Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Noriaki Kakyoin doesn’t have a soulmate.

At least, this is what he tells himself every time he feels a pang of jealousy whenever his roommate wakes up from another shared dream with his. He just doesn’t have a fated someone. And that’s ok. Besides, he shouldn’t be jealous of his best friend. He is happy for Polnareff. He can tell instantly this morning that he saw his soulmate in his dreams because he wakes up with a dreamy smile on his face, and instead of greeting Kakyoin like he normally does, he merely lays in bed staring at the ceiling.

“Another dream?” Kakyoin asks with a smile, and Polnareff’s smile only grows.

“Yeah.” he says.

“Where were you guys this time?”

Polnareff smiles. “We were in the desert, at night.” he says. He furrows his eyebrows in concentration. “Damn, this is frustrating. I know I said their name right before I woke up. I can feel it on the tip of my tongue. But I can’t remember.” Polnareff’s smile turns into a frustrated pout.

It’s always like this, every time Polnareff gets the connection with his soulmate. He can never remember any details about them, but he knows what they’re like. They’re strong, and really intelligent, Polnareff describes many times a month, and from what he can remember, very hot. They’re much more grounded than Polnareff is, Kakyoin has learned, which he admits does sound like a nice compliment to Polnareff’s wild and sometimes reckless nature.

“A night in the desert sounds very nice.” Kakyoin says from his spot at the foot of his bed, where he is currently sorting through his open suitcase and folding away clothes into his dresser. While Polnareff seems perfectly content to wait until the last moment to move into their dorm before the start of the semester, Kakyoin likes to keep his side of the room tidy.

“It was.” Polnareff says, then suddenly rolls over and whines into his pillow. “ Fuck , Nori, I just want to meet them already, I always feel like we’re two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly and then I wake up and they’re gone, you know?”

Kakyoin tries and fails to keep the bitterness from his voice when he replies with “I don’t, actually.” he’s never felt any sort of magical mystical connection to anyone, like the stories he hears of other people with their soulmates. He’s never had a shared dream, never had someone else’s thoughts in his head, and his skin is free of any tattoos that could indicate his tie to another human. When he was younger, about seven or eight, he had heard of some soulmates being able to write messages to each other via their skin. He had run to his art supplies drawer in the kitchen and written ‘hello!’ on his leg in green marker, then on his arm, his hand, his belly, his feet. That evening he had cried when his mom started washing it off in the bath, insisting that maybe his soulmate just hasn’t seen it yet, begging her to let him keep it a little longer. It’s embarrassing, but he still secretly prefers to write reminders to himself on his wrist rather than anywhere else, just in case.

“Oh shit, dude, I’m sorry.” Polnareff says, rolling over with panic on his face, “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s ok.” Kakyoin interrupts him, looking up with a small smile. “I’m glad you feel that way.”

It’s not entirely uncommon for people to not have a soulmate, or to have one but not be able to be with them. He reads stories all the time of people having such vague soul connections that it’s impossible to tell who is being referred to, or of soul connections between people that can’t be together for this reason or another. That would be almost worse, Kakyoin tells himself, than not having a soulmate at all, to have a soulmate that has died or a soulmate he has no way of reaching. It still stings, though, knowing that he’s just that unlovable and undeserving of affection, that the universe has decided he doesn’t deserve it.

“We still doing that livestream later, right?” Polnareff asks, obviously picking up on Kakyoin’s declining mood, trying to lighten it. He tosses his blankets aside and gets up, stretching his arms above his head.

“Of course!” Kakyoin responds, feeling a genuine smile spread across his face. Polnareff and he had started a Youtube channel called StardustCrusaders two years ago, just fucking around together. Their first video was a silly vlog that they made, just exploring an abandoned prison, but people must have liked their energy together a lot, because it blew up within weeks. Now they had over two million subscribers and were known for their ability to bounce off each other in a quick and engaging manner. They were a team. “Hey Pol?”

“Yeah?” comes the response from their shared bathroom over the sound of the shower running.

“Maybe we should unpack your side of the dorm on our livestream!” Kakyoin calls.

“That’s really smart, actually!” Polnareff says, peeking out of the bathroom. “We could answer questions and stuff while putting things away!”

While Polnareff showers, Kakyoin pulls his laptop out of his backpack and opens the video editing program they share to continue working on the video they recorded yesterday with Polnareff’s sister, Sherry. There is something therapeutic about going over the footage, cutting it up, editing it, and pasting it together. It’s like making a collage. It distracts him from the looming arrival of classes in just two days. Not that he’s stressed about classes, Kakyoin thinks as he waves goodbye to Polnareff with a request of what to pick him up for lunch, it’s just that as a second year student of the art program, he pretty much knows exactly who to expect to be in his classes and he needs to prepare mentally. Polnareff, about to start his third year in the theater school, felt exactly the same; they bitched about the stupid competition in their fields constantly. 

About an hour later, Kakyoin stretches his arms above his head after clicking upload on their newest video, Sherry Does Our Makeup. He feels accomplished, at least for now, so he opens the previous video, We Try Making a Bed Sheet Rope, to look through the comments. The top comment written by a user called StarPlatinum immediately catches his eye for how short it is.

“ Idiots.”

Kakyoin smiles at the replies under the comment. It is true that trying to climb out of a third story window using flimsy bedsheets was not their smartest move. He clicks on the top commenter’s profile, intrigued by the little fish icon. Their page does not have much substance. Two videos, both no longer than three minutes, is all this channel consists of. The first one is called “A New Friend” and the second is called “Feeding Time”. Both of the thumbnails are of an aquarium with a single blue fish inside, no doubt the same fish as the one in the profile picture. Kakyoin smiles. This is cute. He clicks on the video called “A New Friend”. It is dated two months ago and has four views. It starts with the camera set up facing the tank, where the fish, a pretty little thing with long elegant fins, swims around among a couple tufts of decorative seaweed.

“This is Star Platinum.” a deep, gruff voice says off camera. The rest of the minute and 37 seconds pass in silence, save for the hum of background static, watching the fish swim around the little tank. Kakyoin thinks that it’s probably creepy that he’s stalking the page of one of his fans briefly, but it is a public site after all. He clicks on Feeding Time and begins watching as a hand appears from offscreen to sprinkle some food into the water. He is interrupted twenty seconds in by the sound of a key turning in their door. 

“Hey hey hey!” Polnareff exclaims, pushing the door open with his hip, his hands occupied with two brown paper bags. He throws one of them at Kakyoin, who barely manages to catch it in time. “Take your disgusting ass hummus sandwich. You will not believe who I ran into when I was taking my headshots into the office today.”

“It’s not disgusting, it’s tasty, nutritious, and vegetarian.” Kakyoin responds, reaching into the bag and pulling out the carefully wrapped meal. “And don’t tell me. Was it that pretentious fucker Prosciutto?”

“No. Worse.” Polnareff says, flopping backwards onto his bed and unwrapping his wrap from the paper.

Kakyoin looks up from taking his first bite. “...no.”

“Yeah.” Polnareff responds with an exasperated eye roll.

“Please say sike.”

“I wish I could.”

“Dio’s on campus? Already?”

Polnareff nods through a mouthful of his food. “He was all like-” he pulls a face of mock snobbiness “ oh hello Polnareff it’s been so long!” Polnareff smirks in an uncanny impression of Dio’s facial expression, “ we should catch up .” 

“Disgusting.” Kakyoin says, picking at his sandwich to readjust the layers, “What did you say?”

“I just kind of glared at him, dropped off my papers, and left. I was planning on going in to talk to Lisa Lisa about an internship but I didn’t want to stick around anymore.” Polnareff sighs. “So now I’m going to have to make another trip to talk to her because of your bitch boy ex boyfriend.”

“Sorry.” Kakyoin says with a roll of his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Polnareff snorts and takes a large bite of his food, speaking around it. “He was wearing this super tacky sleeveless shirt with this fur collar on it. It’s August! You know I would never judge someone’s fashion expression, not everyone can be as stylish as moi, but honestly!”

Kakyoin smiles, resuming his meal. It’s flattering how worked up Polnareff gets about Dio. When the man had tricked and manipulated Kakyoin into thinking he was his fated pair, Polnareff was the first to back him up when they discovered Dio was doing this to many people at once. It had really hurt Kakyoin at the time. If it wasn’t for Polnareff, Kakyoin doesn’t think he would’ve recovered like he did. Because of this, though Dio never actually had any beef with Polnareff personally, Kakyoin’s best friend made Dio his sworn enemy, and any mention of the man would cause Polnareff to get so worked up that often Kakyoin had to talk him back down out of it.

“Why was he even in the theater department in the first place? He’s a fashion design major.” Kakyoin asks after a few minutes of silence elapse between them, broken only by the sounds of them finishing their lunches.

Polnareff shrugs, not looking up from his phone. “Beats me. I hope I never see him again though. I can’t promise I won’t give him a black eye next time.” he pops the last bit of his wrap into his mouth, crumpling up the paper into a ball as he chews. “Ready to go live?”

“Yeah, let me set up real quick.” Kakyoin says, closing StarPlatinum’s page to instead open up a livestream page. He pushes anxious thoughts of Dio far from his mind. It shouldn’t be weird that Dio happened to be in the department of his best friend’s major. It was just a coincidence, he tells himself.

“Here, let’s start with the laptop on your desk. We can give a room tour once we’ve settled in.” Polnareff says, running over to Kakyoin’s desk and setting the box of art supplies that was on it on the ground. Kakyoin follows and Polnareff pulls up one of his larger boxes to use as a chair.

Kakyoin settles down in his desk chair and fixes his bangs in the little preview window on his screen. As much as he likes his side career, he’s always very nervous anytime they do a video or livestream together. He can see why Polnareff would have a large fanbase, he’s charismatic and outgoing, generally good looking, and confident. Kakyoin just feels like an awkward fraud beside him, especially since he would be perfectly fine without online recognition. “Hey could you pull the shutters closed a little more?” he asks. Polnareff nods 

“Ready?” he asks, and begins the stream.

“Hey, crew!” Polnareff beams into the camera, “How are you guys today?”

“What’s up!” Kakyoin echoes, watching the number of people on the livestream rapidly grow higher and higher.

“As you guys can see, we are not in mine or Kakyoin’s bedrooms…”

“Clue number one about what we’ll be doing on this live.” Kakyoin says, lifting his eyebrows conspiratorially at the camera.

“We’re back in school!” Polnareff shouts, throwing his arms out and nearly smacking Kakyoin in the face. Kakyoin scrunches his eyebrows in mock disgust at Polnareff’s antics.

The chat erupts with comments of “omg!” and “I knew it!” and “it’s about time!” that Kakyoin skims briefly. One comment stands out to him and he scoffs.

“Mina678 has it right on the nose.” Kakyoin says, leaning in to read the comment aloud. “She said ‘I bet Polnareff’s side already looks way messier than Kakyoin’s’.” Kakyoin stares right into the camera. “Mina, you have no idea. He hasn’t even-” Kakyoin suddenly grabs the camera, lifting it up at an angle to reveal the box Polnareff is sitting on, to which Polnareff squawks indignantly. “He hasn’t even begun unpacking-”

“Ok that’s enough!” Polnareff splutters over him, grabbing the camera out of Kakyoin’s hands to put it back on it’s stand, “The whole point of this livestream was to help me unpack and show our lovely subscribers the room-”

Kakyoin shakes his head and tsks, “Excuses excuses.”

The chat is flooded with messages of “boys break it up” and “the girls are fighting” and “ladies, you’re both beautiful”.

“ Fine! Since you’re all so mean to me, I’ll go start now!” Polnareff huffs. He crosses his arms, stands up, and walks out of the frame to his side of the room. “Have fun entertaining our audience by yourself, Kakyoin !”

Kakyoin laughs and turns back to the camera, sitting in silence briefly for dramatic effect. “Well, that’s that I guess. Thanks for coming to the live.” he says. He turns his head to look at Polnareff, crouching in the corner over a box of his stuff. “I love you Pol.” he teases with a singsong lilt to his voice.

Polnareff grunts in response, prompting another laugh from Kakyoin.

Kakyoin leans in to read some more of the messages coming in.

“CarelessPanda12 wants us to show them the room, Pol, it’s not much of a ‘Back to School’ live if we don’t give the people what they want.”

Polnareff turns around and throws a stuffed animal at him.

“Agk!” Kakyoin lets out a startled yelp as he tries to stay on his chair, catching the toy with both hands. “Don’t be rude!” he turns the stuffed animal, which happens to be a cute little knight with a felt rapier, to the camera. “This is Silver Chariot, who will be staying with me now, on account of his previous owner abusing him.”

“Give him back. That was an impulse mistake.” Polnareff says, his voice carrying across the modest living space.

“Your fans love him.” Kakyoin says, reading the chat as he props Silver Chariot up on the table where Polnareff was previously sitting, “CardboardCorrugation wants to know where you got him.”

“Thanks! I think I just got him at Target!” Polnareff calls from offscreen. Kakyoin angles his entire setup to include Polnareff unpacking in the background. “I saw him and he saw me and we bonded instantly. He’s my best friend.”

“Ouch.” Kakyoin says, no genuine hurt present in his voice.

“Kakyoin, you don’t count.” Polnareff says. He turns his body around to make eye contact. “You can’t be my best friend, you’re like family. ”

“Bro.” Kakyoin says immediately, pressing a hand to his chest.

“Bro.” Polnareff pulls a face that makes him look like he’s about to cry.

Kakyoin turns back to the livestream chat with a smile on his face, pulling Silver Chariot into his arms and hugging him to his chest as he reads the plethora of “bro!” and “crying in the club rn” and “this is the ultimate bromance” comments.

“‘How did you guys meet?’ PinkSkittle27 asked.” Kakyoin reads from the chat. “That’s actually a good story, have we ever told it on the internet?” Kakyoin turns around to look at Polnareff contemplatively.

“I don’t think so? We can tell it again anyway.” Polnareff says, opening the set of drawers beside him to start folding his sorted clothes into.

“We met… what was it, like almost three years ago?” Kakyoin says, turning to Polnareff for confirmation. “I was 17 at the time, Pol was 18, and we were hired by a coffee shop in our hometown at the same time. We did training together and everything. I remember the manager took us into the back room to show us these stupid tutorial videos, and all I remember thinking was ‘is he gonna be allowed to style his hair like that?’”

“Ok to be fair when I was 17 it did not look as good as it does now.” Polnareff pipes up from where he’s arranging his shirts. “I just remember I was excited that I wasn’t gonna be the only newbie.”

“We didn’t actually work a shift together until maybe a month later? We got overlapping shifts a couple of times, but I remember it was a Saturday evening that we were the only two people working.”

Polnareff suddenly begins laughing. “You know, I really think all the managers just wanted time off every weekend to get hammered, that’s why they kept bringing in the minors to work those late shifts.”

Kakyoin begins laughing too. “Honestly! I’m surprised we didn’t end up on the same shift earlier.”

“Anyways!” Polnareff says, “That was both of our first times closing, we didn’t really know each other, and we were stuck there on a Saturday night instead of doing literally anything else. You can imagine how uncomfortable the atmosphere was.”

Kakyoin reads a message that says ‘I bet they fucked shit up’ and smiles. “I was definitely not having it that night, business was slow, I was forced into making awkward conversation with my coworker with pillar hair, and suddenly this group of asshole college students pulls up to the drive-thru.”

“Wait, wait.” Polnareff suddenly gets up from the ground and scrambles over to the camera. “Let me tell this, you’re not gonna do yourself justice.”

Kakyoin laughs, flattered. “Be my guest.”

“So ok, you guys, to set up the scene, I was restocking the cup supplies and manning the front while Kakyoin was on headset handling the drive-thru, right?” Polnareff settles himself atop the box he previously vacated. “I heard him take some orders and then begin making the drinks while the car itself pulled up. These assholes -” Polnareff pauses to to emphasize his rage at the story, “These assholes , when Kakyoin hands them like maybe four entire large ass coffees, just… take the lids off and throw them back in at Kakyoin !”

“Luckily they were iced, not hot, but it was so cold!” Kakyoin adds in. The chat is flooded with exclamations of anger, shock, and annoyance.

“Assholes! I hope none of you guys would ever do anything like that.” Polnareff says, staring right into the camera. “I was already rushing over with napkins to help clean up, but this absolute feral fucking king right here,” Polnareff claps his hand on Kakyoin’s shoulder, who giggles, “he didn’t hesitate.”

“Listen-” Kakyoin says, smiling.

“He jumps out of the drive-thru window ,” Polnareff steamrolls right over the beginning of Kakyoin’s sentence. “And might I say that these fuckers have already started speeding away! He leaps out of this tiny little window and chases after a moving vehicle -”

“You’re making me sound like a fucking psycho-”

“-and not only does he actually fucking catch up with them on foot, while soaked head to toe with iced coffee-”

“Polnareff-”

“-he jumps onto the back of this car, like the fucking gremlin he is, and rips their license plate off with his bare hands! ”

Kakyoin watches the chat explode with ‘holy shit he’s insane’ and ‘how isn’t he in jail’ and ‘a reasonable reaction honestly’ as he snickers into the back of his hand.

“What can I say?” Kakyoin says, shrugging and not trying to conceal his grin.

“But guys, guys. He then proceeded to jump off a moving vehicle , screaming ‘have fun dashing without your license plate, fuckers, I’m calling the cops!’ and then he ran and climbed back in through the window!”

“Well what was I supposed to do, let them beat me up? I would’ve been completely outnumbered!” Kakyoin leans back in his desk chair, reaching his arms up over his head to stretch nonchalantly.

“GarlicBreadHoe wants to know what happened to you, Kakyoin. Care to explain the consequences of your actions?” Polnareff turns to stare at Kakyoin expectantly, an amused smile on his face.

Kakyoin sighs. “I got my pay suspended for two weeks. I honestly think I should’ve been fired but our manager, Stacy, had thought it was just as funny as Polnareff did.”

“And hey! We’ve been friends ever since, so who’s complaining?” Polnareff reasons, pushing himself up to go continue unpacking his clothing.

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways.” Kakyoin leans in to catch up with what the chat has been saying. He’s reading through a litany of response messages when one simple ‘unbelievable that you didn’t get fired’ in particular catches his attention. Rather, the username does. He laughs. “Oh come on, StarPlatinum, if you’re not careful I’m gonna think you wanted me to get fired. My parents would’ve killed me.” he reads on as the chat continues coming in, until another message from StarPlatinum pops up.

‘Should’ve thought of that before stealing a license plate.’

Kakyoin laughs, mock offense dripping from his voice. “Ouch! I couldn’t just let them get away with it! Everyone! Bully StarPlatinum in the chat.”

“Don’t be mean to our subscribers Nori.” Polnareff scolds from the corner.

“They started it!” Kakyoin giggles, turning his diverted attention back into reading the ‘rude.’ and ‘*insert bullying here*’ messages coming in. Another message from StarPlatinum makes Kakyoin smile.

‘Whatever. Show us your room or something.’

“Ok ok, I’m just teasing. Do you guys actually want a room tour now though?” Kakyoin says, picking up the camera. Many ‘yes!’ messages in the chat prompt him to begin angling the camera around to show the livestream the layout of their dorm.

There isn’t much. Their two beds are pushed up into two of the corners, leaving just enough space between them for Polnareff’s desk. Kakyoin updates the viewers on his plants, a potted ivy plant he affectionately calls Hierophant Green, and a bamboo stalk by the name of Emerald. Both of them rest on the windowsill between Polnareff’s desk and Kakyoin’s bed. He shows them his desk, pressed against the wall at the foot of his bed, and the small living space they’ve created at the foot of Polnareff’s, complete with a small tv (their video games included of course) and two bean bags. The final step of the tour is the entrance area to the room, where they’ve managed to squeeze in a minifridge and lamp beside the door to their shared bathroom.

“And that is our humble little room!” Kakyoin announces at the end of his tour. Polnareff shuts the drawers built into the foot of his bed, now that he’s finished unpacking, and pulls up his desk chair to sit beside Kakyoin as they begin to work their way to an outro.

“There’s not much space, but we made it work.” Polnareff says with a wink to the camera.

“FlexibleHexagon asked what we’re majoring in.” Kakyoin reads from the chat. “Yeah so I’m majoring in art and Pol’s a theater major!” he leans in to read more messages.

“Looks like Hierophant and Emerald have fans! Shoutout to HierophantEmeraldSplash!” Polnareff claps his hands.

“Oh my god thank you so much! They’re very flattered.” Kakyoin smiles, turning to look at his plants over his shoulder before turning back to the chat. “GoldenJasmine45 says…” Kakyoin leans in closer to catch the message before it disappears. “Hey! I’m a new subscriber so maybe you guys have said this before,” Kakyoin smiles. “Hey Jasmine! Welcome to the crew! Maybe you guys have said this before, but what’re your guys’ soulmarks?”

Shit!

Polnareff glances at Kakyoin, the air between them suddenly growing tense. Why did Kakyoin read that? He scolds himself for not reading the entire message first before saying it aloud. Now he’s forced to answer.

Polnareff clears his throat. “Yeah, we’ve talked about it before!” he doesn’t let his voice betray the awkwardness suddenly felt by both students. “I have shared dreams with mine!” Kakyoin is thankful for Polnareff. His face falls easily into a dreamy expression, just like he does every time he talks about his soulmate, diverting the attention completely from Kakyoin. “I don’t know anything about them, but I know what they’re like, and I’m just gonna say I’m… I’m really lucky.”

“Gross.” Kakyoin teases after a moment, and just like that, the pair eases back into their easy back and forth banter.

“Shut up! That’s my soulmate you’re talking about!” Polnareff says with a playful shove to Kakyoin’s shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah.” Kakyoin laughs. He swallows. “As for me, I… I rather wouldn’t share my soulmate bond on the internet.” he resists making eye contact with Polnareff while delivering the lie he asked Polnareff to settle on with him back when they got the question asked for the first time. “I want to… meet my soulmate naturally. Not over the internet.” he forces a smile.

Polnareff nudges him with his shoulder. “Dork.” he says, his voice warm with friendly affection. Kakyoin smiles back.

“Anyways, we’re probably gonna wrap this stream up now, we’ve still got more things to prepare before the first day of school.” Kakyoin leans in to smile at the camera. The chat begins to fill with ‘we love you!’ and ‘bye!’ and ‘have fun!’ messages.  “Thanks for hanging out with us today!”

“Yeah! Stay safe you guys, don’t forget to check out our merch at stardustcrusaders.com and subscribe to our channel if you haven’t already!” Polnareff gives the camera two thumbs up.

“Good luck with the first day of school everyone!” Kakyoin hovers the mouse over the ‘End’ button.

“Stay wonderful!”

“Bye!”

Polnareff slumps back in his chair after Kakyoin ends the stream. Kakyoin lets out a sigh, tired after almost an hour of socialization.

“I’m tired.” Polnareff whines.

“You’re tired? You’re the extrovert!” Kakyoin exclaims incredulously.

“But I had to unpack all of my thiiiings!” Polnareff mopes, slumping down farther in his chair. Kakyoin shoves him and laughs when he falls to the ground.

“Shut up! It had to be done sometime!”

As Polnareff gets up from the ground, grumbling, Kakyoin turns back to his computer screen to close YouTube and log off. Before he does that, though, he remembers something he was going to do after the livestream.

Kakyoin opens a fresh YouTube tab and types “StarPlatinum” into the search bar. It takes a second to find the right account, but once he does, he opens it and clicks ‘subscribe’, raising the subscriber count from two to three.

Smiling at the finished task, Kakyoin logs off his computer and picks up his art satchel from it’s spot on the ground beside his desk.

“Polnareff.” he calls to the outline of his best friend under the covers of his bed. “I’m gonna go check out the studio and set up some of my things. I’ll be back soon.”

He hears Polnareff grunt in affirmation as he leaves, locking the door behind him. It’s time to get into the habit of visiting the studio every day, he thinks as he exits the dorm room into the bright light of the outside. School starts very soon and he’s not sure who he’s going to meet, but he has to be ready.

Chapter Text

Jotaro Kujo moves into his apartment the evening before the beginning of the fall semester.

He had been planning on moving in that morning and spending the afternoon unpacking his things, but he had gotten a bit… preoccupied when his uncle showed up unannounced. At least he brought his things into the damn apartment, he thinks as he pushes a box containing his computer desktop out of the way before hurrying out the door on the first day of class. After he brought his boxes in with the help of his grandfather and his TA, Avdol, he had almost immediately gotten a call from Josuke telling him he was coming over. He had stayed for the entire rest of the day. Jotaro had made the mistake of telling him about the random, out-of-the-blue subscribe he got from StardustCrusaders, so of course the second he moved in from his hometown to college, the 16-year-old immediately came to check for himself. 

Josuke was a good kid, Jotaro thinks as he waits for the crosswalk light to turn green, but if he wasn’t family he probably would never hang out with him, even in a universe where they were the same age. 

It was Josuke who even got Jotaro into the StardustCrusaders at all. About a year ago, they had uploaded a series of videos where they went to the beach, collected seashells, learned to surf, and snorkled around a reef. Josuke had sent Jotaro a link, and Jotaro had found the duo oddly charming. He didn’t normally watch stuff like this; he could see why Josuke would be a fan, but Polnareff and Kakyoin were very… loud. There was something, though… something that compelled Jotaro to click subscribe and to watch the videos, to join “The Crew”, as the fanbase was called. It was only a couple months later, when Jotaro had a storytime video of Polnareff pulled up but his eyes were fixed on a certain redhead in the background, that he began to suspect why.

“Hey Avdol.” Jotaro greets the current occupant of his grandfather’s office when he walks in.

“Hey Jotaro!” Avdol smiles as he glances up from the map he has spread out on the desk. “Are you here for your textbooks? I believe Mr. Joestar put them on that shelf over there.” He points at the bookshelf crammed into the corner of the office.

“Thanks.” Jotaro scans the shelf for his books. It’s nice to have a grandfather as a staff member at the university he’s attending, Jotaro thinks as he loads up his backpack with the brand new books; almost everything can be compensated financially, as long as it’s his grandfather making the purchases and not him. He observes Avdol’s slouch over the map for a moment before speaking again. “What are you doing?”

Avdol looks up from where he’s tracing his finger over the Sahara Desert. “Hm?”

“Are you looking for something?”

Avdol looks down at the map on the desk before him like he’s seeing it for the first time. “Oh, this?” he smiles. “It’s nothing important. My… well. It’s probably not something you want to hear, you probably have class to get to.”

Jotaro shakes his head. “I have time.” He approaches the desk and peers at the map on the table, curiously eyeing the books on desert plant life laying open beside it. As far as he knew, Avdol was a chemistry major. 

Avdol lets out a sigh as he smiles. “Well… the last dream I had, a few days ago, my soulmate and I were in a desert. It’s… it’s pointless, but I have a catalog of all the places we’ve been to in my dreams. I like doing it, making connections with the places. I’m trying to figure out which desert we were in.” he points to Saudi Arabia. “My bet so far is the Arabian desert. I don’t know what that has to do with us though. Maybe it’s a significant location for us in another universe…”

Avdol trails off, staring contemplatively at the map, and Jotaro hums in response. “I don’t know anything about deserts.”

Avdol laughs. “Not your area, I know. If we ever meet on the ocean floor I’ll let you know.” He glances up at the clock above the door. “Thanks for humoring me, Jotaro. I wouldn’t want to make you late on the first day of class, though. You should go.”

Jotaro glances at the clock and frowns. “Yeah, you’re right. See you Avdol. Good luck with your… soulmate.”

Avdol chuckles as Jotaro ushers himself out the door of the office, his backpack heavy with his new textbooks. He’s always liked Avdol. He’s one of the only people in his life who he could consider a friend outside his immediate family, despite him being a senior and Jotaro a sophomore. He always had interesting things to say. Even today, in their brief interaction, Jotaro was intrigued. Jotaro always secretly thought Avdol had a very interesting type of soul connection.

Subconsciously, Jotaro brings his hand up to brush his fingers over the spot on the lower central portion of his ribs covered by his shirt. His own soulmark is stupid. He had always thought that he would have some sort of profound connection with his soulmate, given that for most of his life he was completely markless, so when the little green diamond appeared randomly one day, to say he was frustrated would be an understatement. He never really cared much for romance or any of that stupid complicated stuff, so he thought the universe would take this into consideration and grace him with a soulmate that would immediately fit themselves into his life, problem free. Now though, he had no idea who his soulmate could possibly be, and it had sort of become a constant source of anxiety for him, not knowing. 

The day the diamond had shown up had been a busy, stressful one. It was a little under a year ago, towards the end of the first semester of his freshman year. He had had two tests coming up in the next two days, a project due, an essay to write, and endless homework assignments to complete, all without any time to do it all. His advisors and professors had all scheduled meetings with him, and by the time he had come back to his dorm at six p.m. that evening, his feet had hurt from walking around all day, he had seen far too many people for his liking, and his head hurt from the amount of stress-cramming he had done at the library. Coincidentally, that was the same day that Josuke sent him a link to the StardustCrusaders channel. He was incredibly overwhelmed, to say the least. Regardless, he still clicked on the link Josuke sent him, and for a few hours, the StardustCrusaders had helped Jotaro escape the stress of his real life. The fun, playful energy of Polnareff was mind-numbingly pleasant, and Kakyoin… well, Jotaro liked his whole vibe a lot too. Unfortunately, it had all been undone the moment he stripped his shirt before getting in the shower later that night, when he noticed the green mark on his skin for the first time.

At first, he had panicked. It obviously meant that he had met or come into contact with his soulmate sometime that day and hadn’t realized it. This in turn caused frustration to bubble forth for himself and for the universe for not making the moment his soulmark appeared more obvious. Anxious thoughts followed when he began to run through his entire day and couldn’t remember meeting anyone special. Hell, he probably saw half the university that day.

Jotaro forces himself to drop the frustrating train of thought his mind is currently on. There is no use dwelling on what could have happened that day to cause such a subtle change in his life that he didn’t notice. It was part of the reason why he kept watching more StardustCrusaders. They were an excellent distraction from anxiety. That, and Jotaro really liked looking at Kakyoin.

He walks into the lecture hall one minute before the class is technically supposed to start. It isn’t a very large room, he notices, but he wasn’t expecting the class to be very big anyways. The class is called Feminism in Animal Rights, and he only took it because he needed the women and gender studies credit. Learning about gender divide in the animal rights movement seemed like something he might need to be aware of going into marine biology, so he signed up.

As he takes a seat on the far right corner of the room, Jotaro catches two girls in the front staring at him, to which they immediately turn around and begin whispering to each other. Great. He knew he would probably be one of the only men in this class, and so far his suspicion has been proven correct.

He gets out a notebook and pencil from his bag as the professor makes her way towards the back of the hall.

“Wait!” a voice calls from down the hall just as she begins to pull the doors closed. “I’m coming!”

The professor pulls a face but pauses, waiting for the student to catch up. Jotaro rolls his eyes and fixes his attention back to the front of the room.

“Thank you so much, mademoiselle .” the voice schmoozes as the student walks through the doors.

…

Wait.

The professor snorts in amusement. “If you think name calling will help you in this class, you’re mistaken. Pick any seat you want. There’s some available in the back here.”

No, hold on.

Jotaro turns his head quickly to evaluate the student who just walked in, and all the blood rushes from his face.

The student makes his way down Jotaro’s row. He isn’t gonna-

He sits down next to him, oblivious to Jotaro’s internal turmoil.

Perhaps there is a mistake.

“Good morning!” the professor greets the class. “Welcome! I’m Dr. Corsarik, for those of you who don’t know.”

While the professor continues warming up the class to what will be expected of them this semester, Jotaro tries to inconspicuously observe the new student beside him as he pulls a spiral notebook from his backpack and plops it on his desk. The backpack has a little pin of a knight in silver armor on it.

“Why don’t we all introduce ourselves before we start breaking down the syllabus? Let’s do name, major, and why you took this class. How about you start?” The professor points to a girl in the front row.

Jotaro always hates these introductions, but today he is particularly anxious. He needs to know if he’s mistaken. He waits in fear as the professor goes around the entire room. There has to be some sort of mistake.

“Thank you, Larissa.” the professor finishes with the girl to the other side of the new student. She turns her head expectantly to look at him, and Jotaro holds his breath.

“Jean Pierre Polnareff!”

Jotaro’s blood runs cold.

“You can call me Polnareff. I am a third year theater major, and I took this class because I was very curious to see how feminism connects to the animal rights movement.” Polnareff clasps his hands to his chest as his speech takes on a more dramatic tone. “It’s a serious problem, non ? My roommate is a vegetarian. He tells me all these horrible things about animal cruelty. He is the one who encouraged me to take this class.”

At the mention of Polareff’s roommate, Jotaro’s heart flips in his chest.

“Thank you, Jean, I hope your questions will be answered in class.”

The professor and all the other students, including Polnareff, turn to Jotaro expectantly.

“Jotaro Kujo.” he says, willing his shock away. “Second year marine biology. I thought this class would be useful in my field.”

“Thank you, Jotaro, I’m actually very certain it will be. We will be discussing marine life later on in the semester, so you’re in the right place.”

And then she moves on, and Polnareff diverts his attention from Jotaro once again.

...

What should he do?

The answer is obviously nothing, but it feels so bizarre to sit beside someone who he knows for a fact to be a decent celebrity. He knows so much information about him. Jotaro suddenly feels like a stalker, despite everything he knows being information Polnareff had revealed to the public.

What is most baffling, Jotaro supposes, is the fact that Polnareff and Kakyoin apparently both attend his university, and probably have been for the same amount of time as he has, and he hadn’t even known. They never revealed on their channel where they went to school to maintain their privacy, so Jotaro never even entertained the idea of seeing them in real life. 

...

Josuke is going to flip when he tells him.

---

“ What? ” Josuke shrieks so loudly into the receiver that Jotaro has to hold the phone away from his ear.

“Don’t shout.” Jotaro says, exasperated. He walks over to his fish tank and peers inside, giving his betta fish, Star Platinum, a little wave through the glass.

“ You sit next to Polnareff in class?! Polnareff from StardustCrusaders? ” Josuke does not turn down his volume. Jotaro sighs.

“Yeah.”

He can hear shuffling on the other side of the phone, then in the distance, Josuke’s muffled voice. “Bro, come here! Jotaro met Jean Pierre Polnareff in real life, bro!” More shuffling, then the sound of a distant door slamming open and the pad of feet.

“ What? ”

Jotaro rolls his eyes. Of course Okuyasu is there, and of course he’s just as excited as Josuke, if not more so. Them being soulmates had come as a surprise to no one.

“Jean Pierre Polnareff is in my feminism class.”

