His pale skin looks soft, thin lips with a rosy tint. His hair is red, vibrant, kept short with one long, curly bang framing the side of his face. His eyes are lavender— lavender , what the Hell, is this dude even human? —with a hazel speckle near the pupils, long lashes making them even more mysterious. He’s tall, definitely not taller than Jotaro, but certainly above average. He’s slim, but the tight cropped turtleneck shows off his build, and he definitely is no stranger to gym.
Kakyoin tilts his head curiously—damn, that’s cute—and Jotaro notices the cherry-like earrings dangling from the redhead’s ears—damn, that’s also cute.
“You ok, man?”
“Kakyoin Noriaki,” Jotaro blurts out before he can stop himself, and immediately wants to kick himself as Kakyoin tenses up and steps back. “Wait. Uh. I…”
“Do I… know you?”
Dammit, even his suspicious face is cute. Fuck him and his pretty everything.
Jotaro sighs, unsure how to tell this complete stranger that the guy that had coughed his lungs out few seconds ago is his soulmate. In the end, he sticks with something he’s good at: not talking.
He raises his open right hand slowly, making sure to both appear as unthreatening as possible and to give Kakyoin the full view of the name on it. The redhead takes a good look at his hand, eyes widening as the tattoo registered. A soft blush paints his cheeks, and Jotaro is fully aware he must be blushing too.
“Were you listening to our conversation?”
“That’s… what you’re thinking about right now?”
The blush on Kakyoin’s cheeks darkens and Jotaro wants to hit his head on the table. Only this time, he’ll be grateful towards the Universe, without any complaint. Thank you, Universe, for sending this cute angel his way. Jotaro isn’t sure what he did in his past life to get so much good luck, but he’s glad he did it.
“Right, sorry.” Kakyoin—can Jotaro call him “Noriaki”? He wants to call him “Noriaki” or maybe even “Nori”. “Nori” is cute, fits the redhead—cleans his throat before raising his left hand so Jotaro can see his own name tattooed there.
They stare at each other for a moment, neither sure what to do, yet both unwilling to not recognize the sudden connection they feel. The sudden pull. The sudden want to be closer.
It’s probably that want that pushes Jotaro to bring their hands together, and that pushes Kakyoin to intertwine their fingers. Their soulmarks touch, sending bolts of electricity through them.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jotaro.” Kakyoin— Noriaki smiles. “Again.”
“You too, Noriaki.” He offers a small smile in return, and Noriaki looks even more delighted, beaming down at him.
Yep, Jotaro can die happy.
“YOU FOUND HIM! I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU, KAKKERS!”
“Jean!”
Or he could kill the annoying loud bastard fangirling over their reunion.