Chapter Text
“So… You’re sure about this, right?”
“Yes! God, how many times do I have to tell you?”
That had been three months ago, after you and the other crusaders had defeated Dio. You stood at the airport, one hand securely holding your luggage and the other held tightly in Polnareff’s. “I don’t have any family, so we’ll be on our own. It’s quiet where I’m from.”
“It’s not gonna be quiet if I’m there,” you said, and he laughed a little. “I’ll brighten up your little neighborhood in no time, trust me.”
“I’m glad.” He leaned down and kissed your forehead, and despite being relatively new, the gesture felt like the most familiar, comfortable thing in the world. “Our plane’ll be leaving soon, (Y/N). You ready?”
You nodded, setting your luggage down on the ground and gently letting go of Polnareff’s hand. “One second.” You walked over to Joseph and Jotaro, who were getting ready for their own flight a few feet away, and pulled them both into a hug. “Bye, guys,” you murmured into Jotaro’s shoulder, grinning. “I’ll see you around.”
You all pulled back and took in each other’s expressions. “Good luck with him,” Joseph said, gesturing to Polnareff. “He can be a real pain in the ass.”
Jotaro cracked a smile. “But so can she, so I think they’ll be alright.” You all laughed and, after one more hug, said goodbye.
Polnareff handed you your bag when you got back. “So, are you excited?” you asked, grinning up at him as you walked. “I am. I’m really happy.”
Never one for suppressing his emotions, Polnareff smiled widely down at you and again took your hand in his. “I can’t even describe how happy I am. My heart is so full.” You felt your face heat up and you sighed, raising his hand and kissing it gently. “I promise I’ll make you happy.”
You had no doubt that he would fulfill that promise.
—
“Shit! Ah, uh… Jean, on a scale of one to ten, how important is this mug to you?”
Three months later and you’ve settled into domestic life wonderfully. Polnareff’s hometown really isn’t much of a town - every house in the area is a five minute drive away - but it doesn’t bother you one bit. The gorgeous scenery and the peace of total silence is a welcome change, especially after what you’ve both been through.
There had been a couple bumps in the road during the first month; you’d taken your relationship pretty quickly, to be fair, so there was a bit of awkwardness and readjusting as you learned to live with each other. Still, though, you both make each other so happy that those problems sorted themselves out pretty quickly.
And now you’re here, holding half of a bright red coffee mug while the other half lies shattered on the ground. Polnareff pokes his head in from the other room and you meet his gaze, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry.”
He looks from you to the smashed mug, and before you can get nervous, a grin splits across his face. “It was ugly anyways! And now we have an excuse to get a new one.” He walks over to you with long strides and crouches down, carefully picking up the shards. “We can get one in your favorite color, which is… Uh…” You watch him with raised eyebrows as he wracks his brain for a few moments. Finally, he tries a color, and to your surprise he gets it right! He smirks as he stands back up and tosses the mug in the trash. “We’re on the same wavelength, ma cherie,” he says with a laugh.
“I guess so. Definitely on the right track, at least.” You grab a different mug and VERY carefully bring it over to the counter. As you pour your coffee, you watch Polnareff lean against the kitchen counter. His hair is nearly touching the ceiling; it’s so funny how he dwarfs everything in his own home.
“I didn’t know you drink coffee,” he comments.
“I haven’t been able to sleep for the past two months so I figured I probably shouldn’t,” you answer as you spoon sugar into your cup. “This week has been pretty good sleep-wise so I’m bringing it back!” You take an obnoxious sip and burn the hell out of your tongue. Polnareff laughs loudly as you swear, but you just set the mug down and laugh a little with him. “The coffee doesn’t agree with me.”
“Apparently not.” He walks over to you and wraps his arms around you, resting his chin on the top of your head. Part of you hates the fact that he’s tall enough to do this, but the other half absolutely loves it. “Are you okay?” he asks softly, and you feel your heart skip as he takes your hands in his.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” you breathe, smiling. “It’ll take more than a cup of coffee to get me.”
“I know.” He presses a kiss to the top of your head and sighs. “Well I might as well start drinking coffee too, huh? I never used to but I can try.”
You smile as Polnareff walks over to the coffee maker and squints at it for a moment, as if judging by its appearance whether he would like it. “Jean, I’m not making you take up coffee drinking. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“But I want to try!” he declares, and he decides to steal a sip of yours. He picks it up and quickly drinks a minuscule amount; almost immediately his face scrunches up. You snort as he sets the cup down, grimacing. “Maybe it’s not for me.”