There is more shuffling on the other end of the line, before finally, “You’re on speaker.” Josuke says. “Tell us everything !”

“I came to my feminism class. So did he. That’s it”

“No offense Jotaro but you are so boring .” Okuyasu says. Jotaro snorts.

“Did he say anything to you?” a softer, calmer voice asks. “I’m here too, by the way.”

Jotaro huffs a breath in amusement. “Hello Koichi.” Koichi had always been Jotaro’s favorite out of Josuke’s group of friends. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

“Yeah, well he is. Answer his question.” Josuke snaps.

“He didn’t say anything to me. We were in class.”

He is met with silence on the other end that stretches on for long enough that Jotaro checks to see if the call is still going.

“He’s useless.” he hears Josuke mumble.

“What was he like?” Okuyasu prompts, mild desperation in his voice.

“I mean…” Jotaro sighs, balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder as he sprinkles some food into Star Platinum’s tank. “He called the professor mademoiselle. He was engaged in the initial discussion we had. He doodled a cactus in the corner of his paper and didn’t take any notes.”

“ Now we’re talking!” Josuke cackles as Okuyasu whoops in the background. “Was he wearing a tube top?”

Jotaro chuckles. Polnareff’s tube tops were iconic and a huge internet meme. “Of course he was.”

Laughter on the other end of the line.

“ Please tell me there will be a group project or something that you could work with him on!” Josuke pleads.

“I’m not going to force him to talk to me if he doesn’t want to.” Jotaro flops down onto the couch in his cramped living area.

Josuke sighs loudly into Jotaro’s ear, making him cringe. “Please just talk to him if you have the chance.” Josuke whines. Jotaro rolls his eyes.

“I have to finish unpacking. Bye Josuke.”

“Wait! Please, promise me you’ll-!”

Jotaro hangs up before the other has a chance to finish his sentence. The first day of classes was exhausting enough. Now that he’s home, in his tiny college apartment, he just wants to… be.

He plays some jazz on his phone while he finishes unpacking what needs to be unpacked. He doesn’t have a lot of space in his apartment, and luckily it came mostly furnished, so the job only takes him about an hour. When he’s finished, he’s left with a conjoined living room/kitchen area separated by a barstool counter, a small hallway leading to the only bedroom and bathroom, and a little balcony that looks out over downtown. It’s all he and Star Platinum need, really. Jotaro made sure to put Star’s tank near the window by the balcony so Star could have lots to look at while Jotaro was away most of the day.

He sighs as he reclines on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He’s lucky his grandfather was rich enough to be able to afford paying rent for his grandson’s apartment. Living by himself had a lot of perks that Jotaro appreciated. He thinks back on how fondly Polnareff had spoken of Kakyoin, his roommate , and only feels a twinge of jealousy. It’s not that he’s lonely, but…

“It would be nice if I could have at least one human to talk to sometimes, Star.” he mumbles as he watches his fish swish his tail around.

Or if he could find his damn soulmate.

---

Jotaro gets a chance to speak to Polnareff the second week of class. 

“Before we run out of time, I’d like to make an announcement about your final presentations for this class!” their professor tells them five minutes before the end of class. “You’ll be working on it all semester, you’ll have a couple assignments to turn in for it throughout each month. It’s a rather large assignment, so you will be working on it in groups.”

Jotaro immediately tenses. He had never liked working in groups. He found that usually he was the only one doing any work and he generally preferred to work alone.

On top of that, Polnareff still sat beside him the entire semester thus far.

Polnareff lifts his head from doodling a campfire in the margins of his notes.

“I can assign you to groups but you should really think about who you would like to work with yourselves. It’ll be better for everyone involved if you actually want to work with your partner.” Dr. Corsarik claps her hands. “Ok! That is all. Class dismissed.”

Polnareff turns his head and Jotaro can feel himself being watched.

He’s gonna say something, isn’t he? He’s gonna-

“Hey.” Polnareff says. Jotaro glances up, trying to seem as casual as possible, like he doesn’t know dozens of facts about the person in front of him, the person who is supposed to be a stranger. Polnareff smiles at having gotten Jotaro’s attention. “You’re Jotaro, right?”

Jotaro swallows and nods. Polnareff’s smile just grows.

“I’m Polnareff, in case you forgot.” Jotaro cringes internally at the irony of this statement. “I know you don’t talk much in this class but I’ve noticed you take a lot of notes. Do you…” Jotaro straightens up in his seat a bit, in anticipation of the question he knows is coming. “Do you want to partner up for this thing?”

Jotaro blinks. What twist of fate led him here? How is this happening?

“I promise I’m not like, stupid or anything.” Polnareff stammers, obviously suddenly made nervous by Jotaro’s silence. “I just, you know… we’re the only guys in this class, I guess, and I don’t want to get put with someone random, and… I don’t know.” he trails off.

“Yeah, sure.” Jotaro nods once.

Polnareff pauses, gauging Jotaro’s reaction (or lack thereof. Sometimes it’s no wonder to Jotaro that he doesn’t really have any friends). “Yeah?”

“Sure.”

Polnareff smiles. “Awesome! Can I have your number?”

Jotaro stares at him.

“For the project!” Polnareff punches him on the arm. Jotaro stiffens at the physical contact. “So we can get together and work on it or something!”

“Oh.” Jotaro reaches into his pocket for his phone.

Polnareff laughs, loudly. “You don’t talk much, huh? You should meet my roommate. You guys would get along.” he takes Jotaro’s phone from him, creating a new contact for himself as he talks, oblivious to the blush rising to Jotaro’s cheeks. “He also doesn’t ever talk to anyone. I’m always like ‘Nori, we should go to this party my friend invited us to’ and he’s all like ‘Do I haaave to I just want to play video games and draw pictures all day.’ Fuckin hermit.” he says, smiling affectionately. Jotaro’s heart squeezes a bit at the comment. He’s not sure why. “Anyways!” Polnareff hands Jotaro his phone back. “Text me to make sure everything is correct!”

Jotaro nods and clicks on Polnareff’s contact to send him a simple ‘hi.’

Polnareff’s contact .

Jean Pierre Polnareff.

“Cool, thanks, I got it!” Polnareff smiles and drops his phone back in his bag. “What is today… Thursday, right? Do you want to come over this weekend?” Jotaro almost stops breathing.

“Um. Sure.” he manages, and Polnareff holds out his fist, which Jotaro reluctantly bumps back.

“Awesome! I’ll text you my dorm info. This Saturday afternoon work for you? My roommate usually works in the studio on Saturday afternoons so he shouldn’t disturb us.” Jotaro feels a slight twinge of disappointment at this news, but he ignores it.

“Ok.” he says.

“Great! I’ll see you then, Jotaro!” And then Polnareff is leaving the room.

So.

He has Polnareff’s number.

He’s going to be working on a project with him.

He’s going to be going to his dorm room.

A little spark of happiness bursts forth from Jotaro’s chest. This… this is what friends did, right? They did projects together and hung out at each other’s dorms. Will he maybe make his first friend in college? Who cares that he won’t get to meet Kakyoin?

...Well.

He cares, his mind reminds him.

He shouldn’t. He never let himself care about that. Who cared that every time he saw Kakyoin smile his heart fluttered in his chest? Who cared that he had dreams of meeting the redhead and discovering that he has a matching green diamond on his ribs? The chance of knowing him in real life had never been real.

Until now, it seems.

Until he got that dumb subscription a few weeks ago for no reason. What the hell was that? He still didn’t know. Did Polnareff follow him?

...Or did Kakyoin?

Jotaro buries his face in his hands.

He’s gonna be in Kakyoin’s room. This Saturday . The opportunity to see what he’s like in real life is so close, and yet, still very far away. This was much easier when Jotaro didn’t know that they attended the same university. 

His phone buzzes with a text from Polnareff.

‘hi! :D thanks for agreeing to do the project with me, again. You seem like you know what you’re doing. I can only wish :(((’

Jotaro scoffs at his phone. At least Polnareff seems friendly enough. Jotaro swipes out of the messages between him and Polnareff to open up a fresh text.

‘I’m working with Polnareff on a project. Thought you might like that.’ Jotaro sends to Josuke.

His phone rings not two seconds after he sends the text.

Chapter Text

On the second Saturday of September, Kakyoin snaps.

Is nothing sacred anymore? He fumes as he angrily pushes open the door to the studio and storms out, startling another art student as she is opening the door to go inside. He mumbles an apology as he brushes past her and she hops out of the way, but he suspects his voice was too full of malice to soften the blow of his actions.

That bitch Rohan Kishibe!

He knows just how to press Kakyoin’s buttons, and Kakyoin wishes he could say it didn’t bother him, but it did! So much!

When he met Rohan at the beginning of their freshman year, Kakyoin had foolishly thought that they might be able to be friends. Oh, how wrong he had been! He quickly turned out to be a pretentious, aggravating, hostile, and annoying bitch. And the worst thing about it all was that he was actually quite talented! Objectively, Kakyoin could see what Rohan had to be proud about, but it didn’t mean he liked it! If he was a bad artist, Kakyoin could just tell him to shove it up his ass and be done with it. Instead, he was forced to sit and watch the artist gloat and not be able to say a word about it.

His favorite pastime, it seemed, was walking around to other students working in the studio and critique their work. Yes, as an artist, everyone had to be ready to take critique, but Rohan always acted like his word was law, and gave the harshest critique of anyone Kakyoin ever met. What pissed Kakyoin off today was the simple fact that Rohan made a freshman cry.

Kakyoin had glanced over from his own canvas and was met with the sight of Rohan leaning over the easle of a younger student who looked like they were on the verge of tears. A well-timed jab from Rohan and the first tear rolled. Kakyoin had marched over and told Rohan to fuck off, only to be met with an entitled and amused smirk. Oh, he wanted to punch it right off his face! He would’ve, had the crying student not stopped him. He was planning on staying at the studio for at least another two hours, but his vibe had been thrown completely. 

Kakyoin angrily swipes himself into his dorm. He needs to calm down. He won’t get anything done at all like this, and he was kind of thinking of using this freed studio time to work on some of his other homework. He takes a deep breath as he reaches for his keys. At least Polnareff will probably be more than happy to listen to him scream about Rohan for ten minutes. He hated him just as much as Kakyoin did, and he only met him once.

“I am seriously about to combust!” Kakyoin kicks his shoes off the second he closes the door behind him, dropping his studio bag on the ground by the door. “You are going to scream when I tell you what- oh.” Polnareff is not alone. “Hi. Sorry.”

The boy in their room, sitting at Polnareff’s desk, is staring at Kakyoin. Kakyoin’s gaze trails over the dark curly hair covered by a hat, the breadth of his broad shoulders, the slope of his straight nose, the brilliant blue eyes, taking in his appearance.

Oh no, he’s pretty.

“Kakyoin! I didn’t think you’d be back so soon!” Polnareff sits up a little straighter from where he’s slouched over on his bed, his laptop open in front of him. “This is Jotaro!” he gestures to the boy sitting at his desk, who still hasn’t taken his eyes off Kakyoin. Kakyoin feels a little self-conscious from the intensity of his gaze.

“Hi.” Kakyoin tucks his bang behind his ear nervously. “Nice to meet you, Jotaro. Sorry for shouting.” He isn’t just pretty, he’s almost intimidatingly attractive.

“It’s ok.” Jotaro says and oh god , his voice.

What the fuck is your problem? Kakyoin’s brain scolds him. Get a grip. You’ve seen attractive people before.

“Jotaro, this is my roommate, Kakyoin. The vegetarian one.” Polnareff gestures vaguely.

Kakyoin snorts. “Is that what I’m known as now? Your vegetarian friend?” Jotaro is still watching him very intently. Kakyoin has to try not to blush from the attention.

“Well I’ve mentioned you before, since you’re always telling me things about animal inequality!” Polnareff huffs. “I’ve said other things about you! Right, Jotaro?”

At the sound of his name, Jotaro finally breaks eye contact to pull the brim of his hat down to hide his eyes from view. Kakyoin is almost disappointed. “Yeah.” Jotaro grunts.

Polnareff turns back to Kakyoin with a ‘well there you have it’ look on his face. “ Et voila . Are you ok though? We can go work somewhere else if you want.” Polnareff suddenly looks concerned.

Kakyoin lets out a breath. For a moment there he actually forgot how upset he was mere minutes ago. “Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll tell you about it later. You guys can stay here. Don’t let me get in your way.” he actually secretly wants to check out Jotaro a little more.

Polnareff reaches into his bag to get out some paper. “You can tell me later.” he pauses to cock an eyebrow in Kakyoin’s direction. “I’m pretty sure I know who it’s about anyways.” They exchange a knowing look.

Kakyoin sneaks another glance at Jotaro before he turns around and settles himself at his desk. He’s got gold studs in his ears. Two brightly colored belts hug his hips. His eyebrows, dark and thick, seem to constantly be pulled together. His pouty lips are tugged down in a frown. Then he catches sight of pretty blue eyes again as Jotaro looks in his direction, and Kakyoin quickly turns around so as not to get caught staring. Fuck.

Polnareff finishes shuffling papers around on his bed. “Ok anyways, as you were saying, female veterinarians.”

“Yeah.” Jotaro says, and god, Kakyoin thinks he’ll never get tired of hearing that voice talk. “They basically run their own private businesses in addition to working full time as a doctor. One of the articles we have talked about it.”

“Interesting. It is a shame.” Polnareff says, and Kakyoin hears the sound of keys clacking as he writes something down. Kakyoin rolls his eyes. Polnareff is eloquent as usual. He almost feels bad for Jotaro for being stuck in a group project with him.

“Yeah.” Jotaro says, then, “The male to female ratio of students enrolled in veterinary colleges has gone way down in the fourty years between 1940 and 1980, and even more now. Animal medicine is a primarily female-dominated field, which makes it immediately less credible in the eyes of a typical white man.”

Kakyoin lifts his eyebrows. This is… interesting stuff. Jotaro speaks smoothly and calmly, almost like he’s reading off of prepared notecards. He can’t help himself. He turns around. “I’ve never thought of it like that before.”

Jotaro immediately fixes his full attention on Kakyoin, causing him to blush. He hides it by ducking his head down and tucking his bang behind his ear.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to butt in.” Kakyoin says, smiling sheepishly.

“No.” Jotaro says immediately. He clears his throat. “It’s fine.” Kakyoin blinks nervously. Polnareff just types away on his keyboard.

“Do you… do you know why it’s a primarily female-dominated field?” Kakyoin asks.

Jotaro shakes his head. “There’s no clear answer, but ever since it happened once, it just kept going from there. Men don’t want to go into a field that is considered a woman’s field.”

Kakyoin nods. “That makes sense. And then I’m sure it gets harder to get opportunities to get the proper education, since that’s the case with other female-dominated fields.” Kakyoin thinks about the lack of funding to the art degree at their university.

Jotaro nods again. “There are thirty veterinary colleges in all of the United States.” Kakyoin’s jaw drops. That is… insultingly low. That doesn’t even average out to a school a state! “Veterinarians are also basically forced to open their own clinics, because nobody supports them financially.”

“This is… this is insane!” Kakyoin exclaims, letting out a long breath. “Everything about this makes sense, but I’ve literally never thought to question it! Everything about this screams sexism!”

“Yeah. Me too.” Jotaro agrees.

“Being forced to run your own business while also being an animal doctor sounds like an absolutely insane amount of work, especially considering that this doesn’t take their personal life into account! What if they want to start a family?” Kakyoin is aware that he’s rambling, but Jotaro isn’t stopping him and Polnareff is just… doing whatever it is he’s doing, so he continues. “If I ever have a pet, I’m going to appreciate the hell out of my vet! They’re doing God’s work!”

“We actually read about that too.” Jotaro suddenly says. “About veterinarians that are moms. I don’t know how they do it. Many clients are also very rude to vets.”

Kakyoin nods. “Yes! You’re right! And that totally falls into misogyny as well! Because if it was a man, they wouldn’t even question his authority!”

“Right. Makes me feel shitty to be a man. People suck.” Jotaro says.

Kakyoin laughs. “Well it’s up to us to change our behaviors! God, this is super interesting! What class is this?”

Jotaro smirks, and the action shoots straight through Kakyoin’s heart. He is left speechless and momentarily forgets his question, staring at Jotaro’s smile. Then, Jotaro speaks and Kakyoin snaps back to the present. “Feminism in Animal Rights.” 

Kakyoin smiles. “Hey, I told Polnareff to sign up for that! It sounds so cool! You talk very knowledgeably on the subject.”

Jotaro reaches up and tugs the brim of his hat down to cover the top half of his face. What the fuck? Is he seriously hiding under his hat? That is seriously the cutest thing Kakyoin has ever seen. He melts a little inside.

“Thanks.” he mumbles, voice low and quiet.

Kakyoin smiles sweetly. “Of course! I’m really glad I convinced Polnareff to sign up!” he thinks for a moment then blurts out what he wants to say. “I’m glad I got to meet someone so interesting.”

Jotaro glances up from under his hat, blue eyes meeting lavender. Kakyoin notices there is a faint blush on his cheeks. Adorable.

“Me too.” Jotaro says, and Kakyoin’s breath catches in his throat.

Polnareff suddenly clears his throat, immediately shattering the atmosphere they created. “Ok, please stop flirting right in front of me, I don’t want to hear it.”

Kakyoin glares at his friend but not before noticing the way Jotaro hides back under the brim of his hat, a habit that Kakyoin is quickly becoming addicted to. He secretly makes it his goal to get Jotaro to do it more often.

“Whatever, bitch, it seems like I’m more engaged in your class than you are, anyways! What are you even doing?” Kakyoin sticks out his tongue at Polnareff, who sticks his right back out at Kakyoin.

“I’ll have you know that I was taking notes on what Jotaro was saying!” Polnareff turns his laptop around to show Kakyoin his open word document. “We have an essay to write by the end of the week, so stop distracting us.”

Kakyoin rolls his eyes and turns around to face his own desk again, but before he does, he manages to catch Jotaro’s eyes and sends a wink his way. A blush spreads across Jotaro’s face and he quickly ducks his head back down to hide behind his hat. Kakyoin smirks to himself.

Mission accomplished.

—-

The second the door closes behind Jotaro a few hours later, Polnareff is whipping around to zero in on Kakyoin. “Okay spill. What happened that made you come back early? It was that bitch Rohan, wasn’t it?” he walks over and sits on the edge of his bed in rapt attention.

Kakyoin had honestly almost forgotten about Rohan, he was too busy trying not to be obvious in checking out Jotaro. He laughs bitterly. Polnareff knows his shit too well. 

Polnareff leans forward, excited. “I knew it! Okay, what did he do?”

Kakyoin recounts the story of how enraging it was to watch Rohan act so entitled that a younger student started crying. He explains how absolutely livid he was, how he wanted to punch him right in his stupid fucking face. Polnareff shakes his head in all the right moments, exclaiming in shock multiple times throughout. By the time Kakyoin finishes telling the story, he feels like a weight has been lifted off his chest.

“Dude, what a bitch! Who does he fucking think he is?” Polnareff shakes his head in outrage.

“Exactly!” Kakyoin tosses his head back and huffs. “It’s like, if it was happening to me, I simply wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Bitch doesn’t even try me anymore, I think the last time he approached me was like, January. It’s the fact that he intentionally picks on people who he knows he will get a strong reaction from!”

Polnareff nods his head in agreement. “It’s a very low blow.”

“Incredibly low!” Kakyoin suddenly feels giddy with how worked up he is, and makes the mistake of catching Polnareff’s eye. They both break out in maniacal laughter.

“Why is it funny?” Polnareff asks through his cackling.

“It isn’t!” Kakyoin snorts, causing both of them to laugh even harder. What an insane way to let out his energy. They calm down after a minute, wiping tears from their eyes. Polnareff is the first to speak up.

“Wow. I really fucking hate him.”

Kakyoin rolls his eyes. “Yeah. Me too. Thanks for listening.”

“Yeah any time!” Polnareff sighs. “God, no wonder you came back so early.”

Kakyoin shrugs, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Yeah. I’m fine now though, glad you have my back. I’m gonna go shower.”

“Have fun.” Polnareff winks, causing Kakyoin to roll his eyes as he grabs his pajamas and shuffles over to pluck his hairbrush from his nightstand. Polnareff flops backwards on his bed and pulls out his phone.

Kakyoin sighs as he locks the door to their bathroom. Nothing like a shower to relax his tense muscles, he thinks as he slips off his shirt. Tomorrow he should ask Polnareff if he wants to have a lazy day in and order takeout while playing video games. That would be a nice way to get away from the studio.

He glances at his shirtless form in the mirror while he waits for the water to heat up and frowns, rubbing at a white spot near the bottom of his ribs. Did he seriously somehow manage to get white paint under his shirt? He grimaces at his reflection and rubs harder. It’s not coming off. Why isn’t it coming off?

He glances down at himself and his breath catches in his throat. It isn’t a random splotch of paint at all.

It’s a star.

Kakyoin quickly reaches into the shower to wet his fingers and tries to wash it off, just to make sure that what he’s seeing isn’t some trick. The water is still a little cold but he literally could not care less about that right now.

There’s a white star tattoo on his ribs.

There is no mistake about it. This is a soulmark.

“Polnareff!” Kakyoin turns the water in the shower off before returning his attention back to lightly pressing his fingertips against the mark.

There is the sound of the doorknob rattling and a thunk as Polnareff presses his body against the door. “What happened? Are you ok? Open the door!” there is panic in Polnareff’s voice and Kakyoin suddenly remembers that he’s locked in.

“I’m fine!” Kakyoin hurries to unlock the door and Polnareff rushes in, looking frantic.

“What is it?”

“Polnareff, I’m fine! Look!” Kakyoin grabs Polnareff’s flailing hands and points to the star on his torso. Polnareff immediately stops thrashing around and stares.

“Is that…”

“I think so!” Kakyoin grins.

“Holy shit!”

“I know!”

“What happened?” Polnareff is staring at the star, his mouth agape.

“I don’t know! I took off my shirt and it was there!” Kakyoin can’t seem to take his eyes off the mark. It’s so simple but it’s the most beautiful thing he’s seen in his life. He looks back up to catch Polnareff’s eye, overjoyed. “I’m not alone.” he feels a lump starting in the back of his throat.

Polnareff smiles softly and pulls Kakyoin into a hug. “Of course you’re not, mon chaton ! I would say I’m surprised, but I’m not. If I love you this much, surely I can’t forever be the only one.” Kakyoin feels the first tear slip from his eye and it immediately soaks into Polnareff’s shirt. Polnareff presses a kiss to the top of Kakyoin’s head. “I know that your soulmate will love you even more than I do.”

Kakyoin closes his eyes as two more tears stain the fabric of Polnareff’s shirt. “I’m just really relieved.” he whispers.

“Me too.” Polnareff murmurs. “It was about fucking time.”

Kakyoin takes a deep breath to calm himself. “I love you Pol.”

“I love you too. Je t’aime. ” Polnareff takes Kakyoin by the shoulders and pulls him off of himself, a playful look in his eye. “Now. We need to figure out who it is. Did anything special happen today?”

Kakyoin pauses as he tries to think. Did anything special happen today? He woke up, and went to the dining hall for breakfast. Then he fucked around in their dorm until he left for the studio. A lot of people filtered in and out of the studio, and then that fucking incident with Rohan happened that cause him to go home early, where he met... His heart begins to beat faster as a smirk spreads across his face to match Polnareff’s. “I met Jotaro.”

Polnareff’s eyebrows shoot up in bewilderment. “Jotaro! Are you sure?”

Kakyoin feels a fluttering in his stomach. “Well… I’m not sure , but…” Kakyoin can feel himself blushing. “He was really cute. That was like, basically the first thing I noticed about him.”

Polnareff laughs at Kakyoin’s bashfulness. “I knew you would think he was cute! I was waiting for you to say something. When I saw him on the first day of class, I was like ‘oh Kakyoin would drool over him.’ I know you so well!”

“Shut up! He’s tall, dark and handsome, and I’m gay! Literally what did you think would happen?” Kakyoin swats at Polnareff’s arm. “I don’t even know if it’s actually him!”

Polnareff suddenly looks like he’s had an epiphany. “ Mon dieu, what are we still doing? I’m going to text him right now!” He turns around and runs out of the bathroom.

“Wait.” Kakyoin runs out after him and stops Polnareff before he can even lift the phone and unlock it. Polnareff stops immediately, looking at Kakyoin with a questioning look on his face.

“What is it? Don’t you want his number?” Polnareff cocks his head to the side. 

“Wait, I…” Kakyoin chews on his bottom lip, suddenly nervous.

“Kakyoin?”

“Don’t text him.”

Polnareff stares at him. “Why not?”

“He’s just…” Kakyoin racks his brain for the proper explanation of the nerves he is feeling currently swarming around in his stomach. “What if I’m wrong?”

Polnareff is quiet for a moment before his face breaks out in a large teasing grin. “Aww, Kakyoin, are you scared that you won’t look cool in front of your crush?”

Kakyoin grits his teeth and scowls. “Shut up! I can hardly call it a crush! I’ve known him for like, what, a few hours? I just don’t want to text him and find out he’s already in a relationship with his soulmate.” his eyes widen. “Or worse, he’s single but then he thinks I’m weird because I thought he was my soulmate just based on the fact that I thought he was cute!”

Polnareff laughs and pats Kakyoin on the head. “You’re overreacting!” he tries to assure him, “Remember, you may have known him for only a few hours, but I’ve been sitting next to him in class for a month now. Trust me, he’s single.” He lifts the phone again and opens the messages app.

“Wait, please!” Kakyoin leans over and turns the phone off. Polnareff looks up, exasperated.

“What? Look, I can just ask him what he thought of you, come on, please!”

Kakyoin looks at his best friend apprehensively. “I just…” he purses his lips. “Okay. But only if you think it’ll sound natural, I don’t want any of that middle school ‘hey do you like my friend hee hee’ bullshit.”

Polnareff waves his hand dismissively. “Of course! I’m offended that you would even insinuate that I won’t be smooth as glass. I’ll start simple.”

Kakyoin watches as Polnareff types out ‘hey ;)’ and sends it to Jotaro. Why is his heart hammering? None of this means anything.

It’s another five minutes, in which Polnareff brushes his teeth and Kakyoin sits on Polnareff’s bed with his phone, before Jotaro responds.

‘ Hi. ’

“Jean!” Kakyoin calls frantically, dropping the phone on the bed and scooting away from it. Polnareff walks out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.

“Did he answer?” he wipes a spot of toothpaste from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Kakyoin nods and Polnareff walks over, picking up the discarded phone. Kakyoin immediately scrambles over to peer over Polnareff’s shoulder as he types a response.

‘Thank you for coming over today! I’m sure we’ll get a good grade and I had a nice time ^_^ sorry that my roommate came like that, though, I hope you didn’t mind?”

Kakyoin slaps Polnareff on the shoulder.

“Ow!” Polnareff rubs the reddening spot gingerly. “What was that for?”

“Why did you apologize for me coming! It’s gonna sound like you didn’t want me in my own dorm, he’s gonna think-”

Kakyoin’s sentence is cut off by the sound of a text coming in.

‘I don’t mind. He was cool. We don’t have to try to pick a time to avoid him, if you’re worried about that.’

Polnareff smirks at Kakyoin before typing out another response.

‘Ok! Yeah, I’m glad you feel that way. Kakyoin is the coolest, isn’t he?’

Kakyoin presses his fingers against his temples. “God, this is so weird. What are we even doing?”

Polnareff snickers as he gets another text from Jotaro.

‘yeah’

“That’s it?” Polnareff exclaims incredulously, but Kakyoin can’t contain a little smile. He does think he’s cool!

“What did you expect, dumbass?” Kakyoin laughs, letting some of his nervous energy out, “A love confession?”

Polnareff huffs. “Maybe! He’s your soulmate! I’m gonna tell him.”

“Stop!” Kakyoin grabs the phone out of Polnareff’s hand, his heart hammering. “Don’t… don’t tell him.”

Polnareff stares at him, and Kakyoin can tell he’s getting a little annoyed. “Why not? ”

“Pol, come on, please, I don’t want to scare him off! I saw a lot of other people today, technically Rohan being such an asshole that I left was a special occurrence too! Who’s to say that that other student isn’t my soulmate?” Kakyoin pouts in what he hopes is a convincing manner. “Please, just… let me do things my own way? I just want to make sure, that’s it.”

Polnareff sighs and rolls his eyes. “Fine. I won’t tell him anything. But you better be here the next time I invite him over, and you are getting his number then!”

Kakyoin grins. “Okay! Deal!”

Later, in the shower, Kakyoin can’t stop running his fingers over the star on his ribs and smiling. He didn’t even realize he felt like a part of him was missing until now, when he finally feels right , like he’s on the right path.

And even later, as he’s falling asleep, his heart flutters when Polnareff mumbles that Jotaro agreed to come over next Saturday.

Kakyoin can’t wait for next Saturday.

Chapter Text

Jotaro can’t believe his first friend in college is so loud.

“Jotaro, man, you don’t get it, Kira literally makes me want to gouge my own eyes out!” Polnareff moans from where he’s draped dramatically across his bed. “He’s so creepy , I swear every time I look over at him he just looks like he’s guilty of some weird fuckin shit. I bet he’s into that weird shit too, like feet.”

“Hey, don’t kinkshame.” Kakyoin responds calmly, not looking up from the tv screen where he’s playing some platforming game.

“Kakyoin, cherie , you know I would never.” Polnareff adjusts his body to look at Kakyoin, ending up sprawled even further across his bed. “But Kira is so creeeeepy!”

Jotaro is honestly shocked they even got this far. Normally he would find people like Polnareff annoying, but they had secretly been a source of comfort for Jotaro for a year now. He needed this. He realizes now as he sits at Polnareff’s desk, Kakyoin lounging on one of their beanbags, video game controller in hand, that the reason he sought comfort from their channel was that Polnareff and Kakyoin were what he wanted in friends of his own. He wonders if and when he’ll reveal that he was a subscriber.

The answer is definitely not anytime soon, he thinks. He still has barely exchanged any information with Kakyoin, save for their small interaction last week. Jotaro is willing to bet that Kakyoin hadn’t even thought of him once since their meeting. Why should he think twice about some random dude in his roommate’s class?

“Honestly, I want to meet this guy.” Kakyoin calls from the beanbag, still not looking up from the tv set. “I feel like you’re just bullying a random guy who’s maybe just shy.”

“I’m offended you would even suggest that!” Polnareff suddenly turns his head to look at Jotaro. “Jotaro, you believe me, right?”

Jotaro shrugs. “You still haven’t given any concrete examples of how he’s creepy.”

Polnareff scoffs, offended, and Kakyoin chuckles. “You should just believe me, non ? I thought you guys were my friends!”

Friends . Jotaro immediately perks up at the use of the word. So Polnareff did consider them friends. Jotaro glows internally. He has friends in college. Did this mean that what they were doing right now was… hanging out? Jotaro did find it strange when Polnareff invited him over and never started doing any work.

Kakyoin settles further into the beanbag. “We can call you out on unnecessary bullying and still be your friends.”

“I’m glad you two can bond over that, at least.” Polnareff huffs.

Jotaro’s phone rings.

“You a fan of Pink Floyd, Jotaro?” Polnareff smirks as Jotaro fumbles for his phone.

“My uncle picked his own ringtone.” Jotaro mumbles, embarrassed, as Shine On You Crazy Diamond plays from his phone speakers. “I can tell him to call me back. Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Kakyoin says, finally diverting his attention from his game to smile at Jotaro. “You should see what he wants.” 

Jotaro feels his breath catch in his throat. He swallows, nods, and answers the call.

Immediately Josuke’s face fills up the screen. “Jotaro!” he pants. The camera swings, suddenly, giving Jotaro a view of a ceiling and the top of Josuke’s head. “Jotaro, I need your help!”

Polnareff turns at the sound of Josuke’s voice. ‘Uncle?’ he mouths, confused.

“Mhm.” Jotaro repositions his phone to be more comfortable.

“How do you do a double Punnett square?” Josuke suddenly brings the camera back down, revealing a stressed Okuyasu beside him.

“You needed my help with a Punnett square? Good grief.”

“Jotaro there’s no time! This is due in like, five minutes!”

Jotaro takes joy in watching Josuke suffer. “Are you at school right now?”

“Jotaro!” Josuke whines.

“Should have done your homework ahead of time. It’s a four by four, and put one of each combination of traits on every box at the top and bottom. Then combine.” There is scribbling on the other side of the line.

“See, I knew he could help us!” Josuke says, muffled, probably to Okuyasu.

“Is that all?” Jotaro really wants to hang up the call now. Polnareff is still observing their conversation. Kakyoin has turned back to his game politely.

Josuke picks his phone back up. “Yep! Thank you, Jotaro! I owe you one!” his face gets even closer to the camera. Jotaro holds his phone farther away as if that would do anything. “Where are you? That’s not your apartment.”

Jotaro glances up and makes eye contact with Polnareff, immediately tugging his cap down to shield his embarrassment. “I’m at someone else’s dorm.”

“Are you-” Josuke’s eyes widen suddenly. “Are you in the StardustCrusader dorm room? Is that Hierophant Green in the background?”

Kakyoin’s head snaps up. Polnareff sits up even straighter. Jotaro’s blood runs cold.

“No-”

“Holy shit! Are Polnareff and Kakyoin there? Hi Polnareff and Kakyoin- ”

“Bye.”

“Wait! Say hi-”

Jotaro hangs up as quickly as he can. He can feel the pressure in the room as two pairs of eyes watch him. He doesn’t look up. His phone rings again and he slams his thumb against the decline button.

“Jotaro, did you recognize us before? When you met us?” Polnareff asks, his voice carrying a teasing lilt.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Kakyoin asks. His cheeks are tinged with pink as he tugs on the end of his bang.

“It’s just my uncle.” Jotaro pulls his hat down so far down his forehead that it rests just above his eyebrows. “He’s the one who. He’s a fan.” Jotaro can feel his entire face burning. He just wants the attention off of himself. He hopes they can’t see the blush spreading across his entire face and ears.

“Jotaro, you have got to be one of the most awkward people I have ever met!” Polnareff is laughing. “I would have cracked under the pressure!”

“Pol, don’t tease him!” Kakyoin’s voice is soft. “I think it’s sweet.” Jotaro takes a chance and glances up to catch Kakyoin’s eye. It’s worth it to see the pink across Kakyoin’s cheeks.

“It is ok, Jotaro!” Polnareff suddenly shuffles over and reaches over the gap between his bed and the desk to clap Jotaro’s shoulder. “You should bring your uncle to meet us sometime! A friend of Jotaro’s is a friend of ours!”

“Does he play video games?” Kakyoin asks. “I’ve been looking for more people to stream multiplayer games with.” he looks away bashfully. “Do… do you play video games, Jotaro?”

“No.” Jotaro answers and Kakyoin’s face falls.

“Oh. Never mind then.” Kakyoin grabs his bangs and tugs on them nervously.

“Maybe.” Jotaro blurts, almost too quickly. “I’ve never tried.”

Polnareff and Kakyoin stare at him.

“You’ve never played a video game?” Polnareff asks, in awe.

“Jotaro, you literally can’t be friends with us if you’ve never played a video game.” Kakyoin echoes.

“ How?” Polnareff screeches.

“I have Fishdom on my phone.” Jotaro says.

The room is silent for a moment.

“Oh my god he’s serious.” Kakyoin breathes.

Polnareff stares. “Kakyoin, there’s no way he can be your soul-”

“We have to change that!” Kakyoin says quickly and loudly, interrupting whatever Polnareff was about to say. “Jotaro, come here. Have you at least heard of Mario Kart?”

Jotaro spends the next hour getting his ass handed to him by Kakyoin in Mario Kart, with frequent commentary from Polnareff. Jotaro would be more upset if it was literally anyone else, but as it happens, he is kind of enjoying himself, occupying a beanbag right beside Kakyoin, his new… friend?

“Jotaro!” Polnareff howls with laughter, watching as he drives straight off a cliff. “Jotaro, my man, you’re not even going the right direction!”

The screen displays ‘Finish!’ as Jotaro once again finishes in twelfth place.

“I think you’re getting better!” Kakyoin offers optimistically. Jotaro turns to stare at him, making him giggle. “What? You still suck, but you’re getting better!”

“Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not patronizing you!” Kakyoin reaches over and places his hand on Jotaro’s forearm reassuringly, trying to convey his seriousness. “Really, at least you’ve played now. It’s better than nothing.”

“Barely.”

“I’ll go easier on you next time. Promise.” Neither of them comment on the fact that Kakyoin’s hand lingers on Jotaro’s arm for longer than strictly necessary. Jotaro suddenly has the crazy urge to nudge Kakyoin’s hand down and intertwine their fingers. Their beanbags are only a foot apart.

“My soulmate and I played Mario Kart a couple days ago.” Polnareff sighs. Both Kakyoin and Jotaro snap their attention to the third person in the room instantly.

“Really?” Kakyoin asks. Polnareff nods.

“They were surprisingly competent. They’re just perfect.” Polnareff smiles dreamily.

“Have you met them?” Jotaro asks, genuinely curious. This is actually an area of their lives that he doesn’t know much about.

“No.” Polnareff shakes his head sadly. “I just see them in my dreams, sometimes, you know?”

Jotaro nods. “My friend has a similar connection. He doesn’t know any personal information about them, though.”

Polnareff nods. “That’s exactly it! Say, Jotaro, do you have a soulmate?”

Jotaro chokes on air. He can feel two sets of eyes watching him and he feels like he’s suddenly on display. He tugs his cap down. “Yeah.” he says. If he had been looking at Kakyoin right now he would have seen the way the redhead shifted nervously in his seat.

“Have you met them?” Polnareff sounds a bit too eager, Jotaro thinks.

“No.” Jotaro responds.

“Well what’s the connection?” Polnareff asks. Jotaro is very uncomfortable with the direction this conversation is going. He tries to keep his answers curt. 

“It’s a tattoo.” Jotaro says, gritting his teeth.

“I see. What’s it of?”

“What’s with the interrogation?” Jotaro snaps, lifting his head up to glare at Polnareff.

Polnareff raises his arms in defense. “Hey, I was just asking-”

“Well don’t.” Jotaro growls. He shouldn’t get upset at Polnareff for asking simple questions. He didn’t know how uncomfortable the conversation made Jotaro. Jotaro’s mouth, however, decides to speak for him. “Dammit, Polnareff, can’t you see I don’t want to talk about it?”

“ Calmeront! I didn’t know!” Polnareff looks a little on edge. Jotaro tries to ease his glare but probably only ends up looking even more pissed off. He’s about to fire back when Kakyoin speaks up.

“Polnareff, don’t be an ass, not everyone is as comfortable talking about it as you are.” Kakyoin turns to Jotaro, his gaze softening. “Sorry about him. It’s a very personal topic. It’s totally ok if you don’t want to talk about it. I don’t really like talking about mine either.”

Jotaro nods. “Yeah.”

“Look, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, ok?” Polnareff shifts self-consciously on his bed. “I was really just curious because-”

“ Polnareff.” Kakyoin warns suddenly, his demeanor changing instantly from soft to icy cold as he looks from Jotaro to Polnareff.

Polnareff raises his eyebrows in disbelief. “Kakyoin, cherie , you can’t expect to find out if he’s-”

“Jean Pierre.” Kakyoin and Polnareff stare at each other, engaged in some sort of silent conversation that Jotaro feels like he’s eavesdropping on despite the silence in the room. He fiddles with the brim of his hat uncomfortably. He opens his mouth to speak.

“I can go-”

“No!” Polnareff and Kakyoin snap simultaneously. Jotaro is made very uncomfortable with the energy in the room.

“Look, Kakyoin.” Polnareff gets up from his bed. “I’m going to go across the street. I’m going to get lunch. When I come back, you better have his number.”

Jotaro furrows his eyebrows as Polnareff grabs his wallet and keys. 

“Hey! Polnareff-” Kakyoin sputters.

“You better or there will be consequences.” Polnareff says with a note of finality, and leaves out the front door. The door closes behind Polnareff, leaving the room quiet.

Both boys sit in silence for a moment. Jotaro tries to think of something to say, but his mind comes up blank. He tugs his hat over his eyes so that he doesn’t have to look at Kakyoin’s blushing face. This is the first time he’s been alone with Kakyoin, and he doesn’t know what to say. Every scenario he had ever thought of in which he met the boy beside him seems stupid now that he’s actually here. In fact, he feels like maybe he should leave.

“I’m sorry about him.” Kakyoin says again. When Jotaro looks up he’s tugging on his bangs again, obviously a nervous tick of his. “He’s just… it has nothing to do with you. He got upset, I think, over... a disagreement we had. I know you guys are friends, you probably came here for him.”

“No.” Jotaro says. Kakyoin raises his eyebrows. “I don’t care.” Jotaro says, hiding behind the brim of his cap.

“Oh.” Kakyoin says softly. “Well, then would you like to keep playing Mario Kart?”

Jotaro feels his pulse thrumming in his throat. He snorts. “No way. You just like winning.”

Kakyoin laughs. “Ok, maybe you’re right. We’ve got other multiplayer games, though.”

Jotaro shakes his head as he fixes his attention to the screen, where Kakyoin is browsing his game library. “I want to watch you play.”

Jotaro watches out of the corner of his eye as Kakyoin looks at him, smiling softly. “Ok.” Kakyoin thumbs over to a game Jotaro notices is called Zelda and opens it.

They sit in companionable silence for a few minutes, and Jotaro eventually relaxes fully into the beanbag he’s sitting in. Kakyoin is also leaned back in his seat, legs bent slightly to cross at his ankles. He looks so relaxed like this, his eyelashes lowered slightly as he chews his bottom lip between his teeth in calm concentration. Even though they’re only really mere acquaintances, this is already so much better than anything Jotaro could’ve seen from YouTube, where everything Kakyoin did was an act. This is the true Kakyoin, in his element.

Kakyoin’s lavender eyes dart over as he makes eye contact with Jotaro, who suddenly realizes he’s been caught staring. Jotaro looks away quickly. Kakyoin smiles and turns his attention back to the screen, a light pink tinging his cheeks. “Hey Jotaro?” he asks.

Jotaro hms in response.

“What’s your major?”

“Marine biology.”

Kakyoin purses his lips in a slight frown. “Really?”

“Is something wrong?” Jotaro asks, confused.

“No, no, nothing’s wrong!” Kakyoin quickly says. “I guess I just…” Jotaro watches as Kakyoin chooses the words he needs to finish his thought. “I don’t know why, I guess you give me astronomy vibes.” Kakyoin’s cheeks flush with color. “For some reason. I don’t know. It’s dumb.”

“Astronomy is fine.” Jotaro says, not wanting to disappoint Kakyoin. “Stars and stuff… it’s cool.”

“Yeah.” Kakyoin still looks a little embarrassed. “But marine biology! That sounds cool. Tell me about fish.”

“Um…” Jotaro fiddles with the brim of his hat. “Well, it’s not just fish. People assume that marine biology is about the organisms in the ocean, but there’s a lot more concern to me personally about conservation.” he pauses to make sure he isn’t boring Kakyoin, who looks over and gives Jotaro a reassuring interested smile, so he keeps going. “Personally, I think it’s a very dire situation, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is doing anything to fix the pollution happening.” Jotaro shifts in his seat. “Plus, fish are much more interesting than other animals or… people. People… people are… weird.”

Kakyoin snorts. “Sorry.” he says, “That was just really fuckin emo. People are weird? Really?” Jotaro scowls. Kakyoin laughs. “No, no, sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of you, it’s just… it was cute.” Kakyoin stares ahead at the tv screen while Jotaro’s heart hammers in his chest. “But you sound really passionate about the topic. It’s definitely a very serious issue for sure. As a vegetarian I sympathize with wanting to help the animals that humans think they have total control over. Actually-” Kakyoin suddenly pauses the game and gets up from the beanbag chair.

Jotaro watches him as he moves over to his desk, grabbing a very large folder from where it’s tucked between the desk and the wall.

“I’m an art major with a focus in painting, in case you couldn’t tell,” Kakyoin gestures to the small easel tucked in beside the desk with a face down canvas on it as he flips through the folder, “I thought you might like this, I drew it last year.” Kakyoin pulls out a large thick piece of paper and presses it to his chest, suddenly protective. “Don’t laugh, though. I was really proud of this. I don’t really show people my art that often.”

Jotaro is aware of this fact. He stands up, walking over to where Kakyoin is clutching his artwork. Kakyoin has never shared his art with the internet, so the fact that Jotaro is here now is very special. He feels special. He has no idea what could warrant Kakyoin to show him his art so soon into their friendship, but it’s making his stomach tie itself in nervous knots. “I would never laugh at that.” Jotaro says, locking eyes with Kakyoin to show how serious he is. Kakyoin smiles nervously.

“Ok. Well…” he turns the paper around to show Jotaro and Jotaro’s breath catches in his throat.

It’s a painting of a dolphin leaping out of the water at sunset. The waves of the water around the dolphin seem to sparkle in the setting sun, blending seamlessly from orange to blue to pink and back to orange. There are even a few droplets of water seemingly flung up into the air from the dolphin’s trajectory. It’s beautiful. Jotaro cannot do anything but examine it in awe.

“It was a piece I did for a study on how water moves.” Kakyoin says timidly, probably made nervous by Jotaro’s lack of response.

“It’s really nice.” Jotaro says, running his thumb over the strokes of paint. “I like it.”

“Yeah?” Kakyoin smiles. “I thought you might enjoy it, mister marine biologist. Or was that presumptuous of me to assume?” his voice has a teasing edge to it that makes Jotaro pause for a moment.

Jotaro looks up to meet Kakyoin’s teasing smirk with a little smile of his own as he huffs an amused breath of air. “It was presumptuous of you. Lucky for you I like dolphins. They’re very smart. Did you know that they have names for each other? Bottlenose dolphins are some of the only species that do that.”

Kakyoin smiles, amused. “That is interesting. Sorry to offend your honor, Fish Boy.”

Jotaro raises his eyebrows. “Fish boy?”

Kakyoin giggles. “What? Don’t you like it? I thought it was cute.”

You’re cute , Jotaro thinks. “If you call me Fish Boy, it’s only fair that I give you a nickname too.”

Kakyoin hums. “Oh? Give me your worst.”

Jotaro thinks for a moment as he studies Kakyoin. Artist would be too obvious, and it isn’t as strange as Fish Boy. Game Boy would be clever, but the pun almost makes it too good. Jotaro’s eyes land on Kakyoin’s earrings. “Cherry Bitch.”

Kakyoin doubles over laughing. “ Cherry Bitch?” he gasps out. “That’s the best you came up with? Jotaro, honestly, I dare you to call me Cherry Bitch on a regular basis.”

Jotaro tugs his cap down, pouting. “I thought it was good.”

“Aw, Jotaro!” Kakyoin reaches out and places his hands on Jotaro’s arms reassuringly. “It’s good, it’s good, I just think it’s funny. I do like cherries a lot, it makes sense.”

Jotaro glances up to meet Kakyoin’s soft but shining gaze. His lips quirk up a bit in a smile. “No shit.” Jotaro feels a moment of bravery and reaches out to touch one of Kakyoin’s earrings. 

Kakyoin snorts, and suddenly Jotaro realizes how intimately they’re standing, Kakyoin still holding on to Jotaro’s arms while Jotaro is a breath away from cradling the side of Kakyoin’s neck. Kakyoin seems to realize this as well, as he suddenly jerks his hands away like he’s been burned. Jotaro retracts his hand as well and brings his attention back to the art still in his hand, the atmosphere suddenly tense.

“Anyways…” Kakyoin shifts, tucking his bangs behind his ear. Some strands fall straight back down in front of his face and Jotaro battles the urge to tuck them away himself. “If you like that painting, you can keep it. I’m proud of it but it’s just gonna get dusty in my folder if I keep it, so if you want it it’s yours.”

Jotaro’s heart leaps into action at the news. “You sure?” he asks, trying not to let his voice betray how excited he is at the thought of having one of Noriaki Kakyoin’s works in his possession. 

Kakyoin shrugs. “Yeah. If you want.”

Jotaro looks down at the dolphin again, glowing internally. “My fish will appreciate having a friend to look at while I’m in class.”

“You have a fish?” Kakyoin asks.

Jotaro nods.

“That’s adorable.” Kakyoin smiles, and Jotaro feels warmth blooming in his chest. “Jotaro…” Kakyoin chews on his bottom lip. Jotaro raises his eyebrows, waiting for Kakyoin to finish his sentence. Kakyoin looks down at the ground. “Could I have your number?”

Jotaro inhales a sharp breath through his nose. Okay. Okay, yeah, this was really happening. He has to stay cool. “Yeah.” he says, trying to keep his voice steady. Kakyoin’s eyes light up.

“Great! Here,” he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, typing something into it. The case is clear with cherries on it, “put in your number.”

Jotaro huffs amusedly at the contact name Kakyoin put in for him. “You’re serious about calling me Fish Boy, huh?”

“Deadly.” Kakyoin says with a smirk.

Jotaro takes a deep breath as he puts his number into Kakyoin’s phone. “Here.” he tugs his cap down as he hands the phone back.

Kakyoin smiles. “Great, thank you! I finally have a double digit amount of contacts in my phone!” he jokes.

Jotaro furrows his eyebrows. “There’s no way you only have ten contacts.”
Kakyoin laughs. “What, that hard to believe that an introverted reclusive loner like me wouldn’t know that many people?”

Jotaro is about to respond that yes, it is shocking to him that someone as fun and effortlessly charming as Kakyoin wouldn’t know that many people outside of the internet, but at that moment there is the sound of a key in the door and Polnareff walks inside.

Kakyoin quickly takes a step back when he realizes that him and Jotaro are standing barely a foot apart. 

“Well well!” Polnareff coos as he shuts the door behind him. “Have you boys become acquainted?”

“Shut up. Did you bring me any of the cherry bubbly from the dining hall?” Kakyoin asks, tossing an eraser from his desk at Polnareff, who catches it.

“Of course, but I’m not going to give it to you with that attitude.” Polnareff sticks out his tongue.

“I should probably go.” Jotaro says suddenly, realizing that he’s probably overstaying his welcome. He looks down at the painting still in his hands. “Are you sure I can have this?”

Polnareff whistles, and Kakyoin quickly speaks over him. “Of course! I want you to have it. It was nice to actually get to talk to you.”

“Okay.” Jotaro looks up to meet Kakyoin’s eyes.

“Okay.” Kakyoin echoes, smiling softly at Jotaro. “Be safe. Can I text you?”

Jotaro fidgets with the corner of the paper and nods. He still hasn’t made a move to walk towards the door and leave.

“Okay. Then I’ll text you when you get back to wherever you live.”

Polnareff raises his eyebrows. “ Mon dieu-”

“You should let me kick your ass at video games again sometime.” Kakyoin interrupts him.

“Sure.” Jotaro stands awkwardly with the painting in his hands. “I’ll see you guys.”

“Don’t forget that we have those response papers due this week!” Polnareff helpfully reminds him as Jotaro makes his way towards the door. Kakyoin shoves at Polnareff, hard, making him yelp.

“See you around, Jotaro!” Kakyoin giggles as Polnareff glares at him.

“Yeah.” Jotaro simply says, and leaves the room.

---

Of course, fate can’t let Jotaro have one good goddamn day without twisting his life around somehow.

That evening, as Jotaro prepares for bed, he takes one final look at Kakyoin’s painting, now hanging proudly above his tv in the living room, in perfect view of Star Platinum.

“Do you like it, Star?” Jotaro asks as he strokes the fish’s fins when he swims past the surface. Star Platinum shakes his fins in response. Jotaro smiles.

As he turns the water on for his shower, Jotaro basks in the warmth of memories from today, of getting to spend time with Kakyoin, and getting to hear him talk, and seeing his art. Even getting absolutely destroyed at Mario Kart was a privilege. He smiles, content, as he takes off his shirt.

He almost has a heart attack when he sees his bare chest.

Not again.

Not fucking- he can’t handle this.

What the fuck happened?

On his ribs, right below the mysterious green diamond, is a paintbrush tattoo. 

Jotaro’s heart is hammering. And he had had such a good day, too. Why was the universe dropping such elusive hints about his soulmate? It was going to give him gray hairs at the ripe age of nineteen years old. If fate wanted him to meet his soulmate, why not just come out and tell him who they are? Now he was stuck puzzling over a second tattoo, trying to figure out the fucking correlation, when he hasn’t even figured out the first one. Why now? Why pop up with a second tattoo an entire year after his first one?

Jotaro sighs and takes his hat off, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Fuck. Ok. At least this tattoo was more indicative of something than the first one. His soulmate was an artist.

Jotaro immediately thinks of Kakyoin’s art above his tv but doesn’t let his brain continue down that train of thought. That’s too dangerous. 

...It could potentially be someone Kakyoin knew though, from the art school. That would certainly be interesting.

Jotaro grits his teeth and scowls at his reflection in the mirror. Fuck the universe for suddenly showing up with another tattoo for him, just as he was working on the anxiety of not knowing what the first one meant.

His phone vibrates on the counter. Jotaro glances over and picks it up, frowning at the unknown number.

Hey >:3 it’s Kakyoin, aka cherry bitch o_O I hope you gave me the right number, or else this is gonna be really awkward.

Jotaro inhales and exhales slowly before opening his phone and making a new contact for Kakyoin. Fuck it. If the universe won’t give him a straight fucking answer, he’s just gonna distract himself with other things until it does.

Hi.

How are you.

Jotaro sends two messages, one right after the other. He smiles.

Chapter Text

If Jotaro wasn’t Kakyoin’s soulmate, then fate had some serious explaining to do.

He had seen Jotaro twice in the past two weeks (albeit not alone, Polnareff was there both times) since getting his number, and both times, as Kakyoin learned more about Jotaro, he felt the boy click more and more into his life. The issue Kakyoin found with Jotaro, however, was that any time the conversation happened to steer toward soulmates, soulmarks, or anything remotely related to fate, Jotaro would get very defensive and tended to snap. Kakyoin wasn’t sure why, but the last thing he wanted to do was make Jotaro uncomfortable, so he stayed silent and avoided the topic.

His willing silence didn’t mean he wasn’t frustrated, however. He hides his face further into his white scarf on the second Tuesday of October, the coldest day of the semester yet. Not only did he have a white star on his ribs to point to the existence of his soulmate, but after he got Jotaro’s number, it was joined by a fish tattoo right below it. He sighs as he catches his bangs before they get whipped in his face by the bitter cold autumn wind. How much easier would it be if his marks were somewhere he could more easily show them! Surely someone (Jotaro) could recognize them that way!

He holds his phone in one mittened hand, his coffee rapidly cooling in the other, as he checks his notifications. He has a message from Polnareff. It’s a link to a YouTube video by the channel GoldenWind titled “Trying Weird Food Combinations” by two of their YouTube friends, Narancia and Mista.

We should try this :P

Kakyoin quickly scans the entire video while he walks across campus, promising himself that he’ll watch it properly later. He types out a response to Polnareff.

Not a bad idea. We’ll have to go grocery shopping or raid the dining hall to get what we need. It’s possible we might be able to-

Kakyoin doesn’t get to finish typing his response because at that moment he walks right into someone, nearly spilling his coffee all over both of them as he drops his phone.

“Shit! I’m sorry!” Kakyoin leans down to pick up his phone (not broken, thank God ), his cheeks burning from embarrassment in addition to the cold. He really has to watch where he’s going.

“Are you ok?” a familiar deep voice asks. Kakyoin’s heart jumps. The mortified blush on his cheeks spreads farther across his face. He looks up to meet a pair of blue eyes he’s become very well acquainted with in the past few weeks.

“Jotaro!” Kakyoin gasps, hoping his tone of voice, at least, is calm. “Fuck, I’m fine, thank you. I should’ve watched where I was going.” He tucks his bangs behind his ear nervously. Way to be cool in front of your crush, dumbass, he cringes internally.

“It’s no problem.” Jotaro shrugs, tucking his hands into the pockets of his large black coat. “Are you…” he looks down, his cap effectively blocking out his face. “Are you going to class.”

Kakyoin shakes his head. “No. I was just finished, actually. I was going to the dining hall or maybe downtown for lunch. Are you? Going to class?” he looks around, confused. “Do you have a class in the art school? What are you doing over here? I thought all the biology buildings were on the east side of campus.”

Jotaro instantly tugs his cap down far over his eyes. “No.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Jotaro slides his cap even further down over his eyes. He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. Kakyoin suddenly feels like maybe he knows the answer and tries to conceal a smile. The blush peeking out from under the brim of Jotaro’s hat is too cute to pass up. As far as he knows, Jotaro doesn’t have any other friends in the art school.

“I…” Jotaro opens his mouth and then closes it, shrinking away from Kakyoin’s gaze. Kakyoin has never seen someone so big look so little.

Kakyoin lets his smile break free. He decides to let Jotaro off the hook… for now. “Jotaro, would you like to get lunch together?” he asks.

Jotaro visibly relaxes at the subject change, but the blush on his cheeks remains. “Okay.”

Kakyoin flicks the brim of Jotaro’s hat, just because he can, and giggles at the scowl Jotaro gives him. “All right. Would you mind coming with me for a second though? I need to drop off some supplies I just bought and put my dried paintings away. It should only take a second.”

Jotaro shoves his hands back in his pockets and nods once, stepping aside to let Kakyoin lead the way.

Kakyoin rolls his eyes internally. How on Earth did he become so charmed by this awkward giant? Kakyoin played right into Jotaro’s poorly thought-out plan of asking him to hang out, despite how terrible the execution was.

He leads Jotaro down a flight of stairs, past a giant wood sculpture, before coming to a simple unmarked door. He turns to Jotaro with a teasing smile. “This is where I am most of the time if I’m not at my dorm. Just so you know where to stalk me better.” This makes Jotaro look away and pull his cap down, causing Kakyoin to snicker into his hand.

“Lets just go.” Jotaro grumbles, reaching around Kakyoin to pull the door open for him.

“How chivalrous of you.” Kakyoin can’t help but schmooze as he walks into the studio.

Upon entering the room, Kakyoin immediately notices two things. One, Rohan Kishibe is here. This fact alone in enough to put a scowl on Kakyoin’s face, but the second thing that he notices takes the fucking cake. Rohan is standing over Kakyoin’s work . He had intentionally left his canvases to dry in the corner, out of the way, so people would know not to touch them. It’s kind of good artist etiquette to not poke around looking at other’s work without their permission.

Kakyoin takes a deep breath. “Kishibe.” He calls out, keeping his voice neutral but assertive. He may hate the other man but making enemies with him would only make his life harder. He is going to be professional and mature. “May I ask what you think you’re doing?”

Rohan looks up as the door closes behind Jotaro. His gaze travels up and down Jotaro’s entire body. Kakyoin’s blood begins to boil. “Hi.” He says, more to Jotaro than to Kakyoin, completely ignoring the question.

“Hello.” Jotaro replies awkwardly. Oh, the poor, sweet boy.

“Kishibe.” Kakyoin repeats, firmer this time. “If you would please refrain from looking at my work when I’m not around to deny you permission to do so.” He strides over to the corner where Rohan is standing with his art, leaving Jotaro to loiter by the door.

“Kakyoin, please, as if I care enough to tell you anything about your work. You’re actually one of the only competent artists in our class.” Rohan sticks his hands into the pockets of his too-large pants (held up only by suspenders. I mean, where’s the practicality?) and walks over to the only other set-up easel in the room. Kakyoin is left reeling in the wake of Rohan’s compliment. He wasn’t expecting that. He watches Rohan walk away, confused. As he walks past him, Rohan’s gaze lingers on Jotaro’s ass appreciatively. Kakyoin’s confusion immediately melts and he has to physically restrain himself from lashing out.

“So what’s your name, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?” Rohan asks, tone clearly flirtatious, picking up a brush back at his own canvas.

Jotaro clears his throat. “Jotaro.” He examines Rohan curiously, eyes lingering on the section of his midriff revealed by his crop top before straying to the stupid green diamond headband around his head. Kakyoin feels an unjustified flash of possessiveness strike him to the core.

“Jotaro.” he calls out. “I would appreciate your feedback on my art, if you’d give it.” Kakyoin tries for the most pleasant tone of voice he can manage.

Jotaro’s attention switches to Kakyoin at the first sound of his voice, something that causes Kakyoin’s heart to flutter pleasantly and eases the urge to slap Rohan. “You’d let me look at your art?” he asks, and his voice is so hopeful and sweet that Kakyoin melts a little inside.

“Of course!” Kakyoin smiles at Jotaro, aware of Rohan’s eyes following him as he walks over to where Kakyoin has propped his art up.

Jotaro looks at the two canvases silently, and Kakyoin once again feels like this is right. He always feels a level of discomfort showing anyone his art, with the exception of Polnareff. With Jotaro, however, he doesn’t feel that discomfort. He knows Jotaro will like it, or at least knows that Jotaro respects him and his work enough to not have a critical opinion of him. 

“I like this one.” Jotaro says, nodding to the larger of the two canvases. It’s an anthropomorphic take on Hierophant Green, his plant, based loosely around The Hierophant  tarot card. It’s a white humanoid, with green, melon-like sections on it’s torso, limbs, and face. Kakyoin even drew it creating an emerald from green liquid flowing between its hands, an homage to his other plant; he wouldn’t want Emerald to feel left out. 

“Thank you.” Kakyoin says timidly, tucking his bangs behind his ear. “I drew it to be a personified-“

“I think Kakyoin would agree the quality of his work has improved thanks to the art department. Wouldn’t you say?” Rohan speaks up suddenly, loudly. Kakyoin grits his teeth in annoyance. Didn’t he say he didn’t care?

“I think the same could be said about yourself. After all, we’re at school to learn and improve.” Kakyoin responds as calmly as possible.

“I prefer the term ‘fine-tuning’.” Rohan runs his hand through his hair as he saunters over to where Jotaro is standing. “Have you heard of Pink Dark Boy, Jotaro?”

Much to Kakyoin’s delight, Jotaro shakes his head. Serves his ego right. Rohan liked to flaunt his semi-popular manga to anyone who would listen, relishing in his fame if anyone recognized his work. Rohan’s smirk falters a bit.

“A shame. Pink Dark Boy is the name of my manga. You may have seen it in bookstores.” Rohan shrugs nonchalantly. 

“I thought you only cared about your own work.” Kakyoin tries to smile pleasantly, but he’s pretty sure it doesn’t quite work out how he wants to.

Rohan looks back to Kakyoin. “I do. I’m just trying to explain to Jotaro here that my goals from art school go beyond just learning how to paint. Pink Dark Boy premiered when I was in high school.” Rohan puffs his chest out proudly and Kakyoin holds himself back from rolling his eyes.

“That’s… interesting.” Jotaro says awkwardly and Kakyoin cackles internally. He really shouldn’t be so gleeful that Jotaro’s natural shyness and coarseness is the perfect tool to undermine Rohan.

“I take great pride in my work.” Rohan says, picking up his canvas. “My current project, for example. I call it Heaven’s Door. Would you like to take a look?” he walks over to where Jotaro and Kakyoin are standing and flips his canvas around, displaying a painting of a golden figure amidst clouds, golden sunlight filtering through, posing with a raised fountain pen in one hand and a book in the other. It stares out of the canvas with a smirk. “I’m still working on background and fine-tuning, but I suppose you could say it’s a self-indulgent piece. I’ve incorporated many intricacies that allude to my person.”

Jotaro’s attention is focused on Rohan’s headband rather than his eyes. “I see.”

“I guess you can say I’m passionate about the arts.” Rohan shifts to hold the canvas in one hand to deliberately reach out and fix Jotaro’s already straight collar flirtatiously. “If you give me your number I can tell you more about it.” He winks.

Kakyoin is very close to blowing a fuse. He manages to snap his mouth closed before his jaw drops. How shameless could he be? Kakyoin is sure that Jotaro wouldn’t fall for such a shameless flirting tactic, but to Kakyoin’s horror, he does. Jotaro furrows his brow as he considers Rohan before him, then takes the phone Rohan holds out to him and starts typing into it. Kakyoin can’t even think of anything to say that wouldn’t make him look pathetic and desperate before Jotaro is handing Rohan’s phone back. Rohan has a self-satisfied smirk on his face that Kakyoin wants to punch off.

“Thank you.” Rohan basically purrs, tucking his phone in his pocket (and somehow managing to make the motion seductive). “What do you say we get out of here? I know many good storage closets where we can-”

“No.” Kakyoin snaps, his body moving before his mind even processes it, grabbing Jotaro by the arm possessively. Jotaro shifts slightly closer to Kakyoin and pulls his hat down over his eyes. Kakyoin would normally find it endearing if he wasn’t so livid right now.

Rohan raises his hands defensively, smirking. “All right. Someone’s touchy.” He winks at Jotaro again before walking off. “I’ll text you.”

Kakyoin lets go of Jotaro and backs away, picking up his canvases. “Sorry.” he mumbles, so that only Jotaro can hear him.

“It’s fine.” Jotaro looks confused. 

Kakyoin shoves his new palette in next to his other stuff, hastily pushing his canvases into their right spots. He wants to leave as soon as possible, but that’s the case any time he’s in the same room as Rohan, isn’t it? The atmosphere in the room feels dense. Maybe it’s just Kakyoin. He tries taking a deep breath, and manages to chase away some of the bubbling rage. “All right.” he says, turning to Jotaro, who is standing awkwardly where Kakyoin left him. “Sorry, let’s go.”

“Are you okay?” Jotaro asks when they’re alone in the hallway again.

Way to make him super sweet even when Kakyoin is frustrated with him, universe. It isn’t fair how cute he is when he’s concerned. “I guess so.” Kakyoin says. He doesn’t want to seem petty and desperate in front of Jotaro. Kakyoin takes a deep breath. “Why did you give him your number?”

Jotaro looks genuinely taken aback. “He asked.” he says, like it’s the most simple thing. “I won’t talk to him if you don’t want me to.”

It’s very sweet of Jotaro to offer, Kakyoin thinks, but if he told him to do that then he would be an incredibly toxic friend. Jotaro can do what he wants and can talk to whoever he wants, after all. It’s his life and his choice. Kakyoin shakes his head. “No, you don’t have to do that.” He figures that Jotaro would realize how unpleasant Rohan was soon enough on his own. He wasn’t stupid. He turns his head and raises his eyebrow, smiling at Jotaro slightly. “You… you know he was hitting on you, though, right? He basically asked if you wanted to fuck him.”

Jotaro pulls down his cap. “I was ignoring it.” Kakyoin snorts. Jotaro really needed to get more in tune with expressing his emotions. “It’s annoying when people act like that.” Jotaro continues, a conflicted pout on his lips. “Is he always like that?”

Kakyoin laughs. “Yeah. His ego is pretty big.” he tugs his scarf tighter around his neck and chin as they step outside into the cold.

Jotaro nods. “Like a mandarinfish.”

Kakyoin feels a smile break across his face, and just like that, the tense atmosphere from the studio is gone. He starts laughing so hard tears form in his eyes. “Ok, what the fuck? Please explain.”

Jotaro looks away, scowling. “They’re bright and poisonous and they only live under very specific conditions. People like them as pets but they’re really hard to take care of.”

“You know what? Yeah.” Kakyoin is smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. “Yeah, that’s exactly him.”

Kakyoin catches the tiniest bit of Jotaro’s small smile and feels his heart throb happily.

“So where do you want to go for lunch, Ocean Man?”

“Ocean Man?” Jotaro frowns.

“Ocean Man.” Kakyoin agrees smugly. He nudges Jotaro with his shoulder playfully as they walk. “Come on, it’s an upgrade from Fish Boy.”

Jotaro chuckles. “I suppose.”

“Come on.” Kakyoin smiles. “How do you feel about Mediterranean?” 

---

After they get lunch, Kakyoin walks Jotaro back to his apartment, just to see Jotaro’s fish. Admittedly, a part of Kakyoin actually just relishes in the idea of going to where Jotaro lives, but quite simply after Jotaro brought up his fish two times in the span of an hour, Kakyoin demanded to meet him. Now, he was following behind Jotaro, leaves blowing past them with every rustle of a branch. 

“Do fish have a favorite food, Jotaro?” Kakyoin asks. He looks up at Jotaro, at the way Jotaro’s dark eyebrows draw together in thought.

“Depends on the fish.” he answers. “Betta fish are carnivores.”

“They eat other fish?” Kakyoin is shocked.

Jotaro chuckles. “No. Definitely not. They eat bugs and worms.”

Kakyoin grins, teasing. “So the next time I come over, I should dig up some worms? Is that what you’re saying?”

Jotaro grabs the brim of his cap. “No. Please don’t.” he deliberates for a second. “If you want, we can give him a little bit of pea.” he mumbles. “He likes peas.”

“ Peas? ” Kakyoin exclaims as they cross the road to approach a large apartment complex. Jotaro reaches into his pocket and produces a set of keys.

“Yeah. It’s really good for them.” Jotaro says. “There’s a lot of fiber in it. He can have it as a treat sometimes.”