“It figures you wouldn’t like something so bitter,” you say, a cheeky grin making its way onto your face. “You’re just too sweet!” He groans loudly with a huge smile on his face as you wrap your arms around him. “I couldn’t resist, sorry.”
He sighs. “It’s gonna take me a week to get over that one.” You let go of him and sit down at the kitchen table with your coffee. “But I forgive you.”
You look down at the wooden table as you drink some more, while Polnareff looks through the cabinets for something to have for breakfast. You haven’t been sleeping very well for the past few months - ever since you got back from Egypt. Most nights you get a few hours, but sometimes you can’t even bring yourself to close your eyes; whenever you do, you’re plagued by images of the horrors you witnessed and the friends you lost. Kakyoin’s strangled scream as he was killed plays almost constantly in your dreams, and the fact that Avdol hadn’t even gotten a chance to say goodbye hurts more than anything. You shut your eyes and take a deep breath. Polnareff is going through the same thing, so you both spend a lot of time comforting each other, but it’s still ridiculously hard. You’re so, so, lucky that you have him, but not even he can keep you from falling into all those memories on some days. You clench your fists when you feel your eyes well up with tears; maybe this grief is never going to fade -
“Holy shit! When did you buy brownies?”
Polnareff’s elated voice tears you from your thoughts, and you laugh loudly. He looks at you with wide, excited eyes. “Seriously! Did you know they’re my favorite?”
“I know now.”
“Let’s make them,” he says definitively.
You raise your eyebrows. “Jean, we haven’t even had breakfast yet.”
He looks from you to the brownies and back again. “…We could have brownies for breakfast…?”
God, you love him so much. With a laugh, you grab the box from him. “I’m not gonna argue with that.” He grins and thanks you as you open up the box.
After a breakfast of slightly-burnt brownies, you and Polnareff spend the day around the house, fixing up the yard and rearranging some furniture. If someone had told you a month ago that you’d be living out this perfectly domestic life, you would’ve laughed out loud - but somehow, you found yourself in a cottage on the French countryside with the man you loved more than anyone in the world. Days just fly by, because you have so much fun being with him. It’s honestly perfect.
Later in the day, you’re in your bedroom reading when Polnareff steps into the room. He places his hands on your shoulders and leans down, kissing your cheek. “Hi,” he murmurs.
You turn to face him and kiss him, wrapping your arm loosely around his torso. “Hey,” you reply. “What’s up?”
“I have a request, dear.” He gently takes your hands and pulls you out of your chair with a gentle smile. “Put on the nicest outfit you have and meet me at the door.”
You squint at him. “What’s this about?”
He smiles. “It’s a surprise!” You stare at him for a while longer; you know secrets only last about 30 seconds in Polnareff’s brain. He finally relents, sighing and letting go of your hands. “I made a reservation at that restaurant you said you wanted to try.”
“What?” You hug him tightly, grinning. “Thank you!”
“Of course.” The softness of his voice makes you smile; he’s just so sweet. “I figured since it’s been three months of being together, we should celebrate!”
“Three months…” You lean back and look up at him, cracking a smile. “It’s really been wonderful. I love being with you, Jean.”
His eyes widen, and he slowly leans down and kisses your forehead. “Three perfect months with the perfect person,” he murmurs.
He leaves to get ready, and you get ready yourself. Just thinking about all the wonderful gestures of love Polnareff showers you with makes you blush. Taking you to restaurants, showing you all the best parts of his hometown, the little hugs and kisses he gives you all throughout the day… He’s truly a master of romance, that’s for sure. He wins you over more and more every day.
You’re ready to go, and you head for the door. Polnareff is waiting for you in a crisp button-down shirt and a nice pair of pants; he looks handsome every day but this is just ridiculous. When he sees you his eyes widen, and his mouth just barely turns up at the corners. He stares at you for a minute and then blinks, as if he’s forgotten how to speak. “(Y/N), you’re so beautiful,” he says quietly, taking you in.
Your face flushes and you glance down, unable to hold his gaze. He takes a couple steps towards you and places his hand under your chin, guiding your face up to look at him. “I mean it,” he tells you, and you know he does. His voice is so earnest and adoring and you feel your heart nearly burst from your chest. “I love you.”
You stand on your toes and kiss him, wrapping your arms around his neck. As you part, you reach out and fix a strand of hair that had somehow fallen from its immaculate style. “I love you too, Jean,” you say softly, as you briefly run your hand over his cheek. “Thank you for being with me.”
He suddenly puts an abrupt end to the gentle moment by leaning in and giving you a loud kiss on the cheek. “The pleasure’s all mine,” he says with a warm laugh, and you snort, punching him in the arm. You can’t imagine a life or a love that’s better than this.