Kakyoin smiles fondly. “It’s cute how much you know about the subject you’re passionate about. And how much you love your fish.” Kakyoin is specifically watching for Jotaro to blush, so Jotaro isn’t quick enough to tug his cap down before Kakyoin sees the pink on his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so invested in a fish like that. Usually people treat them like furniture.”

Jotaro’s jaw clenches as he leads Kakyoin to one of the buildings and opens the door. “Don’t remind me.” he says.

Kakyoin smiles but doesn’t say anything else as Jotaro leads him up two flights of stairs before stopping at one of the four doors on the landing and unlocking it. So this is where Jotaro went every single day, when he was done with school and other obligations. Jotaro had admitted to Kakyoin before that he and Polnareff were some of the only friends he’d made in all of college. Kakyoin felt pretty special to be one of the few to come here. He was pretty sure Polnareff had never been here, after all.

“Take your shoes off.” Jotaro requests upon entering the small entrance hall. 

“This is a really nice location.” Kakyoin comments, taking off the green vans he was wearing. “Do you have a view of downtown from here?”

Jotaro shrugs, stepping aside. “See for yourself.”

Kakyoin immediately notices, upon entering the main room, that the decor is kind of lacking. His dolphin painting, he notes with a blush, is the only thing on the walls. The furniture is incredibly basic, the only things of unique interest being a pull-up bar over the door to a hallway probably leading to the bedroom, and the fishtank standing on the windowsill. Kakyoin really wasn’t expecting much else; it isn’t like Jotaro to surround himself with meaningless decoration. Everything in the room has a purpose. He mentally makes a note to ask Jotaro if he would demonstrate the use of the pull-up bar later.

“Here’s my fish.” Jotaro says simply, walking over to the tank. His eyes soften as he dips his knuckle in the water, the blue fish inside immediately making a beeline to brush up against it. “Hey Star.” Jotaro says softly. He chuckles when the fish presses its fish mouth against his skin. “No food here. Sorry.”

“Star?” Kakyoin asks. He can’t keep the touch of fondness out of his voice as he watches the exchange before him. Kakyoin has never seen Jotaro look this openly gentle. He crosses the room to join Jotaro at the tank.

“Star Platinum.” Jotaro clarifies, withdrawing his hand from the surface of the water.

“Hi Star Platinum.” Kakyoin greets the fish. He can’t help but feel like the name is familiar. He tries to recall where he’s seen or heard it before. Was it maybe some artwork title from one of his classmates?

“Do you still want to feed him?” Jotaro asks. They’re standing so close their sleeves brush when they move.

“Of course!” Kakyoin smiles eagerly.

“Then follow me.” Jotaro walks over to the kitchen area of the open floor living space, reaching inside the fridge and pulling out a small container of peas.

Kakyoin smiles as he walks over to the island counter where Jotaro puts the container. Only Jotaro would have a special container of special fish treats in his fridge. “So what, do we just put the pea inside or what? It seems a little big.” Kakyoin eyes the fish to pea size ratio. Jotaro shakes his head.

“An entire pea is too much.” Jotaro begins to explain. “Star’s stomach is barely bigger than his eyeball. We also have to take off the skin, the skin is too rough for him.” Jotaro demonstrates as he talks, and Kakyoin takes the opportunity to stand way closer to Jotaro that he normally would. Jotaro doesn’t seem to mind, however. In fact, he angles his body towards Kakyoin slightly.

“You’re so gentle.” Kakyoin comments as he watches Jotaro take the pea apart with his fingers.

Jotaro jumps, like he just realized their proximity, and tugs his cap down. “Here.” he says quickly, offering the quarter pea to Kakyoin.

“Thank you.” Kakyoin smiles. “Should I just drop it in the tank?”

“You can mush it up and put it on your finger if you want.” Jotaro says. “He’ll come to you.”

This concept is exciting to Kakyoin. He hurries over to the tank with the pea, and dips his finger below the surface of the water. Star swims over very quickly to investigate. The second he recognizes the food being offered to him, he presses his mouth to the pad of Kakyoin’s index finger and begins devouring the pea mush, excited. Kakyoin is delighted. He giggles at the slight ticklish sensation, eyes glued to the little blue thing taking food from him. He looks up to exclaim his excitement to Jotaro, only to find him already watching him with a fond look in his eye. Kakyoin smiles affectionately. Jotaro blinks, suddenly aware that he was caught staring, and looks away. 

“I think my soulmate is an artist.” Jotaro says abruptly.

Oh, what?

Kakyoin’s smile immediately drops. He finds himself at a loss for words. This is a topic of conversation Jotaro has never engaged in, so him bringing it up himself has kind of caught Kakyoin off guard. “Oh.” he breathes. Not only did he bring it up himself, but he shared information that is making Kakyoin’s heart do somersaults in his chest.

Kakyoin is an artist. The implications of Jotaro’s statement are obvious.

“What… makes you say that?” Kakyoin asks breathlessly.

Jotaro turns his body to face away from Kakyoin and hides his face behind the popped collar of his jacket. He shrugs. “Nothing. Never mind.” Kakyoin can see him receding back into his shell and wants to scream. He thought they were getting somewhere with this. This is unacceptable.

“Jotaro, you can tell me.” Kakyoin tries gently. He’s forgotten momentarily about his finger still stuck in the water.

“I…” Jotaro is clearly struggling to find the right words. “I…”

Kakyoin waits patiently. They’re so close to figuring it out! They’ve got all the time they want right now, in the comfort of Jotaro’s home. Kakyoin really wants, more than anything, for Jotaro to trust him and open up to him.

Jotaro turns back and looks at Kakyoin. “I really hate my fucking soulmark.” he says.

Kakyoin’s heart sinks. He swallows. “Why is that?”

“It’s really annoying.” Jotaro says.

Kakyoin doesn’t really know what to say to that. Right now, he absolutely agrees. “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Kakyoin says as calmly as possible.

Jotaro tenses his shoulders. “It’s whatever.” he says. He isn’t looking at Kakyoin.

Kakyoin sighs. He shouldn’t be so harsh on Jotaro to deal with whatever frustration he has with his soulmate. After all, he doesn’t know the intricate details of Jotaro’s life. Not yet, anyways. “Do you want to show me that Chiyonofuji Mitsugu autograph you’ve been going on about?” Kakyoin asks. He knows Jotaro well enough to know not to pry when he’s uncomfortable. Jotaro looks grateful for the subject change, the tension in his shoulders dropping. He takes a deep breath.

“Yeah. Let me get it.” Jotaro says, leaving Kakyoin to hang out with Star Platinum by themselves for a moment. Kakyoin draws his hand back to his side.

He’ll just have to be patient, Kakyoin supposes, if he wants Jotaro to open up to him. Kakyoin is a patient guy, he can do that.

The wait better be worth the emotional journey he’s pretty sure he’s on.

Chapter Text

Jotaro is in his chemistry lab Wednesday morning when he gets a text from Kakyoin.

Cherry Bitch: Hey Jotarooo ( ˘･з･) I have a small request. You can say no, but… you know how I said I’ve been looking for more people to stream multiplayer games with?

Jotaro sneaks his phone out of his pocket. Avdol, the TA of Jotaro’s section, is still giving a recitation of the material covered in the lecture. Even though Avdol is a friend of his grandfather’s, he doesn’t go easy on Jotaro if he is caught breaking the rules. Jotaro types out a quick response so he doesn’t get caught.

Me: Yeah.

He tucks his phone back in his pocket and catches Avol’s eye. He shakes his head in disapproving amusement. Jotaro looks back down at his work, embarrassed. He feels his phone buzz in his pocket a few more times, but doesn’t get it out again until he’s already putting his things away and some students have already walked out the door.

Cherry Bitch: Would you and your uncle be interested in joining us on a stream?

Cherry Bitch: By us I mean me and Polnareff*

Cherry Bitch: You don’t have to, I know you suck at video games >:3

Cherry Bitch: There’s just a lot of games I’ve been asked to stream that are way more fun to watch with more people playing but I don’t really have a lot of friends lmao.

Cherry Bitch: Do you think your uncle would be interested? I know you said he was one of our fans I want to meet him (｡-v-) also if you just have any other friends that play video games I’d love to meet them too.

Cherry Bitch: Sorry, this is all a bit much, you don’t have to agree.

Cherry Bitch: You don’t have to ask your uncle either if you don’t want to sorry I know you’re not a messenger boy.

Cherry Bitch: Lol ignore my rambling I was just curious.

Jotaro raises his eyebrows as he reads through his messages. Streaming a game with Kakyoin? And inviting Josuke? It sounds like a recipe for disaster. Josuke has been pestering him to get him to introduce him and his friends to Kakyoin and Polnareff, though.

“Anything important enough come in to warrant disturbing the class?” Avdol’s teasing voice comes from behind Jotaro as he peeks over his shoulder at his phone.

Jotaro, embarrassed, begins to put his phone back into his pocket. 

Avdol laughs. “Relax, I’m joking. It just distracts me from teaching properly, that’s all. How are you doing?”

Jotaro reaches up to hide his red face from Avdol under his hat. “Good.”

“That’s good. How have classes been?”

“Good.” Jotaro pauses. “I made some friends.”

Avdol raises his eyebrows at that. “Good for you! I’m really glad to hear it, Jotaro.” He smiles warmly. “Listen. What are you doing on Halloween?”

Halloween is next week. Jotaro has literally no idea. He’ll probably do what he did last year, which was to sit in his living room and watch a documentary on boats or planes or something. Maybe workout. Hang out with Star Platinum. “I don’t know. Nothing.” Jotaro responds.

Avdol chuckles. “I figured. Listen,” he puts his hand on Jotaro’s shoulder, “My buddy Speedwagon is throwing a Halloween party. You should come and bring your new friends along! I would love to meet them!”

Jotaro tries not to cringe. He knows Speedwagon. How could he not? Everyone knows Speedwagon. He’s well-known around campus in many different circles, on account of him being an active member of the student government. He’s known for throwing massive house parties from time to time, but Jotaro had never gone to one. It isn’t really his scene. A bunch of sweaty and drunk college students grinding up against each other wearing basically nothing? No thank you. 

What Avdol was suggesting, him bringing Polnareff and Kakyoin to one of these parties, was one of the last things Jotaro wanted to do. Polnareff he could see enjoying himself. Kakyoin, on the other hand, was just as reclusive as Jotaro, preferring to stay in over going out somewhere. He really was perfect for Jotaro. Not that Jotaro cared.

Avdol laughs. It seems Jotaro wasn’t successful in keeping the grimace off his face. “I know it isn’t your type of scene, but you should try to go out sometimes. Especially with friends. You’d have a better chance of finding your…” Avdol cuts himself off, closing his mouth. He glances at the spot just below Jotaro’s chest where he knows his soulmark to be, looking a little embarrassed. “Sorry. Ignore me, please.”

Avdol was one of four people who knew about Jotaro’s soulmark. The other three were his mom, and his grandparents, Suzi and Joseph. Avdol knew how sensitive the subject was to Jotaro. He hated to talk about it with anyone else, but Jotaro chose very carefully who he disclosed personal information to. The fact that Avdol was the only person outside members of his family who knew was not something Jotaro took for granted. He trusted the man entirely. This was probably the only reason Jotaro didn’t snap at him right now.

“It’s fine.” Jotaro says, shoving his hands in his pockets awkwardly. “I actually, uh…” he looks around to check that nobody else was left loitering around the lab. “I got another tattoo.”

“You did?” Avdol grins, relieved and excited. “That’s great! Would you tell me what it is?”

Jotaro nods. “A paintbrush.”

“A paintbrush!” Avdol crosses his arms across his chest in thought. “Is it near the… diamond?”

Jotaro nods.

“Well, it’s still not much, but it’s definitely a clue. A diamond and a paintbrush…” Avdol catches Jotaro’s gaze contemplatively. “When did you get it?”

“A couple weeks ago.” Jotaro shifts his hands in his pockets. “Do you… know what it means?”

Avdol purses his lips. “Well… it’s certainly interesting. Usually, soulmarks that show up one day show up when you meet your soulmate. I’m going to be honest, I thought you would have to resort to asking around to see if anyone matches, but this is really good. It means you’re getting closer to your soulmate. Who did you talk to that day?”

Jotaro shifts uncomfortably. “My new friends. My classmates. And Star.”

Avdol’s face lights up and Jotaro’s heart sinks. “Jotaro, what if it’s one of your new friends? Are they-”

“No.” Jotaro interrupts him quickly.

Avdol frowns. “What?”

It can’t be Polnareff or… or Kakyoin. It couldn’t be that simple. Jotaro would probably die if that happened. Vanish off the face of the Earth. He wouldn’t be able to handle the stress on his heart if Kakyoin was his soulmate. Just the thought of kissing Kakyoin, of holding his hand, of… Jotaro blushes. “One of my friends is in the art school. Could it have to do with that?”

Avdol is still frowning. “Well, yeah, obviously, I suppose, but Jotaro…”

“That’s what I thought. I’m going to ask Kakyoin about it.”

Avdol looks apprehensive. Jotaro doesn’t like it.

“I’ll think about the party. No guarantee though.” Jotaro powers through. “Thanks, Avdol.” He doesn’t wait for Avdol to respond before rushing out the door, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

As he walks out the building in a hurry, he pulls out his phone again, because he really needs to switch his train of thought and also reply to Kakyoin’s messages. He opens his phone to find two more messages.

Cherry Bitch: Jotaro (T-T) you can say no lmfao I’m not gonna get upset.

Cherry Bitch: Just wanted to ask

Jotaro leans his back against the wall of the chemistry building to type out a response.

Me: Are you sure you want to meet Josuke? If you invite him he’ll want to bring his boyfriend and they’re a lot to handle together.

Cherry Bitch: Oh hey >:3 I mean… yeah, I do. If you like them I’m sure they’re just as lovely as you. Plus I kind of have a vested interest in them liking me.

Since he is alone, Jotaro allows himself to smile at his phone without feeling like a fool.

Me: A vested interest?

Cherry Bitch: Don’t worry about it (-.o)

Cherry Bitch: So are you down or not? Your uncle can bring his boyfriend, we wouldn’t mind. The more the merrier. I want to play Mario Party to start so it should be a party anyways.

Me: If you’re sure I’m sure they will be down. I don’t know what that is though. When?

Cherry Bitch: Do you think you guys could do today? I really owe my followers a stream like,, soon,, I’ve been kind of slacking on that.

Me: Today is fine. I’ll text Josuke.

Cherry Bitch: Yaaayayayay thank you thank you <3 you’re the absolute best.

Jotaro feels himself blushing at the use of the heart.

Cherry Bitch: And don’t worry your cute little head about not knowing how to play. You can be on my team ;)

Jotaro sort of melts inside.

---

Three hours later Jotaro finds himself walking down the hallway of Polnareff and Kakyoin’s floor, Josuke and Okuyasu nearly bouncing off the walls behind him in excitement.

“Jotaro, I don’t tell you enough how awesome you are!” Okuyasu practically vibrates as he prances down the hall.

“Oku, we’re about to meet the StardustCrusaders! We’re going to be guests on Kakyoin’s twitch channel! ”

“Hey, calm down.” Jotaro warns. “You guys remember what I said about how they want to remain as anonymous as possible? You’ll alert the whole hall.”

“Sorry.” Okuyasu immediately says, looking ashamed, but Josuke gasps loudly when Jotaro stops by their dorm room.

“Are we here?” he barks out.

“Oy, Josuke, Jotaro said to be quiet!” Okuyasu says as Jotaro knocks on the door.

“You be quiet!” Josuke huffs back.

“I’m not the one being…” Okuyasu’s sentence trails off as Polnareff opens the door, smiling.

“Ohmygodhi.” Josuke breathes out.

“Hey! Josuke and Okuyasu, right?” Polnareff is smiling wide as Josuke and Okuyasu look at him, absolutely starstruck. “It’s nice to meet you guys!”

“Dude, it’s nice to meet you!” Okuyasu holds out his hand for Polnareff to shake, but Polnareff takes it and pulls him in for a hug instead.

“Come on, what’s with the formality?” Polnareff asks, his biceps bulging around Okuyasu’s neck. “I’m really excited to kick your guys’ asses!”

Okuyasu kind of looks like he’s struggling to breathe.

Jotaro moves past where Josuke is also trying to get into the hug and walks into the room.

Kakyoin is currently crouching over a laptop set up on a small table in front of the tv. It’s hooked up to so many things Jotaro’s head starts to swim trying to follow it all. There's a camera, definitely, and a microphone, as well as seemingly hundreds of chords going back and forth between the gaming console, tv, laptop, and camera. He looks up when Jotaro comes in, and smiles. Jotaro’s heart flutters pleasantly in his chest. “Hey, Jotaro!”

“Hi.” Jotaro shoves his hands in his pockets. “This all looks very complicated.”

Kakyoin turns and looks at his setup like he’s seeing it for the first time. He laughs. “Oh! I guess so. I suppose I’ve always added one new thing at a time to my setup so I never noticed how cluttered it was.” he turns back and shrugs. “Where is your uncle? I’m excited to meet him!”

“He and his boyfriend are uh…” Jotaro shrugs vaguely towards the door. “Talking to Polnareff.”

Kakyoin raises his eyebrows. “I see. They’ll definitely be occupied with him for a bit. He was just as excited to meet them as I am, honestly.”

“I don’t know why.” Jotaro shifts his weight around. “They’re annoying as fuck.”

“Silly, it’s because they’re related to you!” Kakyoin rolls his eyes. “And we like you. I’m sure they can’t be more annoying than Polnareff.”

Jotaro tilts his head downward to hide behind the brim of his hat.

“No but seriously? I can’t thank you enough for doing this.” Kakyoin continues, taking a few steps forward towards Jotaro. “I was kind of in a rut for the past couple months because I’ve felt like I’ve outgrown my content, like my viewers needed fresh stuff or they would get bored, and this is really helping.” he laughs nervously. “I’m a little anxious, to be honest, that my viewers won’t appreciate more people on my stream than just Pol, but we’ll see, I guess.” he tugs on his bangs. “Sorry, I probably sound really conceited right now, talking about viewership problems.”

“You’re fine.” Jotaro quickly assures him. “I’m glad I could be of help to you.”

Kakyoin smiles gratefully.

“No way am I meeting the Noriaki Kakyoin right now! Oh my god!” Josuke suddenly runs into the room at breakneck speed, and stops suddenly, looking around. “Oh my god…” he whispers.

Kakyoin laughs. “Josuke, right? I’m flattered, it’s nice to meet you.” he walks over and pulls Josuke into what Jotaro is pretty sure is called a bro hug.

“Dude, I’m sure you get this all the time, but your Resident Evil playthroughs are gold. I’m pretty sure I’ve been at at least 80% of your streams or caught up on HierophantGreenVODs ! I have your twitch on push notifications. Is this your setup?” Josuke continues rambling, not even pausing for a breath. “This is so poggers , dude, are these your customized headphones?” he reaches for the green and white marble headset on the side table beside the tv, stopping himself before he actually touches them. “I asked for these for Christmas!” he turns to Kakyoin, eyes shining. “You’re like the best gamer ever!”

Kakyoin is blushing. “Wow, well thank you, I don’t even know what to say! I’m flattered that you think so highly of my content. What kind of video games do you play? I keep trying to ask this one,” he jerks his thumb at Jotaro and rolls his eyes, smiling, “but he can’t tell me anything about video games period .”

Josuke laughs. “Oh yeah, I definitely play a lot of fighting games, they’re the best! My mom gets mad at me sometimes for how often I’m on. And I definitely am with you on Jotaro. I’m like, how can you be 20 and still so incompetent with a controller?” Kakyoin and Josuke high five.

“I’m glad you’re bonding at my expense.” Jotaro grumbles and tugs his hat down.

“Aw, Jojo, you just make it really easy!” Kakyoin laughs.

“Jojo?” Josuke echoes. When Jotaro looks up he catches Josuke’s teasing smirk. He quickly looks away again.

Okuyasu coming into the room followed by Polnareff isn’t a quieter ordeal; Okuyasu is just as (if not more) excited to meet Kakyoin as Josuke, and they spend the next ten minutes fawning over Hierophant Green and Emerald, as well as almost every other piece of furniture in the room.

“You know, Polnareff, if you make Silver Chariot plushies, a lot of people would buy them!” Josuke suggests as he holds the plushie in his hands.

“That’s what Kakyoin tells me all the time!” Polnareff takes the plushie from Josuke and looks down at it.

“Then why don’t you?” Okuyasu tilts his head.

“The thing is, I got it at Target, you know? It’s already a marketable plushie. I’d have to completely redesign him, and I don’t think I really want to do that.”

Jotaro watches the conversation unfold silently from one of the beanbags. He has never been one to contribute much to a conversation with Josuke’s friends, and Polnareff, Okuyasu, and Josuke seem to hold up a conversation by themselves anyways. He’s glad he doesn’t have to be the middle man in this introduction. It’s a little tiring.

“Scoot over.” Kakyoin nudges him with his elbow after grabbing a controller and turning on the tv and syncing it to his laptop.

Jotaro obediently moves over slightly on the beanbag, heart hammering as Kakyoin settles against the side of the beanbag where Jotaro is sitting. He leans his weight against Jotaro’s calf. Even though the contact is completely insignificant, Jotaro feels his entire face heat up. He cannot move his leg now, out of fear of Kakyoin moving away.

“Oh! Are we starting?” Polnareff asks.

“If you guys want to!” Kakyoin announces. “I was about to start the stream, yeah.” 

“Oh my gosh yes of course we want to!” Josuke hurries over and Kakyoin hands him a controller with a smile. “Ok, how is this going to work? Is Jotaro playing? Mario Party only has four players I thought.”

“Pull up our desk chairs, someone take the other beanbag. The camera has a pretty large capture window, so we should be able to all fit.” Kakyoin shuffles over to press his shoulder more firmly against Jotaro’s calf. Jotaro has to measure his breathing. “And Jotaro and I will be a team.” he turns and smiles at Jotaro. Jotaro has to turn away to hide the blush on his face. He makes the mistake of looking over at Polnareff and Josuke, who look at each other and smirk. Jotaro watches as they pass a knowing look. Luckily Okuyasu is too busy dragging Kakyoin’s desk chair over to the gaming area to notice.

“Right.” Polnareff says.

“Of course.” Josuke adds.

Kakyoin either misses the teasing in their tone or ignores it. Jotaro, on the other hand, has his face hidden so far beneath his cap he can’t see anything beyond his lap.

“Ok so how this will work.” Kakyoin suddenly turns to the other three occupants of the room, the most serious Jotaro has ever seen him. “Take a seat, guys, I need to set stream rules.”

Okuyasu and Josuke look at each other nervously, but Polnareff nods and takes the other beanbag beside Kakyoin and Jotaro.

“Ok so first things first. Do not reveal where we live. Not even indirectly. No referencing places in town or landmarks around. Generally let’s keep deeply personal information about Polnareff and me to a minimum, okay? Also, if I could kindly request we keep talking trash about celebrities without good reason to a minimum. I try to cultivate a positive space on my streams.” He smiles at Josuke and Okuyasu. “Okay? I’m sure you guys will be chill but I want to make sure.”

Josuke and Okuyasu nod.

“I promise. This is incredibly uber cool.” Okuyasu raises his hand in an oath motion.

Kakyoin smiles. “Okay. Then once we go live, I’ll do my usual thing of introducing you guys, explaining what we will be playing, then we can get into it! I normally also talk to chat for a bit first, as you guys probably know,” Kakyoin smiles, “but I’ll keep that to a minimum today.” 

Jotaro feels incredibly self conscious as Kakyoin starts the stream. Polnareff waves enthusiastically to the camera, his posture relaxed yet full of energy. Josuke and Okuyasu smile and vibrate excitedly until Kakyoin introduces them, and they say hi and wave to the camera. It feels very strange for Jotaro to basically share a beanbag with Kakyoin while Kakyoin is streaming. Because he can only sort of see the chat coming in on Kakyoin’s laptop, it doesn’t feel real. Kakyoin seems comfortable, though, and it’s making Jotaro feel very conflicting emotions.

“And this is our friend, Jotaro!” Kakyoin turns around and both he and Polnareff point at Jotaro.

Jotaro raises his hand in greeting, feeling incredibly awkward. It feels like he’s waving at nothing.

Polnareff snickers.

“He’s very quiet.” Kakyoin says, looking at Jotaro with almost fondness in his eyes. Jotaro tries his best not to blush in front of the audience; he keeps reminding himself it’s there.

“He also sucks ass at video games, which is why…” Polnareff looks to Kakyoin expectantly.

Kakyoin sighs. “Yes. I will be letting him play in my name on my team. Can you believe it? This is character development if anything.”

Jotaro shifts uncomfortably on the beanbag. “What?”

Josuke smirks at him. “Jotaro, did you know that Kakyoin never lets anyone play for him? Not even Polnareff! He’s incredibly particular about earning his victories and losses.”

“There’s a meme going around that he needs to copyright the name HierophantGreen !” Okuyasu adds in.

“Okay, okay, to be fair, this is literally Mario Party, let’s not get too excited.” Kakyoin rolls his eyes.

Jotaro still feels the pressure building. He’s gonna accidentally fuck this up for Kakyoin for sure . Maybe he shouldn’t even play.

The first thing the group does is pick characters from a selection too large for Jotaro’s understanding. He’s pretty sure the only characters here he’s actually familiar with are Mario and Bowser. The green Mario and a girl in a pink dress look familiar as well. Josuke goes straight for a yellow turtle and Okuyasu picks a buff looking monkey. 

Polnareff looks at Kakyoin who looks at Jotaro. “Jotaro, do you have a preference for any of the characters?” he asks.

“Um…” Jotaro looks at the screen. “No, not really. You pick.”

Josuke snorts. “Can you even name like one character?”

Jotaro tugs his hat down over his eyes as Josuke and Okuyasu laugh. “I know Mario.”

Kakyoin snickers into his controller.

“I also know Bowser.” Jotaro is trying to redeem himself at this point.

Josuke looks genuinely surprised.

“I asked because Polnareff and I usually play Peach and Rosaline.” Kakyoin reaches over to bump his fist to Polnareff’s.

“Fuck the patriarchy.” Polnareff grins.

“That’s fine.” Jotaro says, his gaze immediately landing on the three girl characters in dresses on the screen. Why are the girls wearing dresses? That doesn’t seem comfortable to fight in. Are they even going to be fighting?

“If you’re sure.” Kakyoin tabs over to the blonde girl in the blue dress. Polnareff selects the blonde girl in the pink dress. Jotaro suddenly realizes he has no idea what the game is even about. 

Luckily, he finds out pretty soon. It’s basically a board game. He struggles to follow along to the intricacies of what is happening, completely tuning out the conversations happening between the others in favor of actually trying to follow along. They appear to be on some sort of fruit island board. During Josuke’s turn, his turtle rolls a blue dice and moves forward 3 spaces, landing on a blue spot. He gets some coins. Okay. Blue is good. Next Polnareff’s girl (who he calls “peachy” and everyone laughs. Jotaro thinks she must be Peach and wonders why her parents named her after a fruit.) rolls a 4 on a pink dice and lands on another blue spot. She also gets some coins (Jotaro isn’t sure what the coins are used for yet but they are a good thing no doubt. Who doesn’t want money?). 

Next is him and Kakyoin. The girl in the blue dress, presumably Rosalina (or was it Rosaline?) rolls a blue dice and gets an eight. Everyone cheers and Kakyoin beams at Jotaro, who tries not to stare. He didn’t know that rolling an eight was possible. Are there special dice too? Rosalina moves forward eight spaces and lands on a green tile, which causes her to be projected forward to an entire new section of the board. Jotaro thinks that this is probably a bad thing but based on the groans of everyone else, this must be a good thing for Kakyoin and him. This is too confusing to keep track of. 

Next Okuyasu rolls with his monkey and gets a bonus of five coins. Okay, so these are definitely special dice. He doesn’t move forward but Okuyasu looks happy anyways.

“I’ll catch up and buy so many stars you guys will be shocked .” he says. So they are going to be making purchases with the coins. Makes sense.

“Okay, Jotaro.” Kakyoin turns to face him. “Do you want to play the first minigame or should I?”

“Um, you can.” Jotaro says quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly.

Kakyoin smiles. “No, come on, you do it!”

Jotaro stares at him.

Kakyoin nudges Jotaro with the corner of the controller. “It’s not too bad, I promise! We got a pretty good lead in terms of location on the board. If you lose it’s not gonna be a big deal.”

Jotaro looks at the controller apprehensively.

“Are you scared to embarrass yourself in front of Kakyoin?” Josuke asks. There is a teasing lilt to his voice. Jotaro snatches the controller from Kakyoin’s hand.

“Shut up. How do I play this mini game?”

Kakyoin smiles. Polnareff gives Josuke a high five.

It turns out the minigame is an archery simulator of sorts. All he has to do is aim, draw back, and shoot at targets before they disappear. Simple enough. Jotaro fumbles to place his fingers on the proper controls.

When the game starts, Jotaro is momentarily overwhelmed by the other three players sending their arrows flying. Targets rapidly begin to vanish with every hit.

“Come on, Jojo! You can do it!” Kakyoin smiles and pumps his fist in the air by his head.

Ok. This can’t be that hard. He’s dissected more marine creatures than he can count, for Christ’s sake. Jotaro tries to channel the precision he has in bio labs into the controller. The arrow is his knife. The target is the seam on the side of a clam. He draws back and shoots.

“Hey, not bad!” Kakyoin nudges Jotaro’s leg. Rosalina’s score goes from 0 to 1 with the hit.

Gaining confidence, Jotaro shoots again. The score rises to 2. He shoots once more, aiming at a golden target that appeared, but so does everyone else. Everyone’s arrows go flying.

“Jotaro, what the fuck? ” Josuke’s jaw drops. A bonus 5 points are awarded to Rosalina.

“How did Jotaro get that?” Okuyasu splutters.

Jotaro tries to keep his hands from shaking as he tries to maintain his immense focus. This is the hardest he’s probably ever concentrated.

Kakyoin clasps his hands together and presses them to his mouth.

“Guys, I promise Jotaro normally sucks!” Polnareff announces to the camera when the whistle blows and the minigame is over. Rosalina cheers beneath her winning score of 41.

“Where did that come from? Have you been holding out on me?” Josuke demands.

Jotaro shrugs.

“Well, consider me impressed.” Kakyoin takes the controller back from Jotaro, smiling softly. “Maybe you should be doing all the minigames from now on.” 

Jotaro ducks beneath the brim of his cap.

The rest of the game takes about four hours to complete, between the banter passed around the group and frequent pauses for reading the livestream chat. As it turns out, the types of minigames that this game has are something that Jotaro can get behind. They’re simple and short, and actually Okuyasu and Polnareff aren’t very good at them. Kakyoin and Jotaro end up taking turns with every other minigame, and with their combined efforts, it comes as no surprise that they win.

“So basically, we accidentally let Kakyoin cheat.” Polnareff complains after they end the stream and everyone slumps back in their seats.

“Yeah, what the fuck? I can’t believe my highest competition was Jotaro.” Josuke grumbles. “I can take second place to Kakyoin, he is the master , but Jotaro? Come on.”

“Hey now, you put up a really good fight!” Kakyoin stretches his arms above his head. “But you’re right. I am the master. And my intuition about who can be on my team is always right.” he turns and smiles brightly at Jotaro, his eyes shining. Jotaro’s breath catches for what feels like the millionth time that day.

He’s really beautiful when he’s in his element.

“ I personally had no doubt in my mind that Jotaro would come around!” Polnareff boasts, reminding Jotaro to stop staring at Kakyoin. “There’s just no way someone can suck that much at Mario Kart!”

“Shut up.” Jotaro grumbles. “Didn’t you say Rosalina is a space queen? Isn’t that more powerful than a Princess Peach?”

Josuke raises his eyebrows. Okuyasu and Kakyoin laugh as Polnareff fumbles to come up with something witty to say in response.

“Well… at least… at least I don’t suck at cooking!” Polnareff huffs. There was a particular minigame that involved cooking a cube of meat that Jotaro struggled with a lot.

“Actually, Jotaro is very good at cooking.” Josuke interjects. 

Okuyasu nods in enthusiastic agreement. “You should try some of his mom’s food!”

“She’s very nice.” Josuke adds. “She’s my sister.”

Polnareff and Kakyoin lift their eyebrows at the same time. 

“No kidding.” Polnareff says.

“Why haven’t you ever cooked for us?” Kakyoin asks.

Jotaro shrugs.

“Okay, it’s official!” Polnareff announces. “We’re coming by your apartment tomorrow and hanging out and you are going to cook for us. I have to try your cuisine firsthand. As a Frenchman, my tastebuds are immaculate !”

“Oy, Pol, you can’t just invite us over to Jotaro’s apartment.” Kakyoin scolds.

Jotaro swallows. “I mean. You can if you want to.” The thought of cooking for Kakyoin, even if Polnareff will be there too, sends a pleasant feeling down Jotaro’s spine.

“Wait, really?” Kakyoin turns to Jotaro, eyes sparkling. “You really, really don’t have to!”

“I don’t mind.” Jotaro toys with the brim of his cap.

“Can we come?” Josuke pipes up.

Jotaro shoots him a look. “You have school tomorrow.”

Josuke’s face falls. “But-”

“I also promised your mom that you would be home by ten.”

Okuyasu and Josuke groans in unison. Kakyoin sends Jotaro an amused look.

“Hey, we can hang out with you guys later, too!” Polnareff offers. “Like maybe on the weekend or something? I wouldn’t want you guys to get in trouble because of us!”

The boys perk up instantly.

“For real?” Okuyasu asks.

“Yeah, for sure!” Kakyoin says. “You guys are really cool!”

“Awesome! Okay!” Josuke fistbumps both Polnareff and Kakyoin and stands up. “Do you guys mind if we get your numbers from Jotaro?”

“Not at all.” Kakyoin smiles.

“Niiiiice.” Okuyasu high fives Josuke.

Josuke looks over at Jotaro and raises an eyebrow. “Jotaro, if you want to drive us home, you’re going to have to get off of Kakyoin.”

Jotaro immediately leans away from Kakyoin. When did he start leaning in? From the way his spine cracks at the movement, his estimate is quite a while ago. Fuck. Kakyoin is blushing when Jotaro looks at him. He pulls the brim of his hat down.

“Shut up. Good grief, let’s go.”

---

Jotaro didn’t even realize how exhausted he was until he waves goodbye to Tomoko and slumps back into the seat of his car, finally alone. He hasn’t even done any of his homework today. His energy has been completely drained by the sheer amount of interaction he had. He’s honestly struggling to keep his eyes open.

By the time he makes his way into his apartment, he’s all but ready to just collapse into bed. It’s barely past 11, and sometimes he can stay up pretty late, but definitely not tonight. Jotaro toes off his shoes and tosses his hat on the coffee table, stopping to feed Star Platinum before going straight down the hallway into the bathroom. He brushes his teeth quickly, changes into a shirt and sweatpants, and collapses onto the bed.

He snuggles underneath the covers, finally alone and at peace, when his phone lights up on the bedside table. He groans and picks it up, ready to silence it, but stops when he sees the notification.

A text from Kakyoin.

Jotaro immediately pulls the phone closer to his face and opens the message.

Cherry Bitch: Hey! Hope I’m not disturbing you lol, you just looked pretty tired after the stream and I wanted to text you and say thank you so much for doing it! I know it’s not normally your type of thing, but you did it anyways and for that I thank you <3 you’re a real lifesaver.

Jotaro feels something warm settle in his chest as he smiles openly at his phone.

Me: It was fun.

Cherry Bitch: I’m really really glad you think so! I think I would have died if you hated it. I was kind of afraid of that lol.

Me: No it was fun.

Cherry Bitch: Good :)

The text bubble appears for a second, then disappears again. Jotaro is about to assume the conversation is over when the text bubble appears again.

Cherry Bitch: I really liked playing on your team Jotaro <3

Jotaro’s heart leaps into his throat. He’s definitely not sleepy anymore.

Me: yeah.

Me: me too.

Cherry Bitch: I’ve only ever played co-op with Pol before, but you’re different. I’m really glad we did that.

Jesus christ, is Jotaro about to have a heart attack? It sure feels like it from how hard his heart is beating. 

Me: We make a good team.

Only after he hits send does Jotaro realize how flirty that was.

Cherry Bitch: Jotaro (*^▽^*)

Cherry Bitch: You’re so sweet :D

Cherry Bitch: We are a good team ^-^

Cherry Bitch: My partner in crime >:3

Jotaro is really glad he’s alone right now, because he’s sure he has the stupidest smile on his face.

Me: I don’t want to commit any crimes though.

Cherry Bitch: BOring. Didn’t you smoke in high school?

Me: You have no proof.

Cherry Bitch: It’s your word against mine in court, Kujo >;P

Me: I’ll take you down with me.

Cherry Bitch: I’d like to see you try >:O

Me: I’ll tell your followers that you dye your hair.

Cherry Bitch: !!!

Cherry Bitch: I don’t dye my hair!!!

Me: Your followers don’t know that.

Cherry Bitch: ( ’ _ ` )

Cherry Bitch: You are ruthless, Kujo.

Me: You still talk to me though.

Cherry Bitch: Maybe I like it >:3

Jotaro feels his face heat up. Are they flirting? Is this what this is? He isn’t sure, but it feels nice.

Cherry Bitch: Hey Jotaro?

Me: Yeah.

Cherry Bitch: Can I ask you something?

The smile drops from Jotaro’s face. The question immediately sends Jotaro’s heart into overdrive. An entire array of questions pop into his head as well as every insecurity and inner anxiety. He takes a deep breath before responding.

Me: Yeah.

The typing bubble pops up, then disappears. It pops up again.

Cherry Bitch: It’s kind of important and maybe sensitive.

Jotaro closes his eyes and taps his phone against his forehead. He types out a response after taking a moment to himself.

Me: Good grief, what is it?

The typing bubbles seem to be thinking for ages. Jotaro isn’t sure he even blinks once. What kind of question is that? Everyone knows that that question isn’t taken lightly by a single person in the entire world.

Suddenly, the bubbles vanish. Jotaro waits exactly a minute. They don’t show up again. Now Jotaro’s really starting to sweat. He follows up his previous message.

Me: Kakyoin?

Cherry Bitch: Sorry, never mind. Forget I said anything, it’s stupid and kind of personal. Good night Jojo.

Jotaro stares at his screen.

Seriously? He can’t just say that! Jotaro clenches his phone tighter in his hands out of frustration. What the fuck? He can’t exactly do anything about it though, as anxious as the unasked question makes him. If Kakyoin doesn’t want to talk to him, that’s fine. He won’t push.

Me: Good night.

Me: See you and Polnareff tomorrow?

Cherry Bitch: Yes. See you tomorrow Jojo <3 I’m very excited. Sleep well!

Jotaro furrows his brows. That’s that, then. Maybe Kakyoin will talk to him about whatever is bothering him later. Maybe even tomorrow. Jotaro will just have to wait.

He closes his phone, sets it down on the nightstand, and tries to go to sleep.

Chapter Text

Kakyoin’s life has never been more hectic, it seems.

He left the dorm at 7:30 this morning. It is now a quarter to three, as he throws his keys at an unsuspecting Polnareff pacing the floor of their dorm with a script in his hand. Not only is he stressed still from the events of last night, but he is also tired and incredibly hungry, and they are meeting up with Jotaro in… Kakyoin checks his phone. Less than fifteen minutes. Fuck.

“Normally people greet each other by saying ‘hello’.” Polnareff grumbles as he hurls the keys back at Kakyoin. He misses. Kakyoin tries not to laugh. Polnareff huffs. “You broke me out of the scene! I have to start over now!”

“You don’t have time to start over, we have to leave in like five minutes.” Kakyoin reminds him, walking over to his desk to set his bag down with a thwump .

Polnareff grabs his phone off his desk. “Oh shit. Yeah, ok.” he peeks over to where Kakyoin is chugging a half empty bottle of Mountain Dew. “Are you okay? Have you eaten today?”

Kakyoin shakes his head as he swallows the last mouthful. “Nah. I didn’t have time. I got a granola bar from the vending machine in the studio hallway but that’s it.”

Polnareff crosses his arms.

“I know!” Kakyoin tosses the empty bottle into the recycling bin. “I know. You know how busy my Thursdays are, but I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I slept in, and I couldn’t get breakfast before I left.”

Polnareff lifts an eyebrow and smirks. “Were you thinking about Jotaro ?” he teases. “Good thing we’re about to go to his place for dinner.”

Kakyoin sighs. “Yeah.”

“Are you…” Polnareff looks pointedly at Kakyoin. “...going to tell him?”

Kakyoin turns his back to Polnareff. “I don’t think so.” Big mistake.

The issue with living with Polnareff is that he’s very persistent.

“Nori, please! ” he begs, sighing dramatically. He tosses the script he was just working on onto his bed. “This has gone on long enough! I understand that you don’t want to make Jotaro uncomfortable, but you should tell him that you think he’s your soulmate today! We’re meeting him at his lab in like, ten minutes, and I’m seriously still fighting you on this?”

Kakyoin purses his lips and swivels around. “Stop it!”

“I’m not trying to make you more nervous, I’m just trying to tell you that these tattoos popping up are seeming less and less like coincidences!” Polnareff turns to the mirror they have hanging on the wall across their bathroom to fix the top of his tube top.

Kakyoin grits his teeth to stop from tapping his foot.

He got another tattoo yesterday - a video game controller, exactly on the opposite side of his ribs from the star.

It was the same video game controller that Kakyoin and Jotaro shared yesterday.

Logically, to Kakyoin, it couldn’t be more clear what was going on, which is why he is confused and anxious beyond reason why Jotaro hasn’t talked to him about it yet. He almost asked, yesterday, but chickened out at the last moment. Polnareff couldn’t blame him for being scared!

It was obvious. For whatever reason, Jotaro was denying the existence of his soulmate. Who wouldn’t feel insecure in Kakyoin’s spot? So here Kakyoin found himself, collecting tattoo after tattoo, with no idea what to do about it. Jotaro was such a difficult person to read sometimes! It wasn’t like there was anyone they knew who was close enough to Jotaro to know information about his past, either! Not even Josuke (who Polnareff texted very bluntly about it with last night) knew anything about Jotaro’s mark.

So basically, Kakyoin was in the dark. As it happens, he didn’t want to go in blindly.

“Were you really so desperate in hoping you wouldn’t die alone that you convinced yourself I was the one?” Dio sneered.

“I… but you said…” Kakyoin wasn’t going to cry. He wasn’t.

“And you believed me!” Dio laughed. “Priceless! I didn’t expect to get you so easily! You truly are pathetically vehement for affection.”

“Shut up.” Kakyoin grit through his teeth. The man holding Dio’s hand tossed his brown hair over his shoulder dismissively. Dio stepped in closer.

“Remember this, boy.” he purred. “You were destined to be alone. I’m doing you a favor by reminding you that if you get your hopes up, you’re only going to be hurt. Again and again.”

Polnareff snaps his fingers, bringing Kakyoin to the present time. “Hey. Are you okay?”

Kakyoin shakes his head. He shrugs. “I’m thinking about what Dio said…”

“Stop that!” Polnareff rushes over and drabs Kakyoin by the chin, tilting his head up to meet his eyes. “Don’t let that son of a bitch dictate any of your feelings. Remember?”

Kakyoin rolls his eyes, unable to duck his head down.

“Do you want to give him the satisfaction of controlling you?” Polnareff asks gently.

Kakyoin sighs. “No…”

“That’s right.” Polnareff nods. “He was just an asshole that knew what lies to tell you to push your buttons. Now tell me what you’re so scared of. Why won’t you tell Jotaro today?”

“I guess…” Kakyoin shrugs. “I’m thinking about how Dio said-” Polnareff tsks. “About how Dio said that I shouldn’t even try, I guess. I don’t know. It’s stupid. I just feel like something is amiss, you know?”

“Kakyoin.” Polnareff sighs. “Do you really think Jotaro would hurt you? Honestly. Jotaro Kujo, do you think he’s capable of that?”

“Well… I don’t know.” Kakyoin draws his eyebrows together.

“Let me be very clear. We are talking about Jotaro Kujo, who feeds his pet fish by hand. Do you think he would hurt you? Aside from the fact that it’s clear as day he’s into you.”

Kakyoin blushes. He thinks of the gentle giant of a man and tries to imagine him in Dio’s spot. “Well… okay, yeah, I guess not.”

“Exactly.” Polnareff nods. “In the event that you are soulmates and he is into you, boom. Win win. In the event that you aren’t soulmates and he is   into you, then you can talk that out and decide what to do since you’re obviously into him too. In the event that you are soulmates and he isn’t into you…” Polnaref looks at Kakyoin skeptically. “Ok honestly, that literally makes no sense so we’re not even gonna explore that possibility because, what the fuck, that breaks like at least ten laws. It literally doesn’t work like that.”

Kakyoin smiles a bit.

“And if you’re not soulmates and he’s not into you? Well, don’t you think you should have that conversation sooner rather than later? But he’s definitely into you by the way. Did you see how hard he was trying to get your approval at video games last night?” Polnareff walks back over to the mirror.

Kakyoin looks down at his hands. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“ Exactement! I am always right. Now.” Polnareff claps his hands together and turns around. “Are you ready to go meet your mans and eat all his food?”

Kakyoin rolls his eyes. “Maybe don’t admit to Jotaro that you’re gonna eat all his food.”

“Notice how you didn’t say anything about him being your mans.” Polnareff winks.

“Whatever.”

“In all seriousness, Kakyoin,” Polnareff says as he picks up his shoes and sits down to put them on. “If you approach Jotaro and tell him about your tattoos, what’s the worst that could happen? I think that would be very smart. He could recognize them or he couldn’t, and things would be more out in the open anyways.”

Kakyoin considers this. That would be a pretty safe way to play it. It would be purely about him and theoretically put no strain on Jotaro to react in any way. He could do with the information as he wanted. “Okay.” he says finally. “I hate to admit it but I think you’re right. I’ll do it.”

Polnareff smiles. “Yeah?”

Kakyoin shrugs. “Yeah. I almost did yesterday, but maybe just talking about myself might be easier on him. I’ll do it.”

“Today?” Polnareff asks.

“Well…” Kakyoin thinks about the text he almost sent yesterday. He can’t keep chickening out of things he will have to do eventually. He clenches a fist by his side. “Yeah. Today.”

Polnareff jumps up to grab Kakyoin around the shoulders and hugs him so tight his feet lift off the ground.

“Hey, watch it.” Kakyoin growls, trying to push himself away, but Polnareff holds on tight.

“ Magnifique! Kakyoin! I knew I could change your mind!” Polnareff cries.

“We shall see. Put me down.” Kakyoin says, smiling reluctantly. The decision definitely has made him feel a little bit more in control, finally. “Now let’s go. We shouldn’t be late to meet Jotaro.”

---

The chemistry building is a little bit intimidating. As fine arts students, Kakyoin and Polnareff have only ever really been inside the fine arts buildings. Those halls are full of artwork, colorful bulletin boards, students rolling costume racks around, production photo walls. As they walk down to room 05-B, Kakyoin feels like his mere footsteps are too loud. The walls are bare, save for some diagrams and periodic tables. As he looks into the windows on the doors, he notices students hard at work writing stuff down into notebooks and punching numbers into calculators. Admittedly, this does seem more like Jotaro’s type of study space than the bustling fine arts building.

“Are we almost to his room?” Polnareff whispers loudly. “This is a really long hallway and it smells funky.”

“I think it’s this next one.” Kakyoin responds in a low voice. He’s not sure why he’s being so quiet. There’s conversation filtering through every single door. It’s a respectfulness thing, he supposes.

They can hear sounds of students putting away papers and zipping zippers when they reach Jotaro’s lab. Kakyoin peeks through the window to see if he can spot Jotaro and catches the top of his hat and broad shoulders as he leans down to his bag, probably. Kakyoin smiles, imagining that Jotaro probably takes class very seriously, like anything else he deems important. He’s going to have to suggest they do a study session together to see him in his element.

“Do you want to tell him now or later?” Polnareff says right in Kakyoin’s ear, making him jump.

“Don’t do that!” Kakyoin hisses, smacking Polnareff’s arm for emphasis.

“Ow! Sorry!” Polnareff rubs his arm. “But do you want to tell him now or later?”

Kakyoin considers the question. He really would rather not make Jotaro feel awkward right before they are going to hang out. “I guess later.”

Polnareff nods. “Understood!”

The door swings open and students begin to leave the room. Kakyoin and Polnareff step aside to make space.

“Be cool though, please?” Kakyoin asks as they let the last few students out.

“When am I ever not cool?” Polnareff asks. Kakyoin gives him a look and ducks into the room. “What?”

Jotaro is waiting at one of the lab benches when Kakyoin walks in. He looks up and catches his eye almost instantly. Kakyoin’s heart starts beating a little faster.

“Hey!” Kakyoin smiles brightly. Jotaro just continues to look at him with the same intensity he always has in his gaze.

“Hi.” he responds. “Do you guys mind waiting for a second? My grandfather’s TA wanted to give something to me. He should be back soon.” Jotaro glances briefly to the door at the back of the classroom. “Sorry.”

“It’s no biggie!” Polnareff says behind Kakyoin. “We can wait!”

“How was your lab?” Kakyoin asks, picking up the tongs at the end of Jotaro’s bench and clicking them a few times.

“Fine. We’re doing titration.” Jotaro responds.

Polnareff pulls a face. “Okay, nerd.”

“Do you pick up dangerous chemicals with this?” Kakyoin asks, attempting to pick up one of the empty beakers with the tongs in his hands.

“Sometimes. Those are usually for hot things.” Jotaro says. “Be careful. That glass will break if you drop it.”

Kakyoin immediately sets the beaker back down and instead attempts to pinch the brim of Jotaro’s hat and lift it off his head. Jotaro swats his hand away. Kakyoin pouts. “Oh, come on, can I just try?”

“No.” Jotaro says, dodging another attempt of Kakyoin’s to attach the tongs to his hat.

“I just want to know if your hat is light enough for these tongs to lift!”

“Stop it.” 

Kakyoin pauses for a second to gauge Jotaro’s reaction. Jotaro doesn’t look mad, though, so Kakyoin persists. Kakyoin grabs another pair of tongs and attacks from the other side. Jotaro starts to back away. Kakyoin giggles and makes the mistake of looking at Polnareff.

Polnareff is wearing a shit-eating grin. “Am I going to have to third-wheel-”

Luckily, Kakyoin is spared the mortification of Polnareff finishing his sentence by the door at the back of the lab opening. A handsome man with dark skin and bantu knots comes through it holding a book.

“Sorry for making you wait, Jotaro. I have the book.” he says. He looks up.

Polnareff freezes.

The man freezes.

They stare at each other.

“It’s all right.” Jotaro says. Kakyoin elbows him in the side for his tactlessness. He senses the change in atmosphere instantly.

“I’m sorry, what?” the man asks, tearing his eyes off of Polnareff for a second.

Polnareff is blushing harder than Kakyoin has ever seen him. “Momo?” he asks tentatively.

The man snaps his attention straight back to Polnareff. He smiles. “Hello Jean.”

“Do you two know each other?” Kakyoin asks. He knows practically everything about Polnareff, and he’s never mentioned anyone named Momo. They must be close for him to be calling Polnareff Jean so casually. Only Kakyoin and Sherry do that.

“Momo?” Jotaro asks, looking confused.

Polnareff turns to Kakyoin. He is smiling like he just received the best news of his life. Pieces begin to come together in Kakyoin’s head. “It’s Mohammed!” Polnareff exclaims. “I remember!” he grabs the sides of his head and turns back to look at the man, Mohammed.

“Most people call me Avdol, Jean.” Moha- Avdol says.

Polnareff laughs and launches himself over the two lab benches separating him from Avdol.

“Do they know each other?” Jotaro asks Kakyoin quietly.

“I think…” Kakyoin smiles, watching his best friend stand right in front of Avdol and stare slightly up at him in awe. “I think they’re soulmates.”

Avdol reaches out and takes Polnareff’s hands into his own carefully, and Polnareff gasps. He withdraws his hands and wraps his arms around Avdol tightly. Kakyoin looks away politely, but ends up making eye contact with Jotaro instead. He looks down at the ground, blushing.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here!” Polnareff says, pulling away from the hug but not letting go of Avdol’s hands. “Kakyoin! Did you know that all this time we couldn’t touch each other in the dreams?”

Kakyoin smiles. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Avdol. I've heard a lot about you.”

Avdol smiles back, his eyes crinkling at the edges. He really is a handsome man. “It’s nice to meet you too, Kakyoin. I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”

“I’m excited to finally get to know you!” Kakyoin says.

“Holy shit! ” Polnareff shouts, his mouth hanging open. He points at Jotaro. “I’ve known about you for years !”

Jotaro looks like he’s been caught in a spotlight.

Polnareff looks shocked. “I remember it all! I knew about you before I even met you! Wait!” Polnareff grabs the sides of his head. “Everything's coming together!”

“Jotaro did mention some friends he made. It’s painfully clear to me now.” Avdol nods. Polnareff’s eyes are darting back and forth as awe and clarity settle in his features. “Jean?” Avdol continues. He rubs the back of his neck, blushing. “Could I have your number now that I can remember it?”

Polnareff snaps his head up. A smile spreads across his face and a blush settles on his cheeks. “ bien sûr, mon amour .” He takes out his phone and trades it with Avdol.

Kakyoin can feel the deep emotional connection between the two, even though he only just met Avdol. It’s clear from the way they look at each other, from the way they are standing, the way they are constantly finding excuses to be touching each other. They have had two years of getting to know each other. With their memories restored, Kakyoin is sure that it’ll only be a matter of time before they truly settle into the long-term relationship they’ve subconsciously been in this whole time. It’s a bit of a dramatic change of pace that Kakyoin definitely wasn’t ready for today, but Polnareff already looks so in love that he wonders if they’ve confessed to each other yet.

“Avdol.” Jotaro speaks up from beside Kakyoin. Both men look up from their phones. “We were about to go to my place. Do you want to come?” he ducks down below his hat and turns to Kakyoin. “If that’s alright with you.” 

“If it’s alright with me?” Kakyoin looks to Polnareff and Avdol. “Are you two okay with that? Do you want to maybe spend time together?”

“Together?” Polnareff raises his eyebrows, “Kakyoin, cherie , we have been spending time together for two years now! I want my two favorite individuals to meet each other!” he turns to Jotaro. “Sorry, Jotaro. You are my third favorite individual.” he thinks for a moment. “Maybe Sherry too.”

“The real question is why you’re ranking your favorite people.” Kakyoin snorts. “But yeah, I’d love to talk to you more! I want to know how you guys met and everything.”

Polnareff claps his hands and turns back to Avdol, eyes shining. “Is that alright with you, mon cherie?”

Avdol smiles back. “Of course, habibi .”

“Then we should leave.” Jotaro says bluntly as he looks to the door, where students, evidently for the next class, are loitering. Kakyoin mentally facepalms. Why was this the socially inept dumbass he had a crush on?

“Oh!” Polnareff seems to break out of his daze for a moment. “Yeah. I guess so.”

---

Kakyoin will admit that he is a little surprised at how effortlessly Jotaro makes cooking seem. He expected quality college kid food, not this.

Polnareff and Avdol are sitting very close together on Jotaro’s couch, holding hands. Polnareff had briefly challenged Jotaro to see who could do more pullups on Jotaro’s pullup bar. Jotaro won, and Kakyoin would be lying if he said he wasn’t super confident in the fact  that both he and Avdol appreciated the visuals of the competition immensely. Kakyoin’s also pretty sure Polnareff knew that and suggested the competition on purpose. 

Jotaro had started cooking right away. Kakyoin had followed him to the kitchenette with an offer of helping, but now he felt so intimidated. Josuke wasn’t lying. Jotaro had let him crack a couple eggs into a bowl while he himself put some pork cutlets into a plastic bag and pounded them with a rolling pin. It looked very professional. Now, Kakyoin observed in awe the speed with which Jotaro skillfully dipped each cutlet into flour, egg, and panko and transferred it to a hot pan without spilling anything or getting burnt.

“What the fuck? You’re so good at this.” Kakyoin exclaims, taking a step back subconsciously to give Jotaro space to cook.

“It’s just something I picked up from my mom.” Jotaro says, leaning over the bowls.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Avdol speaks up from the couch. Kakyoin realizes he has been caught staring at Jotaro. He snaps his mouth closed and turns to give Avdol his attention rather than Jotaro.

“Hm?” Kakyion asks nonchalantly. Behind Avdol, Polnareff makes a heart with his hands and holds it up, framing Jotaro and Kakyoin in it for his field of vision. Kakyoin glares at him.

“Jotaro’s very skilled in the kitchen. I was incredibly impressed the first time I watched him crack an egg one handed.” Avdol says.

“It sounds and smells delicious!” Polnareff pipes up over the sound of sizzling as Jotaro adds another breaded cutlet to the pan.

“Thanks.” Jotaro says, turning around and opening the fridge. He gets out a couple bottles and sets them on the counter.

“You should throw parties more often!” Polnareff continues. “Not only do you have the space, but you could make appetizers! We’d even help you! Right, Kakyoin?”

“Um…” Kakyoin looks over at Jotaro.

“I don’t know that many people.” Jotaro says. He begins pouring stock into a pot.

“It doesn’t matter! It can just be us! What are you doing on Halloween?” Polnareff asks.

Jotaro glances over at Avdol briefly. “Probably nothing.”

Avdol tsks. “That actually reminds me! Thank you, Jean. What are you guys doing for Halloween?”

Polnareff looks at Kakyoin. “Um…”

“We usually get candy and Pol tries to drag us to some random party.” Kakyoin sticks his tongue out at Polnareff, who wrinkles his nose back at him.

“I see. I take it Jotaro hasn’t told you about Speedwagon’s party.” Avdol sighs.

“You’re friends with Speedwagon?” Polnareff asks, awed.

“I am! He’s a good friend of mine!” Avdol rubs the back of his neck. “I told Jotaro to invite you guys and to come to his party with me, but I see he didn’t do that. Would you be interested in coming? Perhaps you could persuade him, Kakyoin.” Avdol smiles knowingly at Kakyoin. Kakyoin wants the ground to swallow him up.

“That would be so cool!” Polnareff practically jumps. He turns to Avdol bashfully. “Would you do a couples costume with me?”

Kakyoin smiles. Polnareff has been talking to him for years about how badly he wanted to do cute couples things like that with his soulmate. Avdol smiles.

“Sure, habibi . If it’ll make you happy.”

Polnareff looks like he could melt on the spot.

“Hey.” Jotaro says to him quietly. Kakyoin almost jumps out of his skin. “Do you actually want to go?” he ducks his head down as he slides the onions he’d been chopping into his pot.

“I mean, I like Halloween. I like spooky shit.” Kakyoin smiles and walks up to Jotaro and peers into the pot. Jotaro tenses at the sudden proximity but doesn’t move away. In fact, he almost leans towards Kakyoin a bit.

“But do you want to go to a party?” Jotaro gives the pot a stir.

“I mean…” Kakyoin watches as the onions begin to cook. “Not really, but…” he glances over to where Avdol and Polnareff are flirting on the couch. “I think Pol and Avdol could use some company.” he takes a deep breath. “It could… be a double date?”

Jotaro takes many seconds to respond. Seven seconds, to be precise. Kakyoin counts them in his head while he holds his breath.

“Okay. Yeah.” Jotaro moves the pork cutlets to a different burner.

Kakyoin smiles. “Yeah?” he can almost feel the video game tattoo burning under his shirt.

“Sure.” Jotaro cracks an egg into the pot he’s stirring. “You can’t make me wear a costume though or whatever the fuck.”

Kakyoin laughs. “Please, Jotaro?” he asks between bouts of laughter. “Not even for me?”

Jotaro glares at him.

The katsudon that Jotaro makes is delicious . Kakyoin has an amazing time, talking to Avdol and trading stories for hours, well after the sun sets. He learns that when they first met, Polnareff freaked out and tried to fight Avdol in the middle of the garden that their dream manifested for them. They went on their first date when their dream reality manifested a restaurant for them. Jotaro offers them some ice cream and Kakyoin and Avdol show Polnareff how to feed Star Platinum. Kakyoin gets so distracted basking in the secondhand happiness for Polnareff, that he doesn’t remember that he was going to tell Jotaro about his tattoos until after he and Polnareff are already back at their dorm.

Another time, he thinks as he brushes his teeth. He’s going to be going to a party with Jotaro as his date. That’s pretty impressive on it’s own.

He checks his chest before he goes to bed, just in case.

Nothing new.

It’s all right, Kakyoin thinks as he climbs into bed. Three tattoos is enough for now. He grabs his phone and opens his messaging app.

Me: Thank you so much again for having us tonight! It was amazing! You’re an amazing chef and host! Good night <3

Ocean Man: It’s no problem. I liked cooking for you.

Ocean Man: You all*

Ocean Man: Good night.

Kakyoin goes to sleep smiling.

Chapter Text

This is a disaster.

Jotaro has never felt more betrayed in his life.

Polnareff is trying to get him to wear a fucking Halloween costume, and Kakyoin and Avdol are not helping!

“What if we like… put you in a fishnet top? You’d look amazing , you could go as 'a real catch'! Get it? Like a fish in a net? Cause you like fish?” Polnareff winks.

“Absolutely not.” Jotaro does not need the whole world to see the three tattoos on his chest.

“Okay, what about…” Polnareff roots around in Jotaro’s closet. “Ooh, this looks sexy!”

“That’s my lab coat. Absolutely. Not.” Jotaro walks over and shuts the door to his closet.

“Exactly! You can be a sexy scientist!” Polnareff waggles his eyebrows. “Picture this: you’re completely shirtless, except for-”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jotaro turns to stare Polnareff down. Polnareff wavers.

“Jean, let’s not sexualize Jotaro.” Avdol walks over and places a hand on Polnareff’s arm.

Polnareff pouts. “But it’s not fair! He’s so fit! He should show it off! Like moi! ” he flexes.

Polnareff is wearing shockingly little. He’s dressed as the White Rabbit, apparently, to match Avdol’s Queen of Hearts costume. Avdol is dressed in a very nice vest and crown adorned with hearts. There is a heart painted over one of his eyes. Polnareff… is wearing a corset and spandex. He’s wearing a bunny tail and bunny ears, at least, and he has a pocket watch attached randomly on the side of the corset.

“I know people would appreciate it if you flexed those muscles, Jotaro.” Polnareff continues. “Right, Kakyoin?”

“Please leave me out of this.” Kakyoin says from where he’s sitting on the edge of Jotaro’s bed.

Jotaro can feel his face heat up, again, when he looks at Kakyoin. He’s dressed like a fairy. He is wearing a flowy white top with billowing sleeves tucked into a pair of forest green pants that hug everything below his waist in a way that makes it very hard for Jotaro not to stare. The delicate pink flowers arranged in his hair match the powdered blush on his cheeks and on the tips of his elf ears. He even curled his hair more and dotted some white freckles to complete the look. He looks… Jotaro hides his blush under his hat.

“Look.” Polnareff sighs. “You have to wear something . It’s Halloween!”

“I am wearing something.” Jotaro persists.

“Your usual hat and jacket doesn’t count!” Polnareff huffs.

Jotaro grits his teeth. “Fine.” he grabs the lab coat from Polnareff and strips his jacket, replacing it with the uniform. “I’m a scientist. Are you happy now?”

“I am.” Kakyoin stands up, walking over to Jotaro and linking their fingers together. Jotaro’s heart leaps into his throat. “Can we go now, Pol? He’s going with me, and I don’t care if he’s dressed up or whatever.” 

“Fine.” Polnareff concedes. “I guess Jotaro draws in the ladies enough on his own that he won’t kill the sexy vibe we’ve got going on as a group.” he winks. “Not even just ladies it seems.”

“Shut up.” Jotaro reaches up to grab his hat, feeling his face grow hot again.

“Are we ready to go to Speedwagon’s now?” Avdol wraps an arm around Polnareff’s waist. Polnareff’s attention immediately shifts completely to the hand on his hip.

“Yes.” Kakyoin asserts. “We’re already late.” He tugs on Jotaro’s hand and the two of them walk out of Jotaro’s room.

“When have you ever cared about being late to a party?” Polnareff asks from behind. “I can’t believe all it took to get you excited about a party was some arm candy.”

Jotaro tugs the brim of his cap down as Kakyoin’s grip on his hand tightens.

They honestly wouldn’t have been late had Polnareff not insisted on Jotaro wearing a costume. That entire ordeal took twenty entire minutes at least. He’s never really understood the appeal of dressing up. Halloween is much more interesting to Jotaro as a historical festival, if anything. To him, modern Halloween culture has become an excuse for people to wear a bikini in public and get away with it. Case in point: Polnareff. 

Avdol and Kakyoin are dressed tastefully, however. They look really nice. Jotaro feels only a little bit awkward and underdressed next to them. Jotaro is especially a fan of-

Kakyoin rubs his thumb against Jotaro’s knuckle and every thought process comes to an immediate stop.

“Alright Avdol, where to? You’re the popular one between us.” Kakyoin calls over his shoulder as they descend the stairs.

“Hey! I’m popular too!” Polnareff complains.

“Oh yes of course.” Kakyoin turns around once they reach the bottom landing. He’s still holding his hand. Jotaro is holding Kakyoin’s hand. Jotaro knows that logically he needs to focus on the actual conversation happening as Avdol leads them down the road to the Speedwagon residence, but his caveman brain is too busy thinking about how soft Kakyoin’s hands are. He’s never held anyone’s hand like this before, and Kakyoin still hasn’t let go. It feels really nice. There’s a pleasant warm feeling pooling in his stomach.

“Holy shit, I always forget that this place is massive .” Polnareff rips Jotaro from the static in his brain by placing both hands on Jotaro’s and Kakyoin’s shoulders and launching himself up.

“Get the fuck off me.” Kakyoin jerks his shoulder, and therefore his hand, away. Anger and disappointment flash through Jotaro’s entire body instantly. His hand feels cold.

“Yeah, the Speedwagon family is rather well off.” Avdol comments.

“No wonder he throws bangin parties! His house is the ideal venue!” Polnareff is hopping along on the balls of his feet in excitement. He’s really getting into the role of a rabbit, Jotaro thinks.

“I can’t wait to introduce you!” Avdol smiles. “He’s a great guy, Jotaro can tell you.”

Kakyoin looks at Jotaro. “You’ve met him?”

Jotaro shrugs. “His family is friends with my family.”

“No offense, but why don’t you have more friends then?” Polnareff asks bluntly. “Speedwagon knows like, everyone. I’ve only been to a few of his parties because someone ,” he glares at Kakyoin, “doesn’t like to have fun , but half of the friends I’ve made in college I met there.”

Jotaro shrugs. “The one Speedwagon party I’ve been to some girls tried to grind on me. It was annoying.”

Polnareff sighs. “ Mon dieu, of course they did! That’s the point of parties! To find somebody sexy and dance! But I’m sorry that you felt uncomfortable.” He winks. “You and Kakyoin can be wallflowers together.”

“Being a wallflower sounds like my type of evening, honestly. You wouldn’t get it.” Kakyoin slugs Polnareff on the arm.

“ Ow! Why are you so mean to me?” Polnareff pouts.

Kakyoin smirks. “You deserve it.”

The party is loud when they approach the house. There are a couple people sitting out the porch with bottles and red solo cups, dressed in varying levels of scandalous clothing. Two jack-o-lanterns frame the front door.

“Ok, what do we do now?” Kakyoin asks nervously once they walk inside. It’s clear that he’s a little uncomfortable. The crowd is pretty big. Everyone is either drinking or engaged in loud conversation. Jotaro shifts a little closer to Kakyoin subconsciously.

Avdol grabs Polnareff’s hand, who grabs Kakyoin, who grabs Jotaro. “Let’s see if we can find Speedwagon.”

Making their way through the party is like trying to navigate in the open ocean. The waves of people toss them back and forth, with no steady land in sight. Jotaro relies on Kakyoin’s grip on his sleeve and Avdol’s navigation to lead him through. He makes a split second decision and reaches out his other hand to grasp Kakyoin’s wrist, guiding it down to link their fingers together. He liked holding hands a lot before, anyways. Kakyoin turns his head briefly to give Jotaro a beautiful smile and Jotaro’s insides turn to goo.

“Avdol!” Speedwagon’s voice resonates through the air when they enter a particular study. A tall man with long blonde hair tucked under a checkered hat breaks away from a small group. There are considerably less people here, and Polnareff lets go of Kakyoin. Neither Kakyoin nor Joaro make any move to let their linked hands go, though.

“Hey Speedwagon! Crazy party you’ve got going!” Avdol hasn’t let go of Polnareff’s hand either.

Speedwagon laughs. “Oh, yea! ‘alloween usually goes crazy! Good t’see ya!” he turns to Jotaro. “Jotaro too! The quiet Joestar! It’s been too long! ‘ow’s Joseph?”

“Annoying, as always.” Jotaro shifts uncomfortably.

Speedwagon’s gaze travels to Polnareff and Kakyoin, and their clasped hands with Avdol and Jotaro. “‘ello! You’re… Polnareff, right? We’ve talked briefly at another one a these parties. I didn’t realize y’were Avdol’s…” he looks to Avdol for confirmation, “boyfriend?”

Polnareff puffs out his chest. “The one and only!”

Avdol beams. “Speedwagon, meet my soulmate, Jean Pierre Polnareff.”

“It’s a pleasure t’meet you.” Speedwagon shakes Polnareff’s hand. He turns to Kakyoin. “It’s nice t’meet you too. I’m Robert E.O. Speedwagon.”

“Noriaki Kakyoin.” Kakyoin shakes his hand. “Thank you so much for throwing this party!”

“Oh ’s my pleasure! I love your costume! Costumes like yours’s why I like throwin’ these parties so much!” Speedwagon’s gaze travels to Jotaro’s and Kakyoin’s linked hands. “The only time I’ve seen Jotaro ‘ere, he was quite the attention grabber, but he turned everyone down. Y’must be quite special t’have caught his attention, Kakyoin.”

Kakyoin’s posture turns rigid just as quickly as the blush spreads across Jotaro’s cheeks. “Oh, thank you, but we’re not-”

“We’re not dating.” Jotaro says quickly and drops Kakyoin’s hand quickly. He respects Speedwagon a lot, but why does he have to be in his business?

“Oh!” Speedwagon smiles awkwardly. “‘M sorry to have made that misjudgement!” He turns to Polnareff and Avdol, who are both trying not to smile. Jotaro avoids Kakyoin’s gaze. “Either way, can I interest ya fine fellas in a drink?”

Jotaro follows their little group through the party to the kitchen, where some frat boys are playing beer pong on the counter. Jotaro doesn’t try to make an effort to take Kakyoin’s hand again, and neither does Kakyoin. The atmosphere feels a little tense, and Jotaro doesn’t exactly like it, but he’s not even sure what he could do to fix it.

“What’re ya fellas drinkin’?” Speedwagon pulls out the largest bottle of whiskey Jotaro’s ever seen.

“Make us a Speedwagon blend.” Avdol requests. He turns to the group. “I met Speedwagon when he was working as a bartender at the bar down on 7th. He can mix a pretty fantastic cocktail.”

“Ya flatter me, Avdol!” Speedwagon grins. “All right! Four Speedwagon blends!”

Speedwagon pours some whiskey, a splash of maple syrup, lemon juice, and club soda into four glasses and hands them around. “Some John Collins for my delightful friends!”

Jotaro takes a sip, expecting the drink to be bitter, but he is pleasantly surprised by the smoothness of it. The whiskey has a nice citrus-sweet aura to it that turns into a warm burn that passes down his throat to settle in his stomach. It’s really nice, actually.

“This is really good!” Kakyoin exclaims, taking a sip.

“Thank you!” Speedwagon beams. “This was a favorite when I was working. It never fails!”

Kakyoin glances at Jotaro. “Do you like it?”

Jotaro looks down at his drink. “Yeah. It’s good.” he catches Kakyoin’s eye again. Kakyoin smiles. Jotaro ducks his head down, trying to hide his smile under the brim of his hat. He can feel Kakyoin shift his weight slightly closer to Jotaro.

“This is what I’m talking about!” Polnareff lifts his hands in the air and sways his hips. Jotaro is surprised that Polnareff can actually hear the song. He can’t actually hear the melody but the vibrations of the bass thrumming through the air have changed, he supposes. “Avdol, let’s go dance!”

Avdol begins to get yanked away to the dance floor by Polnareff. He turns to Speedwagon and calls over his shoulder, smiling sheepishly. “Thanks for the drinks, Speedwagon!”

Speedwagon laughs as Avdol officially disappears after Polnareff into the throng of people. “I see they’ve already acclimated to their relationship.”

“They really have.” Kakyoin smiles.

“Well, funny bumping into you here.” a warm tenor chirps from right beside Jotaro.

“Rohan!” Kakyoin says, voice strained.

“Kakyoin.” Rohan says dismissilvey. “Jotaro, you never texted me.” he pouts.

“I think this m’time t’leave.” Speedwagon says awkwardly. “It’s nice t’see ya, Rohan.” Speedwagon turns and walks away very quickly. Rohan purses his lips as he watches him leave.

Jotaro turns to actually look at Rohan and takes in his costume for the first time. He’s wearing… he’s wearing a lot and it’s covering very little. He’s squeezed into the tiniest fluffy pink dress Jotaro has ever seen (complete with a corset), with sequined fishnets disappearing into white stiletto boots. He lays a white gloved hand on Jotaro’s bicep and smiles. He’s wearing a full face of makeup, with pink lips and blue eyeshadow. A crown teeters dangerously on top of his hair, which is still tucked into the same green diamond headband that he was wearing the first time Jotaro met him. Jotaro still thinks it looks familiar, somehow.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Jotaro asks and instantly cringes at his own bluntness.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Rohan smiles.

“Slutty Princess Peach.” Kakyoin says at the same time as Rohan says “Princess Peach, but sexier.”

Jotaro’s mind immediately goes back to last week, streaming Mario Party with his friends. Polnareff had played as Princess Peach, right? Jotaro runs his gaze over Rohan’s outfit again. The resemblance is… there, he supposes. The color theme is generally the same, even though Rohan’s hair isn’t blonde. Maybe he is getting the hang of video games, after all, if he can recognize some Mario characters!

“Do you play video games?” Jotaro asks.

“Sometimes. I mentor a boy who has introduced me to some.” Rohan shrugs. He reaches up to adjust his eyelashes.

“You mentor someone? I wouldn’t have pegged you as the type.” Kakyoin asks. Jotaro can hear the disdain in his voice.

“Normally you would be right. But Koichi is very polite and respectful.” Rohan glances briefly over at Kakyoin.

“You know Koichi?” Jotaro is a little surprised.

“I do. He came to my house asking me about Pink Dark Boy.” Rohan tilts his chin up proudly. “Do you know Koichi?”

Jotaro grabs his hat. “He’s friends with my uncle.”

Rohan wrinkles his nose. “Does your uncle happen to be Okuyasu or Josuke?”

Jotaro nods. “Josuke.”

“Ugh.” Rohan rolls his eyes. “I am so sorry that you’re related to that Prince wannabe knockoff.” his eyes roam down Jotaro’s body. Jotaro shifts uncomfortably. “Clearly you got the only good genes in the family.”

“Josuke’s really cool, actually.” Kakyoin steps forward, effectively pressing himself against Jotaro. Jotaro suddenly has the crazy urge to wrap his arm around his waist.

“He burned my house down. He’s insufferable.” Rohan replies. Kakyoin lets out a barley contained snort of laughter. Rohan narrows his eyes. “What are you even supposed to be dressed as? Your blush is so thick you look like you’re sick.”

“He doesn’t.” Jotaro says before Kakyoin can even react in any way. He grabs his hand. “He’s a fairy.” Jotaro’s jaw muscles twitch. Rohan’s comment really rubbed him the wrong way. There was no need to be rude to Kakyoin. “What is your problem?” he asks bluntly.

Rohan raises an eyebrow. “Are you two fucking or something?”

Something within Jotaro rises to the surface. He didn’t believe Kakyoin before, but he’s pretty sure he’s never been more annoyed in his life. He takes a step forward, not letting go of Kakyoin’s hand. “What if we were? You jealous or something? Good grief, people like you piss me off the most. Why don’t you leave us alone.”

Rohan puts his hands up in defense. “All right, tiger, I was just asking.” he adjusts the crown on his head. “No need to lash out. But fine. I will leave. But if Kakyoin,” his eyes dart over to Kakyoin for a moment, “doesn’t meet your expectations…” he makes a calling action by raising his hand to his ear, “you know where to find me.”

Jotaro’s jaw clenches as Rohan winks and sashays away. He and Kakyoin are left alone in the middle of a crowded kitchen.

“I could’ve stood up for myself, you know.” Kakyoin says.

Jotaro’s heart sinks. He didn’t mean- He turns around. “Sorry, I…” he expects Kakyoin to look upset, but he is smiling.

“I know. I’m not upset. I know you know I can handle bitches like Rohan.” Kakyoin gives Jotaro’s hand a squeeze. “That was kind of thrilling.”

Jotaro lets go of Kakyoin’s hand in favor of tugging his cap down to cover his eyes. “Sorry that I insinuated that we were uh…” his face is burning . “You know.”

Kakyoin tugs on his bang. “Yeah. It’s fine. Whatever.” he looks around nervously. “So… what do we do now? Do you… I don’t know, do you want to go dance or something?”

Jotaro draws his shoulders up. “Not really.”

Kakyoin exhales in a rush. “Oh, thank God. Neither do I.”

Jotaro can’t help but quirk the corner of his mouth up in a smile. Maybe he could actually start going to parties if Kakyoin were to go with him. “So what do we do?”

Kakyoin grins mischievously. “Wanna go explore the house?”

Jotaro smirks. “You’ve barely met Speedwagon and you’re already willing to snoop around his house?”

Kakyoin snickers into his hand. “Come on.” He takes Jotaro’s hand and starts to weave his way through the party. Jotaro has to lift his drink a little higher to avoid spilling it. Now that they’re walking, actually, he feels a little dizzy. The drink works quickly , and there’s still more than half of it left. He’ll probably be set for the rest of the night, which is a relief; he really doesn’t want to come back to the kitchen again, where the game of beer pong has escalated to shirtless beer pong.

He’s been holding Kakyoin’s hand a lot this evening, Jotaro stupidly thinks as they finally break through the thicker part of the crowd and up some random stairwell. He really didn’t expect it to be so nice. The media never did the best job of articulating how holding someone’s hand unexpectedly spread warmth all the way up Jotaro’s entire arm. Holding hands created a sense of closeness he wasn’t sure he would be able to achieve just standing or walking next to Kakyoin.

Kakyoin and him end up in a room with some couches and a tv. The music doesn’t filter up here as well, so it’s relatively vacant. There are a couple girls in dresses adorned with leaves and flowers sitting on one of the couches, holding hands and giggling. Kakyoin smiles at them and urges Jotaro past them into a hallway that looks like it leads to another bigger room. They pass a bathroom where some guy in some sort of cosplay sits on the counter, chatting with a girl fixing her green makeup in the mirror. 

The next room over actually has a proper bar in it. Why nobody is utilizing this room is beyond Jotaro; perhaps it’s too classy to actually properly hang out in. The bartop is a deep polished wood, with thick wooden stools stacked neatly below it. The far wall is actually a large sliding glass door beyond which is a balcony overlooking the backyard, which is packed with people as well. There are lush green plants in every corner, a low coffee table and couches, and the sloped angled ceiling above the bar holds a skylight that reveals a gorgeous view of the night sky.

“This house is so big. ” Kakyoin says breathlessly. He lets go of Jotaro’s hand, leaving Jotaro confused before hurrying over and pulling out a barstool and sitting down. He sets down his drink and turns over his shoulder dramatically to look over at Jotaro still standing in the doorway. “Hey darlin’, youse come ere offen?” He says in a poor imitation of a New York accent.

Jotaro huffs a laugh through his nose. “Nope.” he says, walking over to set his drink down and pulls out the stool next to Kakyoin. “First time.”

“First time, eh?” Kakyoin quirks an eyebrow. “What’s a purty gal like youse doin’ round these parts?”

“I think your accent is slipping, Jack Kelly.” Jotaro smiles into his drink as he takes a sip. “You’re sounding a bit like you’re from Texas.”

“Texas?” Kakyoin gasps, clapping a hand over his heart, immediately taking on a Southern twang. “Well gosh darned it, ya got me!”

“I want a new barmate.” Jotaro says. Kakyoin shoves him.

“Rude!” he huffs, accent gone. “I’ll have you know you chose to sit down next to me.”

Jotaro takes another sip of his drink. “It was just better than nothing.”

Jotaro tries his best to hide his smile as Kakyoin’s jaw drops. “You are so rude Kujo, and for what?”

“Sucks.” Jotaro shrugs. Kakyoin goes to shove him again, but Jotaro is quicker. He reaches out and grabs Kakyoin’s wrist at the peak of it’s trajectory. Kakyoin tries to pull away, but Jotaro keeps his grip tight. He tugs, pulling Kakyoin closer by the wrist until their faces are inches apart. “You know you like it.”

Kakyoin’s eyes widen. Jotaro can feel Kakyoin’s pulse quicken in his grasp. Jotaro’s own heart is beating way too fast. This alcohol is making him bold. Too bold, probably. He drops Kakyoin’s wrist and turns back around quickly, hiding the crazy blush he can feel spreading across his face under his hat. He busies himself with taking another sip of his drink.

He hears Kakyoin chuckle breathlessly. “Careful, Kujo.” Jotaro hears him get up from his stool. “And for your information, I only like it when I can be rude to you back.” he reaches over quicker than Jotaro can react and flicks the brim of his hat, nearly knocking it off his head. “Like that.” Jotaro glances over just in time to catch Kakyoin’s self satisfied smirk. Kakyoin begins climbing onto the bar.

“What are you doing?” Jotaro asks, bewildered, forgetting momentarily about getting revenge for his hat being touched like that.

Kakyoin reaches up to the skylight and tries the handle. He has to squat slightly to not hit his head against the slightly angled low ceiling. Jotaro keeps his eyes planted firmly on his hands rather than anything else lower than Kakyoin’s waist, scolding himself mentally. The handle gives way with a muffled click . Kakyoin looks down with a triumphant smile. “Climbing onto the roof. Duh.”

“Are you sure that’s smart?” He’s not certain about Kakyoin, but Jotaro is feeling a little more than slightly inebriated himself.

“Of course. Hold my drink, will you?” Kakyoin gently guides the skylight open just enough to pull himself up and squeeze through. He reaches a hand down for Jotaro to hand him his drink. “Are you coming?”

Jotaro eyes the opening in the skylight suspiciously. He still isn’t convinced that this isn’t a really stupid idea, but Kakyoin has reached out his other hand to take Jotaro’s drink, and the flowers in his hair look really nice, so he pushes himself up with a sigh and hands over his drink. Kakyoin grins, victorious.

It takes a bit of adjustment, but together they manage to get Jotaro onto the roof as well. It’s a very peculiar feeling. Jotaro isn’t afraid of heights, per se, but it feels a little reckless to be up so high without a guard rail or anything. They can see the whole backyard from here, too, and the music is a little clearer.

Kakyoin sets his drink down carefully and sits down. He pats the spot next to him. “Come sit. You wouldn’t want a gust of wind to blow your drunk ass right off this roof, would you? Although I guess you’re built like a tank.”

“I’m not that drunk.” Jotaro grumbles, but sits down beside Kakyoin anyways. Kakyoin scoots a little closer, and Jotaro forces himself to stay put. 

“You tell yourself that.” Kakyoin takes a drink. “This stuff is pretty strong. I saw how many shots Speedwagon poured into each of these. It was at least five, maybe six.”

“Good thing nobody is driving, then.” Jotaro comments, sipping his drink absentmindedly. He’s thinking about how the hand he is leaning most of his weight on is resting right behind Kakyoin. If he shifted his hand just the tiniest bit, Jotaro bets he could wrap his arm around Kakyoin’s waist.

Kakyoin surprises him suddenly by scooting even closer and leaning his head on his shoulder. Well, if they’re gonna play like that… Jotaro edges his hand to rest just on the other side of Kakyoin’s hip, allowing his arm to drape horizontally across Kakyoin’s back. He’s not making any direct moves. Just… resting. Kakyoin sighs and Jotaro can feel Kakyoin’s weight relax against his arm a little more. Jotaro’s heart is beating a mile a minute. 

“I’ve always liked the stars.” Kakyoin comments off-handedly as they look out at the night sky, sounds of the party on the lawn floating past them. 

“Yeah.” Jotaro agrees. There’s something comforting, he thinks, about looking out at the night sky, and it’s vastness. Earth always seems so small and cozy in comparison.

“Jotaro, can I ask you a question?” Kakyoin asks.

There it is again. The question. Jotaro swallows the anxiety that immediately begins to bubble up. “Yeah.” Jotaro nods.

Kakyoin sighs. “Why don’t you like talking about your soulmate?”

Jotaro clenches his glass tighter in his fist. “I just don’t. It makes me uncomfortable.” he forces himself to take a drink. He really doesn’t want to be thinking about this right now.

“But why?” Kakyoin pushes on. 

Jotaro forces himself to take a deep breath and shut off his mind, his panicked thoughts. “I don’t have the best luck.” he says after a moment. “I’d rather just not think about it.”

“What do you mean?” Kakyoin asks gently. “I mean, what does luck have to do with anything? They’re your soulmate, right?”

Jotaro closes his eyes and counts down from five. “Yeah. That’s the problem.”

It’s not going to be right.

Stop, he tells his brain, stop thinking.

“Hey.” Kakyoin tilts his head up a bit to look up at Jotaro. He sets his glass aside and lays his hand on Jotaro’s thigh. “It’s okay. We don’t have to get into it if you don’t want.” Jotaro realizes he’s completely tensed up. He tries to focus on the feeling of Kakyoin’s hand on his thigh to relax. Unfortunately, this causes his body to tense up for a completely different reason. Kakyoin rubs his thumb back and forth against Jotaro’s leg. “I just want you to know that I’m here for you. I’ll listen. I do care. It isn’t good to bottle things up too much.”

Jotaro forces himself to nod. “I know.” he says, the words feeling hollow even to his own ears.

Kakyoin looks at him for a few more seconds, then lowers his head back onto Jotaro’s shoulder. They sit in silence for a minute, in which Jotaro inhales and exhales, trying to focus on anything else besides the thoughts escaping the previously locked doors of his brain. Fuck alcohol, honestly.

Kakyoin snorts softly and lifts his hand from Jotaro’s thigh to point out into the backyard. The place his hand was instantly feels about twenty degrees colder. “Look, is that Rohan?” Kakyoin says, amused.

Jotaro knows what Kakyoin’s doing, and he appreciates it. He gladly takes the distraction and follows his line of sight down to where Kakyoin is pointing. The figure in question does appear to be Rohan. He’s gotten up onto the edge of the large brick outdoor fireplace and is… twerking? Jotaro cringes as he watches him almost stumble right off the edge.

It bothers him that he still can’t quite place what about Rohan seems so familiar. He only met Kakyoin and Polnareff this year, so it’s not like he had come anywhere near the art buildings last year. Did they maybe share a gen ed? Has Jotaro seen… what was it, Dark Pink Boy? Has he seen Rohan’s manga in stores before? His eyes stray to Rohan’s headband and suddenly his heart stops in his chest.

Green diamond headband.

Green diamond.

Artist.

Video games.

He’s literally dressed as Princess fucking Peach. He’s not… is he? Jotaro’s body goes rigid.

Kakyoin lifts his head from Jotaro’s shoulder a bit. “Are you okay?”

What the hell is he doing cuddling up with Kakyoin if Rohan is his… “I’m fine.” Jotaro says. 

Calm down. This doesn’t mean anything, he tries to tell himself.

Oh god, I yelled at him, his brain reminds him.

Why the hell would Rohan be my soulmate? He scolds himself, think rationally for a moment. You’re jumping to conclusions.

This is almost too much to handle right now. Jotaro waits for the thought of finding his soulmate to send his anxiety haywire, except… except it doesn’t. The thought of Rohan being his soulmate makes him strangely relieved. Maybe it… wouldn’t hurt to talk to Rohan...

Kakyoin sighs, adjusting himself to get a little more comfortable against Jotaro’s shoulder, and Jotaro’s heart clenches painfully.

No, he tells himself, no, he has to do this. Rohan just might be the key to everything.

He feels his mind shut off calmly and he takes a deep breath. He’ll do it, just… he looks down at Kakyoin… not tonight. Tomorrow, he tells himself.

Tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Me: Send help. Why did I agree to chaperone Polnareff and Avdol’s date ( ≧Д≦)

Ocean Man: You tell me.

Me: ヾ( ･`⌓´･)ﾉﾞ They’re engaging in pda RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. In LINE. I really wish you came.

Ocean Man: They haven’t been able to touch each other for two years.

Me: ˁ⁽͑˙˚̀ˆ̇˚́˙⁾̉ˀ you’re not backing me up

Read 1:17 PM

Kakyoin stares at the screen, waiting for a response.

“Kakyoin, do you think you could put my sunglasses in your bag?” Polnareff waves his raybans in front of Kakyoin’s face, breaking him out of his thoughts. “The sun has gone behind the clouds, and I don’t want them to slip out of my pocket on the roller coaster.”

“What am I, your butler?” Kakyoin rolls his eyes, but takes the sunglasses anyway.

Polnareff grins. “ Merci beaucoup!” he turns back to Avdol, taking his hand and moving forward a space in the line for the ride.

Kakyoin looks back at his phone. No new messages. He sighs. So Jotaro has left him on read, again. Did he come off as too aggressive? Maybe the conversation wasn’t interesting. There was literally no substance there. Should he follow up with something else? Maybe ask him a question or something? No, it’s been too long now, he would just look desperate. No, he’ll try again later, when he actually has something interesting to say.

Kakyoin shakes his head. Why the hell is he moping around about Jotaro being super distant this past week when he could be having fun at the amusement park with two of his best friends?

Even though Jotaro could’ve come with them.

No, fuck that. He’s Noriaki Kakyoin! Since when does he let anyone make him feel bad? Nobody has that sort of power over him. Not even Jotaro. He forces himself to smile and tunes into Avdol and Polnareff’s conversation.

“That’s what I’m saying!” Polnareff nods enthusiastically, gripping Avdol’s arm. “It’s a little scary!”

“Where are her parents, I wonder?” Avdol steps forward as their line shifts again.

“Whose parents? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” Kakyoin stuffs his phone into his pocket. Polnareff raises an eyebrow at him teasingly as he watches Kakyoin’s phone disappear out of sight. It makes Kakyoin’s gut turn. “Who are we talking about?”

“So there’s this girl Jean and I have noticed at the Daily Grind.” Avdol turns his body to include Kakyoin in the conversation.

“Yeah, you know how Momo and I have been getting breakfast together every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, now, right?” Polnareff flaps his hands excitedly. Kakyoin nods. “So when we were there last week, there were these two high school kids there.”

Avdol nods. “They were clearly on a date.”

“She has this long dark brown wavy hair, and she was totally leaning over the table and kept twirling her hair around her finger.” Polnareff nods. “And this guy, really short, green school uniform, he was blushing every time she spoke.”

Kakyoin furrows his eyebrows. “Why are you guys stalking two high school kids?”

Polnareff gasps. “We’re not!”

“We’re not.” Avdol steps forward in line again. They’re almost at the front now. “We just noticed them at first because they were at the table next to us. What was interesting was next time the boy sat down next to us again but this time with his friends.”

“It was Josuke and Okuyasu! ” Polnareff almost shouts.

Kakyoin raises his eyebrows. “So you met their friend? What a small world!”

“Right!” Polnareff nods his head enthusiastically.

“I got to meet them myself.” Avdol smiles. “They were very nice. Enthusiastic. The boy’s name was Koichi.”

Kakyoin nods. “They are.” He remembers Jotaro and Rohan talking about Koichi. Thinking of Josuke reminds Kakyoin of Jotaro even further, and his stomach lurches with the combination of butterflies and anxiety. He ignores it.

“So then, we had to leave, right?” Polnareff continues with the story, oblivious to Kakyoin’s inner turmoil. “And as we’re leaving, we see that girl , on the other side of the street! And she’s like, intentionally looking over at the cafe we were just at.”

“Hm.” Kakyoin comments, trying to focus on the conversation at hand. “Well, that’s not that weird.”

“It wouldn’t be but she’s there every day .” Avdol says. “And yesterday Koichi wasn’t there and neither was she. We’re a little concerned that Koichi is getting stalked.”

“Huh.” Kakyoin moves forward and now they are at the front of the line. “Maybe we should talk to her or to Koichi or something.”

“That’s what we were hoping to do on Monday.” Avdol nods.

“Someone has to save the poor boy!” Polnareff declares.

“Did you know that Rohan is mentoring him apparently?” Kakyoin asks. “He told us on Halloween.”

“Oh God. ” Polnareff groans.

“Who’s Rohan?” Avdol asks.

Kakyoin and Polnareff exchange a look. Kakyoin clasps his hands together. Polnareff smirks. Kakyoin needs to stop thinking about Jotaro, right? What better way than to bitch about Rohan?

---

Roller coasters turn out to be an excellent mood booster for Kakyoin. The last time he was at an amusement park, he and Polnareff were in high school. There’s something about the adrenaline rush that Kakyoin loves. He didn’t realize he missed it until Polnareff and Avdol were gripping each other in terror at the top of every ride while Kakyoin waited in anticipation for the drop.

“We should get food, probably.” Polnareff comments a couple hours later as he grips the low fence lining the path. 

“Agreed.” Avdol nods. “I’m not sure how much more I can handle at the moment.”

“Really? I’m having fun. Even though I’m third wheeling you guys.” Kakyoin stretches his hands above his head.

“It’s fun, but I’m not sure how much more my heart can handle right now.” Polnareff sticks his tongue out at Kakyoin and grabs Avdol’s hand.

“You guys are weak .” Kakyoin tilts his chin up teasingly. “I bet Jotaro would...” he cuts himself off. No thinking about Jotaro, dammit!

Polnareff gives him a weird look. “You good?”

Dammit . “Yes. I’m fine.” Kakyoin tries to seem nonchalant.

“Jotaro would what?” Polnareff prompts him again.

Kakyoin sighs. “Nothing. Jotaro would nothing.”

Polnareff doesn’t look convinced. He glances at Avdol briefly before turning to Kakyoin again. “Are you and Jotaro good?”

Kakyoin sighs. This is what he didn’t want to do. He just wanted to have a nice day out with two of his friends, away from school, away from other people, away from Jotaro. Curse Polnareff for being able to read him instantly! They hadn’t had much time to themselves this week, so of course his best friend would know something was wrong within a matter of hours of actually hanging out together. He shrugs. “Why don’t you ask Jotaro?”

“Woah.” Polnareff says at the same time Avdol asks, “What’s going on?”

Kakyoin clenches his fists. “It’s fine. I don’t want to burden this trip.”

“It’s obviously not fine.” Avdol says.

Polnareff nods. “You can talk to us, ma cherie . What did that stinky man do?”

Kakyoin sighs. They’re right. Talking to Polnareff has literally always helped him, and Avdol is super rational and level-headed as well. Plus, he knows Jotaro. “Maybe we should get food first. I kind of want to ask you guys for advice.”

---

Twenty minutes later, they’ve acquired some döner and fries from a food cart and have sat down on a random bench. The weather today is actually rather nice, Kakyoin comments to himself. Even though it’s early November, he’s taken off the jacket he came here in, tying it around his waist instead. It’s a shame that Jotaro couldn’t come. His stupid heart does something weird in his chest at the thought.

“All right.” Polnareff announces once they’ve sat down. A group of children runs by, followed by a group of tired-looking adults. “Spill.”

Kakyoin sighs and picks at his döner absent-mindedly. “There isn’t actually much to spill… which I guess is the problem.” he shrugs. “He’s just been… ignoring my texts and leaving me on read a lot this week, and I don’t know why it could be. He’s not the best conversationalist usually, but it seems like he just lets conversations drop just like that. I feel like I’m the only one who actually wants to talk to him.”

“Do you think he might just be busy?” Polnareff asks, popping a fry into his mouth.

“Maybe.” Kakyoin thinks for a moment. “I definitely thought that’s what was happening at first, but when he does text me it seems like he’s not doing anything at all.” Kakyoin clenches the plastic fork in his hand and chews on a piece of meat angrily. “And we had such a good time literally barely a week ago now on Halloween, too. Or, I thought we did. Maybe he didn’t.” Kakyoin pokes at another piece of meat distractedly. “He let me touch him like, a lot. Maybe he didn’t like that.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure you getting all cuddly with Jotaro isn’t the problem.” Polnareff points his fork at Kakyoin.

“I agree. He’s been talking to me about you all year now.” Avdol nods.

Polnareff and Kakyoin look at Avdol. “He has?” Polnareff tilts his head.

“But I only met him a few months ago.” Kakyoin raises an eyebrow.

Avdol pauses in lifting his fork to his mouth. “Oh. He hasn’t…” Polnareff and Kakyoin stare at Avdol. Avdol smiles. “He’d kill me if he knew I said this, but he’s been a fan of you guys for a really long time. I didn’t put two and two together until recently, since he didn’t talk to me about it a lot, but he’s been subscribed to your channel for over a year.”

Polnareff’s jaw drops. The butterflies in Kakyoin’s stomach resume their dance. That’s… oddly endearing. “But he said it was just Josuke that watched us!”

Avdol shakes his head. “Josuke got him into you guys. And don’t get me wrong, he definitely doesn’t let on verbally how much he likes your content but…” Avdol bites off one end of a fry. “He references your videos sometimes. He literally made videos about Star Platinum right after you made a gag channel for your plants, Kakyoin. You’ve been on his mind way longer than you think. I’m surprised he hasn’t fangirled in front of you two yet.”

Jotaro made a Star Platinum channel after Kakyoin made a Hierophant Green channel? Jotaro has been a fan of StardustCrusaders for a year? Both of these thoughts are so incredibly precious to Kakyoin that for a second he almost doesn’t make the connection.

“ StarPlatinum?” Kakyoin almost drops his food in shock. “Hold on…” he looks to Polnareff. “I knew something about that name was familiar! I subscribed to him! That’s Jotaro?”

Avdol nods. “I remember him telling me about that. He tried real hard to keep the excitement out of his voice but I could tell that meant a lot to him. I’m still shocked he hasn’t told you.”

That is the sweetest thing Kakyoin has heard in his life. Jotaro watching their videos… thinking about him way before Kakyoin even knew about him… he quickly starts doing a mental list of all of the content he’s ever put out. Does Jotaro watch his Twitch? Probably not, considering how little he knew about video games. There is something particularly heartwarming about the knowledge that your crush consumes the media you put out. Jotaro had formed an opinion on him months ago. The smile slowly drops from Kakyoin’s face.

“What if… was I maybe not what he expected?” Kakyoin looks down nervously. Dammit, of course Jotaro expected someone cool, like the heightened version of himself he puts out on the internet, not a loser like him. If Jotaro liked him from viewing their videos, there was no guarantee he still did after meeting him in real life.

Both Polnareff and Avdol make identical exclamations of protest.

“You should see the way he looks at you!” Polnareff protests.

“When he told me he was friends with you, I totally thought there was something there!” Avdol shakes his head.

“But he hasn’t been responding to me at all this week!” Kakyoin protests. “The anxiety levels it brought up in my life can’t be coincidental!” Kakyoin stabs his fork into the box of döner and shoves it in his mouth angrily.

Avdol sighs. “Kakyoin…” Polnareff and Kakyoin turn towards his earnest tone. Avdol sets aside his box and folds his hands in his lap. “Jotaro… he’s kind of… complicated. I wouldn’t take it to heart if I were you.”

Kakyoin and Polnareff exchange a puzzled look.

“What… do you mean?” Kakyoin prompts.

Avdol fiddles with his cuticles nervously. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”

Kakyoin wants to grab Avdol and shake him. “You… you can’t just say that!” If he knows something about why Jotaro is so infuriating to deal with, he has to tell him now! Or at least not hint at it vaguely and then drop it!

Avdol looks up with a pained expression. “I really shouldn’t be the one to open up to you about Jotaro’s insecurities…” he chews on his bottom lip. “But I guess he’s gonna end up pushing you away anyways if I don’t.”

“Avdol, what is it?” Kakyoin sets his box aside too.

Avdol tsks . “I’m going to have to have a serious conversation with that boy.” he fiddles with his hoop earrings. “I suppose… This is just a fact, but Jotaro’s family has a long history of bad luck.”

“What kind of bad luck?” Polnareff asks.

“It traces back to his,” Avdol pauses to think, “great-great-great grandfather. Wow. Jotaro’s grandfather Joseph told me about him. His wife, his soulmate, died in a carriage crash back in the 1800s. Joseph’s grandfather never got to meet his mother. Then he found his soulmate, Erina, but on their honeymoon, he died too. Erina happened to be pregnant with Joseph’s father and she and a baby girl were the only survivors of the boat crash that killed Jotaro’s ancestor. The baby girl became the soulmate of Erina’s son, but when Joseph was born, his father was drafted into the war and died, disappearing along with his mother. He was raised by Erina.”

“Jesus.” Kakyoin tugs on his bangs. It honestly sounds like the fate of the entire bloodline has been in a precarious balance for generations. Bad luck indeed!

“It’s… unfortunate, indeed, to put it lightly.” Avdol nods. “Joseph himself, he…” Avdol glances down at his hands. “He knew his soulmate for the shortest time of any of the Joestars. He met his soulmate when he was eighteen, and within a month, he was dead.” Avdol furrows his eyebrows. “He had sacrificed his life for Joseph. Joseph is a… friendly, generally happy guy, but that’s a difficult toll to bear.”

“That is incredibly sad.” Polnareff takes Avdol’s hand into his own.

“What’s most sad is that Joseph didn’t realize until too late that he was the one.” Avdol purses his lips. “His mark was actually the same as Jotaro’s. A tattoo.”

Kakyoin’s heart stops in his chest. Life can be incredibly cruel sometimes.

“Joseph is luckier than the other Joestars in one regard, however.” Avdol continues. “He was one of the fortunate ones. He has a big heart, that one.” Avdol smiles. “A few months after Caesar’s death, he got another tattoo. A new soulmate. It was Jotaro’s grandmother Suzie, in fact. Joseph was her first soulmate. It goes to show that maybe fate and reality mingle. However, the emotional toll of his first soulmate’s death… I don’t know, I’m no expert, but that’s not something I can easily imagine getting over. And he was the only one in the line of family tragedy to whom that happened.”

“Poor Joseph.” Polnareff sighs sympathetically.

“Truly.” Avdol nods. “But Jotaro, he…” Avdol furrows his eyebrows. “You guys know, he knows, everyone knows, that if something were to happen with his soulmate, he’s not gonna get a second chance. He’s not like that. He’s not Joseph. And I think the fact that he has the same mark as Joseph adds fuel to the flame. He’s worried he’s not going to figure it out in time. That the second he does, it’s all going to go wrong. You know, his mother, Joseph’s daughter, I don’t think she’s entirely happy in her marriage with her soulmate either.”

Kakyoin thinks back to the few sentences Jotaro actually told him last Saturday.

That’s the problem he said when Kakyoin tried to reason with him about his soulmate being his soulmate for a reason. It… it makes sense now. Hell, Kakyoin felt almost the exact same, being markless his whole life.

I really hate my fucking soulmark he had said long ago, when he also said he thought his soulmate was an artist. Honestly, Kakyoin doesn’t fault him for that anymore. Anyone sharing a soulmark with their sob story of a grandfather would reasonably feel scared and distressed.

“He hasn’t actually told me any of this straight up.” Avdol clarifies. “He would never do that. This is all based on my personal speculation as a close friend and observer of their family. In fact, I’m actually quite positive that everyone is holding their breath that nothing bad happens to Okuyasu. The kid is only sixteen.”

“Right.” Polnareff nods. “I never knew. Jotaro is so…” he waves his hand around, looking for the right words, “reserved… with his emotions.”

“You can say that again.” Kakyoin agrees. There’s literally over a century of family history riding on Jotaro’s back. Anyone would be cracking under that enormous pressure.

“He is. I just wish he would open to… anyone about it.” Avdol sighs. “I actually think he’s talked to his mom about it. He never shows that poor woman the appreciation he deserves, but I think that behind closed doors at least, they’re really close.” Avdol turns to Kakyoin. “Listen, Kakyoin, the point of this story is to tell you that… Jotaro’s really scared of developing feelings for anyone . I don’t think it has anything to do with you. In fact, you probably met his standards a little too well. I think… that if he discovers his soulmate is someone he has feelings for, it’ll be a little too much for him, and he’ll regress. That’s what he’s doing now. I’m actually not sure he’s ever liked anyone… ever.” Avdol gives Kakyoin a sideways smirk.

Kakyoin looks down at his lap, feeling his cheeks warm up as he represses a smile.

“Aw, you made Nori blush! Notre bebe! ” Polnareff reaches over to try and pinch Kakyoin’s cheek.

Kakyoin swats his hand away. “Don’t touch me.” The smile on his face betrays him.

Avdol smiles as well. “In conclusion, Kakyoin, I’d say… be patient with him. I know he hasn’t done much to deserve your patience, and for that someone needs to have a few stern words with him,” Avdol purses his lips, “but he’s not a bad person. Just… scared, I think.”

“Thank you, Avdol.” Kakyoin smiles earnestly. He picks up his food again. This entire conversation has helped him put things in perspective a lot. He tells Avdol so.

“No worries. I just wouldn’t want to see Jotaro’s stupid ass accidentally give you the wrong idea.” Avdol grins, picking up his food as well.

They move the conversation on to discussing what else they want to see at the amusement park, and Kakyoin does feel considerably better. Even though it is a little worrying that Jotaro doesn’t want to talk to Kakyoin because he’s essentially scared of him, at least it’s not because he’s not interested. It’s… almost endearing. 

Now to figure out a way to make Jotaro not scared of him.

---

Kakyoin ends up getting back to their dorm around eleven at night. Polnareff… goes off with Avdol back to his apartment. Kakyoin doesn’t want to think too hard about the implications of that. He did not third wheel for five more hours after they got lunch and then the entire car ride home to continue third wheeling once he got home.

Instead, he plops down onto one of their beanbags and pulls his laptop closer to him. It’s not often that he gets complete alone time, and he wants to utilize it to its fullest. A couple... ideas come to mind, but ultimately he flips open his laptop and pulls up the StardustCrusaders channel page. He scrolls through the subscriber list, and boom.

StarPlatinum . Subscribed as of November 14th, last year.

That long? Kakyoin almost feels too exposed. He was a completely different person last year. Their channel was completely different last year. Jotaro must have been a pretty hardcore fan. The thought brings a blush to Kakyoin’s face. He clicks on Jotaro’s channel.

As before, there’s only two videos on here, “A New Friend” and “Feeding Time”, both of which are by now four months old. True to Avdol’s words, it’s the same age as his HierophantGreenEmerald channel that he also hasn’t updated much since. Kakyoin’s actually a little surprised that he didn’t recognize Star Platinum when he actually met him. It’s bizarre to see, but the background of these two videos is very clearly Jotaro’s window and balcony.

Kakyoin smirks, pulling out his phone. Would texting Jotaro about this be too mean? Will Jotaro even respond? Well, he knows for a fact he’s not annoying him, and he doesn’t really like keeping secrets, so Kakyoin snaps a picture of his laptop screen, making sure the subscribed button is in view, and sends it to Jotaro with the caption “This u? ;P”

He puts the phone down and closes his laptop. He might as well play video games at full volume just because he can. He tabs through his game selection before settling on Stardew Valley. Something chill and no rush to make sure he doesn’t stay up until four in the morning. 

Barely two in-game days later, his phone lights up with a text.

Ocean Man: What.

Ocean Man: I can explain.

Ocean Man: Josuke really likes you guys.

Ocean Man: Why did you guys subscribe to me?

Kakyoin grins at the obvious panic and distress present here. He decides to go easy on Jotaro.

Me: I actually was the one that did it. I think I really liked your energy during a stream? I wish you would’ve told us it was you! I knew you only pretended to not like us! ɿ (•᷄દ•᷅)

Ocean Man: Good grief.

Kakyoin pauses to smile at his phone. If Jotaro were here now, he’d definitely be holding onto the brim of his cap to tilt it downwards. Cute. Kakyoin suddenly finds himself longing for the comfort of Jotaro’s larger frame.

Should he say anything else? This might be a good idea to drop the conversation. Not really pressuring Jotaro to say anything else, letting him have the upper hand. Kakyoin puts his phone down and goes back to playing Stardew Valley.

A couple more in-game days pass and Kakyoin’s screen lights up again with another message from Jotaro.

Ocean Man: Hey Kakyoin.

Kakyoin’s heart leaps into his throat. Did that work? Holy shit, Jotaro’s texting him first again.

Me: Yeah, what’s up?

Ocean Man: I think I found my soulmate.

Kakyoin stops breathing. Why are they having this conversation over text? What is happening right now? 

He needs some sort of emotional support object. Kakyoin reaches over to Polnareff’s bed and grabs Silver Chariot.

Me: ...oh?

Ocean Man: Yeah.

Yeah??? What the hell is wrong with this man?

Me: ...and? Do you want to call me to talk about this or something?

Ocean Man: No it’s fine. I just wanted to tell you. You won’t like it.

Ok now Kakyoin is really confused. He clutches Silver Chariot closer to his chest. What the fuck is going on? He won’t like it? What is he doing?

Me: Why not?

The text bubbles for Jotaro typing drag on forever. How does Jotaro do this? One second he’s making Kakyoin feel like a pathetic desperate loser, then he’s making him feel like he’s on top of the world, and then making him the most nervous he’s felt in a while. This is what he gets for having a crush, Kakyoin supposes.

The message from Jotaro comes in. Kakyoin feels his heart drop.

Ocean Man: It’s Rohan.

Chapter Text

Cherry Bitch: Why not?

Me: It’s Rohan.

Jotaro stares at his phone anxiously after sending his final message. Kakyoin’s text bubble shows up and disappears a few times. Jotaro’s heart is beating hard in his chest. He feels like he can’t breathe.

Please say something .

The text bubbles disappear entirely. Jotaro’s grip on his phone tightens before he even realizes it. Why is this so hard? He wishes Kakyoin were here.

No , his mind supplies him, you don’t. You’ve got Rohan.

Why was telling Rohan that he thought they were soulmates far easier than telling Kakyoin? He felt very calm going into his conversation with Rohan, but the lack of response from Kakyoin is making Jotaro’s gut swirl with anxiety so badly it hurts. He turns on his side in bed and curls his legs up to his chest, hoping that it’ll ease the queasy feeling in his stomach. It doesn’t, of course, just makes him feel even more pathetic than he already is.

Why couldn’t his body indicate that something was wrong when he was actually talking to Rohan?

“Hey Rohan.” Jotaro said, watching the other man approach the table Jotaro picked at the Candle Cafe. He furrowed his eyebrows at Rohan’s disheveled state. He had dark bags under his eyes and had his hands tucked into the pockets of an oversized hoodie. He was still wearing his green diamond headband, though. That was a constant that Jotaro was surprised he hadn’t noticed before. This was the most modest Jotaro had seen Rohan yet. It was a nice change. He seemed more… approachable. “Are you okay?”

Rohan nodded. “I’m fine. Just a little hungover from Speedwagon’s last night.” he tousled his hair a bit as he sat down. “Sorry I don’t look more presentable.”

Jotaro shook his head. “It’s fine. You look fine.”

Rohan smiled. “Thank you. So what did you want to talk to me about?” he reached his hand across the table to run a finger down Jotaro’s forearm and slipped his hand into Jotaro’s. “I was so thrilled when you texted me.”

Jotaro nearly jerked his hand away. He remembered at the last moment why he was here and made himself relax. He just simply wasn’t used to physical contact like this, that’s all. He flexed his fingers around Rohan’s hand. “Yeah.” He paused for a moment. How should he approach this? He took a deep breath. “Do you have a soulmark?”

The smile dropped instantly from Rohan’s face. “No.” he said quickly, voice cold. He withdrew his hand from Jotaro’s. “Why does it matter?”

He didn’t have a soulmark. Interesting. That made this next part slightly difficult. Jotaro clenched the fist in his lap. “I think we might be soulmates.” he said.

Rohan stared at him, shock written plainly across his features. “What?”

Jotaro cleared his throat. “I think we’re soulmates.” he repeated.

Rohan stayed silent for a moment. He had schooled his features to fit a perfect picture of neutrality, rendering Jotaro unable to gauge his reaction. “...Right.” he said after a moment. “What makes you say that?”

Here it goes. Jotaro steeled himself. Rohan was about to become the fifth person in his life to learn about Jotaro’s tattoos. “I have these tattoos. On my chest.” He began. “They’re like… clues, I guess, about who my soulmate is.”

Rohan stared at him apprehensively.

“They’re, uh…” Jotaro’s voice faltered. He hated talking about this. Why did his soulmate have to be real? All he was going to do was hurt them. He didn’t know what, but something bad would happen. Jotaro moved those thoughts away. “It’s a green diamond. Like your headband. And a paintbrush, like your art. And also a video game controller. You said you played video games, so.” Jotaro sat back in his chair. Done. All that was left now was Rohan’s reaction.

Rohan sat quietly for a moment. “That… that sounds like me.” He met Jotaro’s gaze with his own. His mouth quirked up a bit in a smile. “Are you fucking with me right now? That’s really your soulmark? Those three specific tattoos?”

Jotaro nodded. “I can show you later, if you want.”

“I would love it if you showed me later.” Rohan practically purred, taking Jotaro’s hand in his own again. “You really think we’re soulmates?

Jotaro nodded.

“Well then perhaps we should get better acquainted, my shining star.” Rohan smiles coyly. “Would you like to get lunch?”

At the time, Jotaro felt… fine. Rohan actually wasn’t that bad once Jotaro got to know him a little better. He still has a God complex the size of the moon, but he’s also wildly insecure at times. It’s a weird mix.

Jotaro stares long and hard at the open conversation between him and Kakyoin, pretending like the conversation is still going on and Kakyoin is just thinking of a good way to answer.

Should he maybe follow up with another text? He would really hate for Kakyoin to stop talking to him now.

Dammit! Why does he even care?

You know why a voice in the back of his mind says, but he ignores it in favor of typing out another message.

Kakyoin please say something he types out into the message box and immediately deletes the hell out of that desperate ass message. Are you mad he types out and instantly deletes that too.

Me: I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner

Jotaro kind of regrets sending that. It still sounds desperate as hell. Him and Rohan are together now. He doesn’t have to owe Kakyoin anything. He still feels shitty as hell, though, and if Kakyoin doesn’t say something within the next two minutes, Jotaro just might cry. He really misses him.

Him and Rohan went out two more times this week, and yesterday Jotaro made the executive decision (after much pleading from Rohan) to show him his tattoos.

“Jojo, you promised!” Rohan looked up expectantly at Jotaro, crossing his arms across his chest. “Come on, don’t you trust me?” Rohan softened his voice. “I want you to be open with me, Jotaro.” he raised his hands in the air. “I promise I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. I just want to see.” They had established very early on in… whatever this was, that Jotaro was not as comfortable with the idea of sex this soon in the relationship as Rohan was.

Jotaro sighed. He had to show him eventually, right? He already told him what they were, why not show him, too? Even though nobody had even seen the newer two besides Jotaro. “Sure.” he said. “We can come up to my apartment really quick.”

It definitely felt… interesting, to say the least, having Rohan in his apartment for the first time. Like bringing your cat to school, two aspects of your life you never thought would mix.

“Is that Star Platinum?” Rohan asked, pointing to the fishtank on the windowsill. “You should let me draw him sometime. The colors are gorgeous and would make an excellent palette.”

“Sure.” Jotaro said, feeling a touch of pride swell up inside at the compliment. “You can pet him if you want.”

Rohan turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Pet? A fish?”

“Yes.” Jotaro asserted. He walked over to the tank and stuck his hand inside. Star Platinum immediately swam over to investigate.

“That’s fascinating.” Rohan said, walking over and wrapping one arm around Jotaro’s. He gingerly dipped his finger in the water, looking cautious.

Jotaro chuckled. Sometimes, Rohan was kind of endearing, when he wasn’t trying to actively seduce him or put up whatever obnoxious persona he usually displayed to the public. “You have to put more of your hand into the water, babe.” he said. He froze. He didn’t mean to say babe. It just slipped out.

Rohan didn’t seem to actually react in any way to the term of endearment, though. “Like this?” he asked, lowering his hand until his knuckles were brushing the water. Seemed like he was fine with being called babe, Jotaro supposed. He tried not to think about how the only reason he said “babe” at all was because standing over his fish tank with someone else reminded Jotaro of… 

Star Platinum abandoned Jotaro’s hand to go investigate Rohan’s instead. Pet names were something couples did, though. Jotaro supposed him and Rohan were a couple now.

“Agh!” Rohan jerked his hand out of the water, backing up and causing Jotaro to have to turn with him.

Jotaro smiled. “You afraid of fish, Rohan?”

“ No. ” Rohan said firmly. “I just didn’t expect him to feel like that. Let’s move on.”

Jotaro couldn’t help but remember how enthusiastic Kakyoin was to interact with Star. He’d been avoiding him this week, he knew that, and he missed him and should’ve actually talked to him, but…

Rohan smiled coyly. “Now will you please show me your marks?”

Jotaro only took off his shirt when he led Rohan to his bedroom and could turn his back to him. He didn’t mean to be so dramatic, but it was just… really scary.

“Are you okay?” Rohan asked from over where he sat down on the edge of Jotaro’s bed.

Jotaro nodded. “Yeah. Just nervous.” He took a deep breath and turned around.

Rohan’s eyes instantly swept down to bore holes in the lower region of Jotaro’s chest. He didn’t say anything for a little bit, just observing silently. Jotaro shifted his weight nervously. He felt completely naked, even though he was only shirtless. He fiddled with the fabric of the shirt still in his hands.

“Damn, you are really built.” Rohan mumbled. He shook his head. “Sorry. Not the time, I know.” Rohan looked up to meet Jotaro’s eyes, looking more soft than Jotaro had ever seen him. “Can I…” he stood up and reached out a hand.

“Uh, yeah.” Jotaro stepped forward a bit and Rohan touched his hand to the green diamond.

Jotaro was… disappointed with the lack of any sort of feeling. He kind of expected something like a shock, or some sort of emotion, but nothing happened. It was rather underwhelming. The only thing he felt was a little strange from having someone else’s hands trace over his bare skin.

“Do you… feel anything?” Rohan asked, almost hopefully. Jotaro shook his head.

That was clue number one.

There is movement on Jotaro’s screen and he instantly snatches up his phone.

Read 11:56 PM

Jotaro stares at the space where the typing bubbles are supposed to pop up. For what seems like the thousandth time in the last twenty minutes, Jotaro asks himself why he cares so much. If Kakyoin has a problem with his relationship, he can go fuck off. Except… Jotaro really doesn’t want Kakyoin to go fuck off. He both craves his approval and hopes Kakyoin will yell at him at the same time. He wants to be able to make Kakyoin happy, to make him smile, to hang out with him, to talk to him, and for Kakyoin to want to do that with him, too. Fuck… he can’t do this.

Cherry Bitch: why

Jotaro nearly jumps out of bed when the message quickly comes in. His heart starts racing again. This is probably not good for his health. Can he have a heart attack from too much anxiety? He should look that up later. Not now though. Now he has a much more pressing issue.

What does he mean, why? Why are they soulmates? Why is he telling him? Why Rohan? Jotaro really doesn’t think he can answer all of those questions. He picks one of them to answer.

Me: Because our soulmarks match.

Read 11:58 PM

Silence, again. The text bubble doesn’t even pop up. Jotaro can’t handle this. He needs to go take a shower or something. Preferably a cold one, to slow his pulse down.

In his bathroom, he stares at his chest in the mirror while he waits for the water to warm up at least a little bit. He was kind of foolishly hoping there would be another tattoo, but no such luck. His chest remains the same. He glances over at his phone again.

Still nothing.

Should he send another text? No, he’s been desperate enough tonight. No more.

He picks up his phone and sends another text.

Me: Kakyoin do you want to meet tomorrow or something? Please?

He hits sends and all but throws his phone back down before he loses his nerve. He turns around and walks straight into the shower. He stares at the wall and tries to control his breathing while barely warm water beats down against his back. His mind goes to a place it doesn’t frequently go.

What’s going to happen to Rohan now, though? What if he condemned him? How could he do that to him? Is he really so selfish that he’d rather his stupid curse affect Rohan than-

His text ringtone goes off from outside the shower and Jotaro barely catches himself from falling and splitting his head open against the shower wall in his rush to yank back the curtain and lunge forward. What the fuck is wrong with him?

There’s a message from Kakyoin. Jotaro fumbles to unlock his phone with wet fingers.

Cherry Bitch: Sure. I need you to tell me what the fuck is going on.

---

Jotaro arrives at the dining hall near Kakyoin’s dorm five minutes early and picks a table a little bit out of the way to sit at. He picks at the bracelet around his wrist nervously. He chose deliberately to wear it, just in case Kakyoin was truly mad at him. Kakyoin made it for him two weeks ago, after all.

“I have something for you.” Kakyoin said, setting his coffee down on the ledge they were sitting on, looking out over the quad.

Jotaro turned to him. “What is it?” The thought of Kakyoin getting him a gift, of him perceiving Jotaro when they’re apart, made a warmth bloom in Jotaro’s chest.

“Yeah.” Kakyoin reached into his bag, feeling around in it. “I was bored the other day in my textiles class, so I made these. You don’t have to wear it, but…” he opened his hand to reveal a neat, pleated bracelet, with three starfish beads braided into it. Jotaro’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest. Kakyoin looked away bashfully. “The beads were laying on the table and I thought of you.”

“Thank you.” Jotaro took the bracelet immediately. “I like it.”

Kakyoin smiled. “Thanks.” He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a similar bracelet with three red beads braided into it. “We can match, see? There weren’t any oddly specific cherry beads, I had to improvise.”

Jotaro wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Kakyoin and squeeze tightly.

Wrapping his arms around Kakyoin and squeezing tightly is exactly what Jotaro wants to do now, too, the second he sees Kakyoin walk into the dining hall. He can’t control how fast his heart starts beating. He… hasn’t seen Kakyoin since Speedwagon’s party, which is nobody’s fault but his own. Jotaro’s stupid ass cancelled their Tuesday coffee this week to go out with Rohan.

Kakyoin finds Jotaro quickly; after all, it’s 3 pm on a Sunday, and there aren’t many people at the dining hall right now. Jotaro can’t gauge how he’s feeling from just his facial expression, so he fiddles nervously with one of the starfish beads while Kakyoin marches towards him.

“Hi.” Kakyoin says curtly as he pulls out the chair across from Jotaro and sits down.

“Hey.” Jotaro responds. He still can’t tell how Kakyoin is feeling, but he’s starting to suspect that Kakyoin is really mad. Kakyoin stares at him expectantly. Jotaro sighs. “I. Rohan and I are dating.” Jotaro says. Kakyoin’s jaw twitches. “I think.” He finishes lamely.

Kakyoin scoffs. “You think ? Isn’t he your soulmate?” Kakyoin crosses his arms over his chest. “How long have you known? How long do you think you’ve been dating Rohan, hm?”

Jotaro winces. Yeah, Kakyoin is pissed. Rightfully so. “Only about a week. I realized at Speedwagon’s party.”

“I see.” Kakyoin says, voice clipped. “So you’ve been blowing me off all week because you’ve been hanging out with Rohan, is that it? Do you hate me or something?” Jotaro detects a note of vulnerability there, and he looks up to meet Kakyoin’s eyes. He spots hurt, written plainly across Kakyoin’s face, only for a moment, before it’s gone again, replaced with steel.

“What? I don’t hate you.” Jotaro rushes to affirm. Oh, god. “I thought you would hate me .”

“And why the fuck would I hate you, Jotaro?” Kakyoin spits his name like it’s a curse. “Please, enlighten me. I may despise Rohan more than anyone on this planet, but he can’t make me hate you .” Kakyoin’s façade is crumbling. Jotaro can hear the waver in Kakyoin’s voice. “I just want you to talk to me Jotaro, Jesus Christ, that’s all I ever fucking wanted!”

Jotaro is awestruck for a moment. He stares, unsure of what to say to that. “I’m sorry.” He gets out.

“Well, you should be!” Kakyoin huffs. “I mean seriously. You can’t push your friends away like that just because… what? You thought I’d be mad? I’d be a whole lot less mad if you would just talk to me! Fuck!” Jotaro stares at him. “And stop making that face!”

Jotaro draws his eyebrows together in confusion. “What face?”

Kakyoin huffs. “Like a kicked puppy. It makes it real hard to actually be mad at you.”

“I’m… sorry.” Jotaro repeats stupidly. “I didn’t want to upset you.”

Kakyoin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Jotaro.” He stops himself. “No, Avdol was right.” He leans forward, leaning his forearms on the table. “Jotaro, please. Why do you think Rohan,” he blinks slowly, “of all people, is your soulmate?”

Jotaro tucks his hands under his thighs awkwardly. “My tattoos. They told me it was him. I only realized it at the party.”

Kakyoin looks at his face for a moment, studying it. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Rohan himself confirmed it.” Jotaro shakes off the tiny seed of doubt in the smallest back corner of his brain.

Kakyoin continues studying Jotaro’s face, expression falling deeper and deeper into thought. “Okay…” he looks like he wants to say something else though, so Jotaro waits patiently. “Jotaro… are you sure he’s not just--”

Before he can finish that thought, he’s interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected third member of their party.

“Well if it isn’t my Jojo~” Rohan appears beside their table, wearing a comfortable-looking sweater dress over a pair of jeans. Jotaro had told him that first day that he liked how comfortable Rohan looked in his hoodie, so Rohan had wordlessly started wearing more sweaters and cardigans. Jotaro appreciated it.

“Hey, Rohan.” Jotaro smiles a bit. While he definitely missed Kakyoin, Rohan was starting to grow on him. He was... actually kind of excited to see him.

“And Kakyoin too.” Rohan takes in Kakyoin sitting across from Jotaro as he slides into Jotaro’s lap. “How are you doing Kakyoin?” His voice is a little strained, but Jotaro really appreciates that he’s trying. He’s also expressed that if Rohan wanted Jotaro to fully support him, he would have to be nice to his friends, including Kakyoin.

“Did Kakyoin make that?” Rohan asked, pointing at the dolphin painting hanging above Jotaro’s TV. They were watching an older episode of Friends they found on one of the channels after Jotaro had put his shirt back on when Rohan was finished looking at his tattoos. He had sat down in Jotaro’s lap, and Jotaro was trying to get used to the feeling.

Jotaro nodded. “He gave it to me when I told him I was interested in marine biology.”

“I could probably paint you a better one.” Rohan said. 

Defensiveness coiled in Jotaro’s gut. “I like this one.”

“It is good.” Rohan agreed. “Don’t tell him I said that.” He added quickly. “I have a reputation to uphold.” Jotaro chuckled, tension leaving his shoulders a bit. “It’s just, wouldn’t you rather have a better association to such a painting? Not…” he pursed his lips. “Kakyoin.”

“Rohan.” Annoyance flashed through Jotaro instantly. “Please watch how you talk about him.” He said sternly. “…he’s my best friend.” He added as an afterthought, and realized it was true.

“Right. Your best friend.” Rohan paused, looking contemplative. “You know he…”

Jotaro stared at him. “He what?”

Rohan chewed on his bottom lip. “Nothing. Never mind. He’s your best friend.”

Jotaro waited for Rohan to add anything else, but he remained silent. “Yes.” Jotaro said after a moment. “So I don’t want to hear you say anything bad about him. What you said at the party really pissed me off.”

Rohan observed him for a moment. “Okay.” He spoke. “You’re right, I was rude.” He smiled. “I’ll try to be nicer to Kakyoin for you, my star.”

Jotaro nodded. “Thanks.”

“I’m doing fine, Rohan, thank you.” Kakyoin smiles, but it’s strained and far too enthusiastic. Even Jotaro can tell that his mood has suddenly shifted to a very uncomfortable one.

“So Jojo and I are dating now, did he tell you?” Rohan asks, sliding a hand up to cup Jotaro’s jaw. Jotaro almost flinches away. He got used to the physical contact when it was just the two of them, but with Kakyoin there, it feels… wrong.

Jotaro throws Kakyoin a helpless glance, but Kakyoin is pointedly not looking at him.

“Yes he did! Thank you for sharing.” Kakyoin says, voice still full of fake sugary sweetness. His eyes, however, are staring daggers at Rohan.

Rohan smiles, but Jotaro can feel the hostile energy radiating off of him as well. The atmosphere here feels downright awful.

“What were you guys talking about?” Rohan asks Kakyoin. Neither of them have broken eye contact from the moment they engaged in this conversation. Jotaro almost feels like an accessory.

“Oh, nothing.” Kakyoin says sharply. Jotaro swears he sees his eye twitch.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting you guys?” Rohan asks. He bats his eyelashes innocently a couple times.

“Not at all.” Kakyoin stands up. “I was just leaving.”

“Kakyoin…” Jotaro starts.

“We’ll talk later.” Kakyoin says and turns to quickly walk out of the dining hall. He’s gone before Jotaro can say another word.

“Well. I’m sorry to see him go.” Rohan says neutrally. He wraps an arm around Jotaro’s waist. “And how are you doing today?”

Jotaro is too busy watching Kakyoin walk across campus through the large dining hall windows to register Rohan speaking to him for a moment. He really wishes Kakyoin could’ve stayed for longer. If only he could stop time and go catch up with him.

“Jojo.” Rohan snaps, tone irritated.

“I’m fine.” Jotaro says, bringing his attention back to the man in his lap. “...How are you?” he asks, realizing that he should probably return the sentiment.

Rohan hums. “I’m doing better, now that I’m with you.”

“That’s really cheesy.” Jotaro says, trying to pull himself from his distracted state. He does not look out the window of the dining hall in hopes of spotting red hair, he doesn’t.

“I guess it is.” Rohan shrugs. He sighs. “Oh, I wish I could be with you for longer, but I was actually on my way to my car. Would you walk me?”

“Huh?” Jotaro finally manages to snap back to the conversation he’s engaged in. “Oh. Yeah, sure.”

Rohan smiles and hops out of Jotaro’s lap, grabbing his hand and tugging. “Then let’s go.”

“Where are you going?” Jotaro asks.

“Koichi’s. He has to write a narrative story for a class and he asked for my expert mangaka advice.” Rohan tilts his chin up proudly. “I can tell him you said hi, if you wish.”

Rohan tells him about some project he’s working on in a film class he’s taking and about his partner, Whole Horse? Half Horse? Jotaro isn’t really paying attention, if he’s being honest, but he’s trying . It’s just difficult, when all he can think about is the brief moment of vulnerability, of hurt, that Kakyoin displayed. If Jotaro actually hurt him, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. That’s all he does, isn’t it? At least he hasn’t hurt Rohan. Not yet , his mind supplies him.

“Well, this is my car.” Rohan announces, stopping in front of a shiny white convertible. It stands out as easily the nicest car in the lot.

Jotaro’s eyes widen in surprise. “This is a nice car.”

Rohan rolls his shoulders and tilts his head up. “Thank you. I take excellent care of my darling Celeste.”

Jotaro smirks. “You named your car Celeste?”

Rohan smacks him on the arm. “If you know what’s good for you you will stop talking this instant. Nobody talks down on Celeste, understood?”

Jotaro continues to smirk. “Right.” Kakyoin would love to hear… at the thought of Kakyoin, Jotaro’s pulse shoots up again.

“Jotaro?” Rohan fiddles with the keys in his hands. “Can I do something?”

“What?” Jotaro asks. Rohan looks up to meet his eyes.

“You can stop me if you want.” Rohan says.

Jotaro is about to ask what he means when Rohan reaches up and places a hand along Jotaro’s jaw, cupping it.

Oh.

Rohan steps in slowly, giving Jotaro a chance to pull away if he wants to. It’s actually incredibly considerate, and Jotaro’s little soft spot for Rohan grows a bit. It’s the thoughtfulness of that action that makes Jotaro lean forward and close the distance between them himself.

His first kiss with Rohan is short, barely longer than a peck, a mere brush of their lips, but Rohan seems satisfied enough. Jotaro pulls back after a couple seconds. Again, he feels a little… underwhelmed.

Rohan smiles up at Jotaro. “You’re softer than I thought you’d be.” he says, strokes his thumb against Jotaro’s cheekbone, and steps away. “Most people would expect you to be a really rough guy. But you’re gentle.” Rohan clicks a button on his keys to unlock his car. “It’s sweet.”

Jotaro stares at him silently, the cogs in his brain slowly turning.

“I’ll text you later tonight, Jojo~” Rohan calls as he gets inside his car. Jotaro nods once, mind distracted.

Jotaro watches vaguely as Rohan slowly pulls out of the parking lot and drives off, still deep in thought. He’s just a little bit confused. He’s read accounts and stories of people gushing about how magical their first kiss with their soulmate was. Most people describe it as… What's the incredibly sappy terminology? Fireworks? Explosions? The scenes in movies, in any case, always accompany a first kiss with dramatic orchestral music.

He didn’t feel any of that.

Kissing Rohan was nice, sure, because Rohan’s skin is incredibly soft and so are his lips (Rohan’s told him extensively about his skincare routine), but that’s all that was. Nice. Jotaro’s even a little disappointed. He doesn’t feel any butterflies in his stomach. Not any pleasant ones, at least. 

That was clue number two.

Chapter Text

“Noriaki, is this your underwear or mine?” Polnareff calls from the bathroom.

Kakyoin wrinkles his nose as he’s brought from his slumber and turns over in bed, pulling the covers up higher to snuggle into them. He’s just drifting off back into sleep when he’s hit in the face by a piece of fabric.

“Kakyoin.” Polnareff repeats urgently.

Kakyoin whines in annoyance, his social filter completely gone in his half-asleep state. “I know you did not just throw a pair of underwear at me.” he lifts his hand to brush whatever landed on him and his hand connects with lace. He jerks, fully awake now, and pushes the underwear off himself. “What the fuck? ”

“Is that yours or mine?” Polnareff repeats.

“ Jean Pierre, have you lost your mind?” Kakyoin pinches the edge of the lace underwear and flings them across the room. “You are the only one in this dorm room who wears lingerie! Why the fuck would that be mine?” Kakyoin takes a deep breath. Talk about a rude awakening. “Why are you even cleaning the bathroom at,” he picks up his phone and checks the time, “7 am on a Thursday?”

“ Because , Sherry is coming back home today! Have you forgotten?” Polnareff calls from the bathroom.

“Of course I haven’t. Sherry is the more tolerable sibling.” Kakyoin rolls his eyes. “I mean, why are you cleaning your shit up now? Why not at any point yesterday?”

“ Tais-toi!” Polnareff snaps. “I don’t have time for this!”

Kakyoin flops back down in bed and grabs his phone to browse it for a bit before actually getting up to start the day. With tomorrow being the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, Sherry was supposed to be coming home from her abroad program in France to visit her family, and Polnareff was ecstatic . Even though his parents only lived across town, he was going back for the week, but the poor man hadn’t even begun packing yet. If Kakyoin remembered correctly, Sherry’s plane was supposed to land around 7 pm today and Polnareff was going to pick her up and they were going to go home together, which is why he’s a little confused as to why Polnareff got up so early to do this now.

“Hey, Pol?” Kakyoin calls out.

“Hm?” Polnareff walks out of the bathroom holding a laundry hamper.

“Don’t you have like twelve hours before her plane lands? Why did you feel the need to start bringing chaos into the world now?”

Polnareff flips him off. “I have a very busy day today. I’m leaving in ten minutes. I do not need you to mock me.”

Kakyoin rolls his eyes. “Right. Because I don’t put off all of my problems until the second to last day before break.” He pulls the blankets aside and sits up, clasping his hands behind his head to stretch, arching his back. “Where are you going?”

Polnareff sets his hamper down silently. He turns around to stare Kakyoin dead in the eye. “I’m going to go work on our feminism project with Jotaro.”

Kakyoin’s mood instantly sours. He pulls a face on instinct. “I regret asking.”

Polnareff rolls his eyes. “You can’t ignore him forever.”

“I can and I will.” Kakyoin says firmly, standing up and walking over to his dresser to pick out something to wear. “Do you know what the weather's like today? It’s been really cold recently, hasn’t it.”

“Kakyoin, he asks me about you every time we study together and in every single lecture!” Polnareff whines. “I know that him being with Rohan is confusing, but you mustn't be petty! He wants to talk to you!”

“I think a sweater will do fine.” Kakyoin says, snapping the drawer of his dresser shut. “And if he wants to talk to me so much, he can do it himself. I told him everything he needed to know and reached out to him multiple times.” He glares at Polnareff. “Call me petty one more time and see what happens.”

Polnareff stands in the middle of the room helplessly. “What is this I hear from you? One moment Jotaro is your best friend, the next, you aren’t speaking! Are you going to let a little disagreement come between your friendship? When was the last time you even spoke? Two weeks ago?”

“It’s been eleven days.” Kakyoin answers, cringing internally at how quickly he answered. “And for the last time, I am perfectly calm. He’s the one that decided to distance himself from me. He ignored my messages. I have done nothing wrong. Neither Rohan nor my feelings have anything to do with this.” He walks briskly over to the bathroom and shuts the door behind himself (perhaps with too much force), heart pounding.

He sets his things onto the counter and pulls off his oversized The Police T-Shirt that serves as his pajamas. He avoids looking at his chest in the mirror while he quickly pulls on a shirt and buttons it up, looking anywhere but down. Only once his chest is covered does he turn back to the mirror to pull on a pair of pants and a light blue sweater, fixing the collar of his button up to cover the neckline of the sweater neatly. He needs to think about something else, quickly, before his mood is ruined for the rest of the day.

“I’m leaving.” Polnareff calls through the closed bathroom door. “Goodbye. I’m saying hi to Jotaro for you.”

Kakyoin leans his hands against the edge of the counter and closes his eyes in annoyance as he hears the door close outside, signaling Polnareff’s departure.

He unlocks his phone and looks at the messages between him and Jotaro, despite part of his brain screaming at him not to do it. The first message is from last Monday, the day after he and Jotaro met in the dining hall.

Me: Jotaro, I’m sorry that I was so hostile yesterday. I guess I was just confused. I really want to know what you’re thinking, but it’s not fair for me to expect you to tell me stuff if you don’t want to. Do you want to actually talk without me being a huge bitch?

The next message is from the next day.

Me: Hey Jotaro I’m really sorry if I actually upset you, I promise I would never do that intentionally. Please can we talk?

And a few hours later:

Me: Jotaro, please, I feel really bad.

Jotaro didn’t even read a single one of his messages.

As much as he loves Polnareff, he’s been way too persistent that Kakyoin talks to Jotaro again. It’s Jotaro’s fault they’re not talking now. It’s his fault. Eleven days that they haven’t talked, and it’s Jotaro’s fault. It’s probably going to be even more now with Thanksgiving break happening next week, although it’s not like they ever see each other anyways. If he’s lucky, he won’t ever see Jotaro again.

The pit of Kakyoin’s stomach drops at the thought and terror grips his chest. Fuck, he needs to go do something. He can’t stay here. Maybe he’ll go work on detailing his last art project before the final one, even though it’s pretty much done already. He could still probably find something to work on.

He scrolls through the endless YouTube notifications while he walks to the art building, which just proves to make him feel even worse. 

👍 StarPlatinum liked your video: RANKING OUR CELEBRITY CRUSHES

👍 StarPlatinum liked your video: BAKING A CAKE USING ONLY THE  INGREDIENTS IN OUR DORM KITCHEN

Kakyoin fumes while he stuffs his phone back in his pocket. Why is Jotaro still fucking pretending to care? What kind of asshole pretends like he cares enough to go through and continue watching their videos while ignoring his texts? Kakyoin can’t believe he at any point thought it was endearing that Jotaro had been a fan of their content before he even met them. He was honestly making Kakyoin feel like the bad guy.

Kakyoin pulls out his canvas and sets up his station in his usual back corner of the studio as soon as he walks through the door. He flicks on the spotlight to shine on the plaster bust standing in the middle of the room and sets the cookie he grabbed from the vending machine for breakfast on his little table. The first class here doesn’t start until twelve, so he’s got hours to kill before he has to leave. He plugs in his headphones, turns on his Bops And If Anyone Says Otherwise They’re Lying playlist, and for a couple hours, he loses himself in refining and embellishing his work.

The piece he’s turning in tomorrow is a painting of the Greek God Apollo. They have a replica of a Greek statue male torso, the head missing. Their assignment is to reflect on the form and to draw it in context of whichever Greek God they thought it fit. Kakyoin dabs some white paint onto the canvas to lighten up some of the clouds in the background. He doesn’t really like his painting. Objectively, he’s proud of the quality, but the contour of the face, the angle of the nose, the shape of the eyes that have long since been changed to gold instead of blue, they all remind Kakyoin a little too much of... someone else. He used to blush, looking at the shirtless Adonis on his canvas, but now it feels like a slap to the face. It wasn’t even intentional that he looks like Jotaro. Kakyoin was just trying to make his Apollo good-looking.

The door to the studio creaks open slightly, breaking the ambiance that Kakyoin has been stewing in for the past three hours. Nobody comes in, nor do they close the door, however, bringing Kakyoin’s annoyance levels up.

“You’re sure you don’t want to come in?” Rohan’s nasally voice asks from right outside the door. 

Kakyoin’s annoyance increases tenfold. He knew there was a chance he could potentially bump into Rohan at the studio, since they shared two entire classes (unfortunately), but he really hoped he wouldn’t have to. He’s managed to avoid being alone with Rohan since he started… dating Jotaro, and he wasn’t about to start interacting with him now. Maybe he can manage to clean all his shit up before--

“Alright.” Rohan says, and enters the room properly. The door swings shut behind him with a note of finality.

Kakyoin grabs his brushes and palette and walks over to the sink quickly.

“Kakyoin! What a surprise.” Rohan chirps in a tone that Kakyoin wouldn’t really describe as friendly.

“Rohan.” Kakyoin says curtly, choosing to not look at the other man in the room.

Rohan, mercifully, doesn’t try to continue the conversation. Kakyoin can hear him move across the room, and foolishly assumes the conversation to be over.

“What an interesting portrait.” Rohan comments from over where Kakyoin’s canvas is set up. 

Kakyoin whips around to find Rohan smirking at him unkindly over his Apollo painting. He grits his teeth. He can’t exactly go over and cover it; the paint isn’t dry yet and Rohan has already seen it. He turns back and scrubs at his palette harder, electing not to say anything.

“You know... You could’ve had him. You know that, right?” Rohan decides to keep talking. “If you acted faster. I’m sure he would’ve said yes.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kakyoin says, trying to keep the emotions out of his voice.

“Yes you do.” Rohan says, mockingly. Kakyoin could slap him. “But it seems my Jotaro wasn’t interested in playing with you.”

“Can you shut up?” Kakyoin snaps, slamming his wet brush down against the counter with a smack and picking up his next one. If only he could leave now, but if he didn’t clean off his brushes properly they would be ruined, and he could only afford the one set.

“Don’t be bitter to me because he doesn’t want you. You're pretty pathetic, aren't you? He came to me all on his own. Fell practically into my lap, if you will.” Rohan’s teasing tone is seriously about to earn him a smack in the face.

“That’s great for you.” Kakyoin responds, grabbing his wet brushes and palette to put them away. He’s going to need to take his canvas back to his dorm; it needs to dry but he definitely doesn’t want to leave Rohan alone with it.

“It is great for me.” Rohan leans against the counter and taps his nails against the edge. “Just out of curiosity, what is your soulmark?”

“None of your fucking business.” Kakyoin puts his brushes and palette quickly into his bag, not caring that they’re wet, and grabs his canvas.

“Touchy.” Rohan smirks. “You’re just mad because it doesn’t match with-”

“Shut the fuck up!” Kakyoin shouts, taking five steps forward to corner Rohan against the counter. He grabs the front of Rohan’s large button-up. “Shut. The fuck . Up. You don’t know shit about me.”

“Don’t touch me, fucker! I’ll report you!” Rohan gasps as if Kakyoin had hit him.

“Report me for what? What did I do to you?” Kakyoin is seething . He probably shouldn’t be taking out his anger in the form of yelling at Rohan, but he’s wanted to do this since last year. He lets go of Rohan’s shirt in disgust. “You’re the asshole here. Coming in here and trying to start shit with me. Do you get off on this or something? Can’t you leave me alone? Do you have to get up in everyone’s business like that?”

Rohan stares at him. “There’s a reason Jotaro didn’t go to you.” Rohan practically spits.

That hurts more than Kakyoin cares to admit. He hopes it doesn’t show on his face. “I know you take joy in making underclassmen cry. Don’t pretend like you don’t have it coming.”

Kakyoin turns on the spot before Rohan can say anything else and marches towards the door, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. He swears he can hear Rohan mutter something under his breath, but for Rohan’s sake he pretends like he doesn’t hear it. He swings the door open and steps into the hallway. He should probably take this painting back to his dorm and-

“Oh.” Kakyoin stops dead in his tracks. Just perfect. Is the universe intentionally trying to mess with him today?

“Kakyoin.” Jotaro looks up from where he’s leaning against the wall, hands tucked into his pockets. Hearing his name in that voice sends a shock down Kakyoin’s spine.

This boy is so beautiful, one half of Kakyoin’s brain thinks while the other simultaneously warns don’t you dare comment on his appearance. What is he doing here? Kakyoin knows what he’s doing here. Rohan and Jotaro being in the same general vicinity isn’t a coincidence anymore. 

“Jotaro.” Kakyoin keeps his voice neutral and face passive. Zero days since they’ve talked.

Dammit, why does Jotaro look so excited to see him? He pushes himself off the wall and sticks his hands in his pockets, poised like he wants to walk forward more, but stopping himself. Kakyoin hates how his heart speeds up.

Kakyoin turns and silently walks past Jotaro. He ignores the part of him screaming to stop and say something, as well as the part that is hoping, begging, that Jotaro stops him himself.

“Kakyoin, wait.” Jotaro says, and the internal hoping switches to internal cheering.

Kakyoin turns around. Jotaro isn’t looking at him, rather down at the floor, his cap tugged down low over his face. Kakyoin kind of missed that.

“I’m…” Jotaro opens his mouth and closes it again. “I don’t like not talking to you.” He looks up at Kakyoin. “I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

Pain.

What the fuck is wrong with him?

“Should’ve thought of that before completely ignoring me.” Kakyoin grits his teeth, feeling the anger bubbling up inside. “I’m not a toy, Jotaro.”

Jotaro looks so helpless and sad that Kakyoin has to look away in order to resist doing something stupid.

“I, um…” Jotaro trails off, going silent. “I’m sorry.”

If Rohan hadn’t just said a bunch of shit to him, maybe Kakyoin would have been in a better headspace to approach the situation right now. As it happens, however, Rohan interfered with all of Kakyoin’s abilities of conflict management and reason. He doesn’t remember anything he wanted to say to Jotaro, any feelings he had, how much he missed him. All he feels is bitter rage and resentment.

“That’s great for you, fish boy.” Kakyoin utters. “But I don’t really believe you. Sorry. ” 

Kakyoin turns around without looking at Jotaro again and walks away, despite his entire body protesting to go back! Comfort him! Hear what he has to say! Forgive him!

Kakyoin hasn’t cried once about this and he’s not about to start now. He balances his canvas carefully in one hand to fish his earbuds out of his bag and shove them in his ears. He turns on his The Police playlist and walks quickly away from the cursed art building. Every step gets easier and easier to take. He looks down at his painting and gingerly touches the parts that he painted recently. It’s still wet, but it didn’t get smudged. Good. Kakyoin honestly forgot that he was holding it for a moment.

A drop of water lands on Kakyoin’s hand.

Um…

Kakyoin looks up, and another drop of water lands on his forehead. The sky is rapidly getting dark. Another droplet lands on his nose. This is not good. Kakyoin looks around at the buildings beside him. Is that the… agriculture building? He needs to get inside before his painting gets any water damage, and it’s not like he can stick a still-drying painting in his bag. If he hurries maybe he can-

Thick droplets of rain start smacking against the pavement all around him. He brings the canvas as close to his body as he can without touching the surface and hunches over it a bit. He looks around in a panic as water starts soaking through his sweater.

There! Kakyoin spots a gazebo about fifty feet away, a little bit out of the way of the path. Making a split second decision, he breaks into a sprint, doubled almost in half over his canvas, across the grass and over pavement, making it under the roof of the gazebo just as the rain really starts to pour down.

He sighs in relief and sits down on the small bench, pulling his canvas away to assess if there’s any damage. There’s a little bit of fuzz from his sweater stuck to some of the less dry areas, evidently where he accidentally brought it too close to his chest, but it’s nothing too big to worry about. At least that has gone correctly for him today. This shit is due tomorrow; he can’t afford for anything to happen to it.

Kakyoin gets to work delicately picking out the little pieces of fuzz from the paint; he’s stuck here either until the rain stops or until his painting dries, so probably at least half an hour. At least the weather is nice for late November. He can probably make the best of this situation. He even has one of his hummus wraps - the ones that Polnareff refuses to eat because the heathen insists on having meat in his wraps - in his bag that he grabbed from their fridge just in case he decided to stay out for a bit longer and wouldn’t be back for lunch.

He carefully sets his painting on the bench next to him, taking care to brush the loose dirt off the surface first, and unzips his bag to look for his sketchbook. Maybe a chill moment in the rain will help him do some introspection and calm the bad anxiety that’s been swirling around in his gut for the past, what? Almost three weeks now? He also needs to think about what both Rohan and Jotaro said to him, but one thing at a time.

Fuck, maybe he should talk to Polnareff. He only told him the basics, that Jotaro and Rohan were dating, that he ignored his messages, and when Polnareff tried to talk a little more in depth about it, he basically brushed him off. Maybe he felt like if he didn’t talk about it, it wouldn’t be real. Stupid.

The sound of two sets of footsteps and voices breaks Kakyoin out of his self-reflection. He looks up to spot the two figures, one tall and one short, hurrying along under one umbrella. Upon closer examination Kakyoin realizes it’s Rohan and Jotaro, again. Don’t you get it, universe? He doesn’t want to see them!

He should just look away, but curiosity gets the better of him and he can’t stop himself from staring. They haven’t noticed him yet, and probably won’t unless they specifically look over at the gazebo. Kakyoin’s a little curious what Jotaro could possibly see in the other man.

Kakyoin can’t hear what they’re saying, but Rohan is doing a lot of laughing and holding on to Jotaro’s arm, the one holding the umbrella over their heads. Jotaro looks… distracted. The sadistic part of Kakyoin’s brain laughs gleefully while the other tries to refrain from doing exactly that. Jotaro points over to the probably-agriculture building, Rohan nods, and they hurry over to the cover of the building that Kakyoin didn’t have time to risk trying to get into. Kakyoin watches as Rohan tries the handle, which doesn’t budge, and flicks some water at Jotaro, who flinches away with a small smile.

They try the other door, which also appears to be locked, and seem to engage in some sort of conversation about where to go, based on the way they both look around. Rohan’s gaze lands right on Kakyoin and their eyes lock. They stare at each other coldly for about three seconds, before Rohan turns, grinning cruelly, threads his fingers through Jotaro’s hair, and pulls him down for a kiss, like he's putting on a show. Kakyoin looks away in disgust, looking back only when he’s sure they’re done. Rohan is smirking at him, his hand still resting on the back of Jotaro’s head, the other moving across his chest almost possessively. It makes Kakyoin sick. Poor Jotaro himself isn’t even paying attention to Rohan, pointing further down the path and saying something.

Kakyoin watches as they duck under their umbrella together again and head off. Rohan throws him a middle finger behind Jotaro’s back right before they completely vanish out of sight.

Kakyoin feels cold. Dread, anxiety, and anguish settle heavily in the pit of his stomach, trickling slowly down his spine to pool all the way in the soles of his feet. Fuck Rohan.

Fuck. Rohan.

His anger at Rohan is only a little bit misplaced, but it’s better than wallowing in self pity. Kakyoin can feel the potential of tears sitting in the very back of his throat, his leg twitching with the buildup of cortisol and other stress hormones. His jaw is tense. He grabs his phone to try and find an upbeat song to listen to, and the screen goes black as the battery dies.

That’s the last straw.

Kakyoin buries his face in his hands as his face screws up and the lump in his throat grows to a size so big it hurts. For the first time in months , Kakyoin lets himself cry. He thinks about Jotaro, about how he looked with Rohan, about their little moments before, when Kakyoin would put his head on Jotaro’s shoulder, about how Jotaro would shift that much closer to him, and the tears overflow as he gasps for breath.

Dio was fucking right. How the fuck did he know so early on? Nobody cares about him. When it comes down to it, he’s unlovable. He thinks about the fucking unread text messages sitting in his phone, and wishes he never sent them. Jotaro clearly never gave two shits about him. Here Kakyoin was, getting attached over a couple fucking tattoos, because he’s so fucking lonely.

Kakyoin clutches at his chest and bundles the fabric of his sweater in a tight fist, not caring about how wrinkled it’s going to get from that, trying to make himself breathe normally and ending up gasping for air instead. He doesn’t deserve love. He doesn’t deserve it. Holy shit, is he hyperventilating? Is this what it’s like?

He clenches and unclenches the fist right over his heart, as if that’ll protect it. Nobody’s ever going to love him. He’s going to be alone for the rest of his life. How long can he rely and mooch off of Polnareff while he moves on with Avdol? 

Jotaro hates him. Jotaro hates him. Jotaro hates him.

Kakyoin squeezes his eyes shut as tightly as possible and hot tears spill down his cheeks as sob after sob wracks his body. How fucking angsty he must look, having a panic attack in the rain. He looks over at Apollo, stupid fucking Apollo, who looks too much like Jotaro, and a fresh wave of grief washes over him and he slips off the bench into a crouch on the floor, hugging himself into a tight ball as the tears on his face and from his eyes soak into the fabric of his jeans and his breathing is contained in a smaller space.

He’s so fucking pathetic.

Kakyoin has no way of measuring the time as he crouches on the floor of the gazebo, crying, breathing, feeling sorry for himself, and crying again.

Jotaro hates him. Jotaro hates him.

Nobody will ever love him.

Eventually, between two weaker sobs, he takes an involuntary large breath of air, his lungs forcibly restarting his breathing pattern, and he feels… not calm, exactly, but like a weight has been lifted.

He peeks out from between his knees, feeling the salt trails and snot drying on his face. The insane levels of bitter resentment he had for both Rohan and Jotaro is gone, leaving in its wake guilt at how he lashed out at them both today, and how snippy he’s been with Polnareff the entire last week. He’s been… kind of a jerk.

Yet another reason nobody likes you his brain chimes in, but Kakyoin only feels a dull stab in his chest at the thought.

He’s… exhausted, after crying that much. That was probably the most he’s ever cried. He doesn’t cry. He didn’t cry this hard with Dio, even. Maybe he should have, maybe he wouldn’t have cried this much now if he did.

He needs to apologize to Polnareff. He’s not going to apologize to Rohan, and Jotaro’s ignoring his messages, so he doesn’t really need an apology from Kakyoin for today’s behavior, either, but as soon as he gets back to his dorm, he needs to talk to Polnareff.

Polnareff, the only person who will ever love Kakyoin.

---

“ Mon amour, did you get caught in the rain? Why haven’t you been answering my messages?” Polnareff calls when Kakyoin finally makes it home, maybe an hour or so later.

“My phone died. I’m fine.” Kakyoin says, not even trying to hide how congested he sounds. He drops off his bag and his now dry artwork by the door.

Polnareff tsks. “You sound awful. Do you want some tea or...” he trails off when Kakyoin actually enters the room. He instantly sets his laptop aside and jumps off his bed, appearing in front of Kakyoin within a matter of seconds. “Were you crying? What happened? Are you…”

He’s cut off by Kakyoin wrapping his arms around Polnareff’s waist and burying his face in his chest. He instantly feels like crying again. “Polnareff, I’m sorry. You’re the only person who seems to like me, and I’ve been so awful to you.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand.” Polnareff immediately wraps his arms around Kakyoin and squeezes him tightly. “Who said they don't like you? I promise I am not the only one who likes you. You’re a wonderful individual. You weren’t thinking of Dio, were you?”

Kakyoin nods, feeling the lump in his throat swelling again, unable to speak.

Polnareff sighs. “ Mon dieu, what am I going to do with you? Get it into your head. Anyone would be lucky to know you. Are you forgetting that there are over two million people on the internet who adore you?”

Kakyoin bunches his eyebrows together. Polnareff is far, far too kind to him. He genuinely doesn’t know where he would be without him. He hugs his best friend a little tighter and swallows the lump in his throat.

“Polnareff, when are you going to go pick up Sherry?” Kakyoin asks.

“Not for another few hours. Why?”

Who needs Jotaro when he has Polnareff? Polnareff has never hurt him. Kakyoin takes a deep breath. “Can I talk to you?”

Chapter Text

For the past two weeks, everything in Jotaro’s life has felt… off.

It’s not only because he’s dating Rohan now. It’s the weird duality of having a boyfriend who he sees almost daily while still feeling more disconnected from the people close to him than he’s ever felt in his life. The nagging voice in the back of his head is getting louder and louder the more time passes, but he can’t hear what it’s saying. Maybe he chooses not to hear. Jotaro isn’t sure.

“I don’t know, mom, I just don’t know if bringing Rohan home for Thanksgiving is a good idea.” he says, switching the phone to his left hand to give the sauté he’s been working on a stir with his spatula.

“Darling, you keep saying that, but I want to meet your soulmate! It’s just a day or two, you boys can drive up here for a day or two, surely!” His mother’s voice rings out on the other side of the line. “Especially since someone decided not to come back home for the whole Thanksgiving break.”

“I’ve told you this, the semester ends two weeks after this break. I don’t want to have to move all my things back and forth in such a short period of time.” Jotaro gets out a small spoon to do a taste test. “I promise I’ll properly move back in once the semester is over.”

Jotaro can hear a tea kettle whistling on the other end. He’s pretty sure both he and his mom are currently cooking, which soothes the tiny part of him that gets homesick every time he hears his mom’s voice. “I know, dear, it’s just odd to have papa here without you.”

“The old man isn’t a broke college student who can’t afford to buy two sets of everything he owns.” Jotaro scoops up a pepper from the pan and bites off a piece. Could do with a little more soy sauce.

“I know, dear. Well, anyways, I don’t see what the problem is in bringing over that Rohan boy. This is your first proper relationship!” there’s a little bit of clanging from the other line. “Papa, tea is ready!”

Tell her it would be too big of a step this early on, the voice in his head suggests, anything else and she’s going to start asking questions you can’t answer. Jotaro grabs the soy sauce and dribbles a bit into his pan. “I just think it’s too early for us.”

There’s silence on the other end, so long that Jotaro checks if the line dropped. “Your mama can see right through you, Jojo.” Holly says calmly. “Tell me what’s actually going on.”

“You…” Of course his mom can call him out instantly. She knows him too well. Jotaro stares into his pan, thinking. “I don’t know.”

“Isn’t he your soulmate, darling?”

“I…”

I don’t want him to meet my family. Every time we kiss I feel empty inside. When I touch him it feels like I’m touching a mannequin. I’m scared that I entered a relationship with a stranger because it was easier to accept than someone I might actually have feelings for.

Holly sighs. “Jojo, talk about your feelings. It doesn’t have to be me, but it has to be someone. You’re in your head too much, Jojo, it’s easy to get lost in there. Not everyone can read you like I can. Communication is key in any relationship you want to work out. Okay?”

“Yeah.” Jotaro mumbles, clutching the phone tightly as he continues staring into his pan. “Okay. Thanks mom.”

“Of course, my love. Your mama always has your back.” Jotaro can hear the smile in her voice. “You’ve got two more days until Thanksgiving, you can let me know later. Just know I would be happy if you brought any of your friends! Since Avdol will be visiting that Polnareff boy this year, we’ll have an empty spot at our table, maybe you can invite your friend Kakyoin!”

Jotaro tightens his fist around the spatula in his hand. “I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?” Holly asks. “Papa, that kettle is still very hot.”

Jotaro shuffles around his stir fry nervously. His mom is not going to like this. “I think I upset him. He hasn’t talked to me for 16 days.”

There’s silence on the other side again. “Well have you talked to him? What do you mean you upset him?”

Jotaro turns off the stove and transfers the pan to the other burner. “I… don’t know.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know? You’ve been gushing about him for a whole year now, please tell me you’ve talked to him about whatever disagreement you two had.”

Jotaro stands in the middle of his kitchen awkwardly.

“Jojo.” Holly’s stern voice comes through. “This is what I’m talking about. You can’t do stuff like this. Not everyone knows you well enough for that. Whatever happened between you two, I want you to resolve it by Thanksgiving!” Her warning tone makes Jotaro feel he’s a child being scolded, which, in a way, he is. “Call him, meet up with him, do whatever you need to. If the poor boy hasn’t already given up on you.”

The thought makes Jotaro’s heart seize with terror.

There is a beeping in his ear, and Jotaro pulls his phone away to see Avdol’s name at the top of his screen.

“Mom, Avdol is calling me. I have to go.”

“At this hour?” Holly makes a tsk sound. “Well, alright. Remember what I said, darling, don’t wait too long to talk to your friend. And talk to Rohan. Communicate. ”

“Ok mom, yes.” Jotaro glances down to make sure he isn’t missing Avdol’s call. “I promise. I have to go.”

“Bye dear. Mama loves you. Don’t stay up too late!”

“Yep. Love you too. Good night.”

Jotaro hangs up with his mom and picks up Avdol’s call in the nick of time.

“Hello?” He opens the cabinet door to grab a plate.

“Hi Jotaro!” Polnareff’s voice sounds in his ear. “What are you doing? We’re five minutes away from your house.”

Jotaro looks at the clock above the stove. “Now? I’m eating dinner.”

“At 11:30 at night?” Polnareff asks indignantly.

“Exactly why I’m confused as to why you’re coming to my house right now.”

“To hang out? Put your shit in a thermos or something. We’re not waiting.” Polnareff says.

“This is why we should have told him ahead of time.” Avdol’s muffled voice comes from the background.

“ Chut, mon amour, that wouldn’t have worked.” Polnareff says, clearly holding the phone away from his mouth. “You’re going to meet my sister, by the way.”

“ Bonsoir!” a feminine voice says in the background.

“I wasn’t expecting guests right now, Polnareff.” Jotaro rolls his eyes. He sets his pan back down.

“ Non, non. We’re picking you up. If Rohan is there, tell him to leave, he's not invited. Be outside in five.” the line goes silent as Polnareff hangs up.

Jotaro stares at his dinner. He could refuse, if he wanted to. He was planning on eating his midnight dinner alone with Star, but it’s been a really long time since he hung out casually with anyone besides Rohan. Besides… maybe Kakyoin will be there. He grabs a tupperware container and spoons his stir-fry into it quickly. He grabs a plastic fork, his hat and coat, his wallet, his phone, and runs out the door.

Avdol’s car is already outside by the time Jotaro comes down. Polnareff waves at him from the passenger side window and gestures for him to get into the back. Jotaro opens the back door and gets in.

He sits down beside a young woman who looks so much like Polnareff with eyebrows and brown hair it’s almost frightening. He gives her an awkward nod as she smiles back.

“Hello Jotaro.” she says. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Sherry.”

“Yeah.” Jotaro nods. “It’s nice to meet you.” He turns to Avdol in the driver's seat. “Can I eat in your car, Avdol?” 

“If you’re careful.” Avdol responds. He looks over at Polnareff, who nods, before pulling away from the curb and driving off. Jotaro has the uneasy feeling like he just walked into a trap. He opens his container and spears a mushroom on his fork.

“That looks delicious.” Sherry comments. “Jean said you were a good cook.”

“I… thanks.” Jotaro responds, feeling a little awkward.

“It smells delicious, too.” Polnareff pipes up from the front seat. “Getting compliments on your cooking from two French people is impressive, you know.”

“Thanks.” Jotaro repeats, looking down at his food awkwardly. “Where are we going?” 

Polnareff turns around in his seat, glancing over at Sherry briefly. “To the park.” he takes a deep breath. “Jotaro, this is an intervention.”

Jotaro looks up at Polnareff, who stares right back at him, then tries to catch Avdol’s eye in the rearview mirror, who ignores him, and finally to Sherry, who shrugs and crosses her arms across her chest.

“What do you mean?” Jotaro tries to search Polnareff’s face for an explanation. “I’m not an alcoholic and I quit smoking two years ago.” 

Polnareff waves his hand. “No, no. This is about Kakyoin. Mainly, how you’ve been treating him.”

Jotaro freezes in the process of bringing his fork to his mouth. A familiar sort of anxiety starts to swirl up in his gut, tenfold what he normally feels. “What do you mean?”

Polnareff huffs. “Kakyoin is going to be at the park. He’s currently picking up the high schoolers. We intentionally didn’t tell him you were coming, Jotaro, because we knew that if we did, he would do everything in his power not to come. That’s how much you’ve hurt him, Jotaro.”

Jotaro tries to swallow the lump in his throat.

Kakyoin hates him. Kakyoin really hates him.

He hurt Kakyoin.

“I didn’t mean to.” he mumbles quietly.

“ You didn’t mean to?” Polnareff all but shrieks. “You didn’t mean to gaslight and ignore him?”

“Jean, please, don’t yell at our friend.” Avdol speaks up, not taking his eyes off the road.

Polnareff turns to Avdol in shock. “But he’s…”

“ Jean. ” Sherry says firmly. “ Tais-toi.”

“Il fait du mal à mon ami!” Polnareff spits back. “ Je ne peux pas juste lui pardonner pour ça!”

“Il a l'air inquiet.” Sherry snaps angrily. “Mais ce n’est pas aussi simple que cela puisse paraître." She turns to Jotaro, and for the brief moment that she doesn’t school her features into something more calm, Jotaro’s life flashes before his eyes. Sherry is terrifying . “Jotaro, why do you think Noriaki is upset?”

Jotaro sets his fork down. He can’t believe even Sherry knows more about how Kakyoin is doing right now than he does. The thought makes a weird feeling of jealousy bubble up inside him. He misses Kakyoin a lot. To start, he’s a coward. He chose to avoid Kakyoin rather than try to tell him information he didn’t think he’d like hearing. Secondly, his soulmate is Rohan. It probably says something about Jotaro himself that his soulmate is someone Kakyoin hates. The nagging voice in the back of his head shouts something, but it’s muffled. The feeling that he’s missing something returns. “I’m dating someone he hates and chose to avoid him instead of talking to him.”

Sherry nods. “Right. And you didn’t think that ignoring his texts specifically asking to talk would make him think you don’t want to talk to him?”

“I do want to talk to him.” Jotaro says quickly. “But he never texted me that.”

The car goes silent. Jotaro takes a bite of his food to do something in the tense and awkward atmosphere.

Avdol is the first to speak. “This sounds like yet another thing you two need to talk about.”

“Yes, I don’t know what the fuck you mean by that, but that’s a major factor at play here.” Polnareff nods. “Do you know how it looks, Jotaro, when you become close friends, maybe even more-”

“ Pas maintenant, Jean.” Sherry adds in sternly.

“ Très bien .” Polnareff huffs. “When you become close friends, then suddenly, you turn cold shoulder because you’re hanging out with someone else? It’s very… how do you people say it? Flakey, I think.”

Jotaro… hasn’t thought about it like that. He suddenly desperately wants to see Kakyoin to set things straight, if it’s not too late.

“Do you think he’ll forgive me?” Jotaro asks quietly.

“That remains to be seen.” Polnareff crosses his arms across his chest.

“I think he will.” Avdol says. Polnareff huffs dramatically. “He’s very upset and hurt at you right now, but you mean a lot to him. Just… talk to him, clear the air, it’ll be okay. I know you can do it.”

Jotaro feels a hand on his forearm and he looks up to Sherry smiling warmly at him. “I’ve known Noriaki for years now. He’s a very reserved guy. He keeps his friends close to him, and it hurts him when they pull away. Let him know that you’re not pulling away. You mean more to him than you know.”

“Exactly.” Avdol nods. “Remember that we all love you even if you’re a dumbass sometimes.” He grins at Jotaro through the rearview mirror. “Now eat your food. We’re almost there.”

---

“No, what the fuck” are the first words out Kakyoin’s mouth when the passengers of Avdol’s car make their way over to the small picnic area of the park across from the grocery store.

“Kakyoin, please calm down.” Polnareff tries to reason, but Kakyoin just glares daggers at him. Jotaro shifts awkwardly from side to side, unsure if he should continue moving forward or not, but a gentle nudge from Sherry encourages him forward.

“Why the fuck did you bring him? Josuke,” he whips around to where Josuke, Okuyasu, Koichi, and a girl Jotaro has never seen before are standing, “give me my keys, now. I’m leaving.”

Josuke shifts slightly backwards and shakes his head. “Polnareff said not to give you your keys back.”

“Polnareff!” Kakyoin turns to glare at Polnareff, who appears unphased. “Unbelievable!” he turns back to Josuke and takes a few steps forward to tower over him. “It’s against the law to hold my car ransom. I could have you arrested.”

“Jesus Christ, don’t threaten the children.” Avdol walks over quickly to place his hands on Kakyoin’s shoulders.

“Josuke, I’m sorry. I won’t send you to jail. Give me the keys.” Kakyoin demands.

“Kakyoin, calm down.” Polnareff repeats.

Kakyoin directs his glare at Polnareff again. “Seriously? You’re in on this?”

“Kakyoin.” Avdol tightens his grip on Kakyoin’s shoulder. “We’re all here. Nobody’s leaving because then half of us don’t have a ride. We’re all here, with all of our friends, let’s just enjoy it.”

Kakyoin stops struggling and looks back at Avdol. “You fuckers planned this.” Avdol shrugs. Kakyoin huffs. “I can’t believe you all.” Finally, he meets Jotaro’s eyes and Jotaro’s heart jumps and at the same time the voice gushes Kakyoin in his head. Kakyoin rolls his eyes. “Fine.”

Avdol looks over to Sherry and Polnareff. “Good. Okay.”

Jotaro still hasn’t taken his eyes off Kakyoin. It’s been too long since he’s properly been able to look, to observe. Even though he doesn’t want to see him, just being in Kakyoin’s presence makes Jotaro feel warm and happy. It… takes a while for him to feel like that around Rohan, actually. That's a little concerning.

He’s gonna analyze that later.

That was clue number three.

“Alright!” Polnareff claps his hands. “Now that we’re all on the same page, allow me to introduce everyone.” He points to Sherry. “This is my sister, Sherry. Teenagers, Sherry. Sherry, teenagers.” He turns to Josuke and his friends. “These are Josuke, Okuyasu, Koichi, and Yukako. I don't believe Jotaro and Yukako have met. Jotaro, Yukako, Yukako, Jotaro.”

Jotaro turns his gaze from Kakyoin to direct his attention to the girl holding Koichi’s hand. Where their skin touches, Jotaro can see a hint of light teal on their skin. It’s easy to put two and two together.

“It’s nice to finally meet Koichi’s friends!” Yukako smiles innocently, but from the way she tugs Koichi a little closer to her, Jotaro gets a weird feeling from her.

“It’s nice to meet you all too!” Sherry nods.

“Okay, gang!” Polnareff hops over to Avdol’s car and opens the trunk. He pulls out a pack of beer. “Who’s ready for a party?”

The group quickly makes the picnic area their own. They’re in a small clearing in the trees, with two picnic tables and a fire pit a few yards away to work with. Avdol announces himself as designated driver for the adults and manages to start a fire in the pit using his special lighter that he calls Magician's Red. Kakyoin assures everyone that he’s fine only drinking the drinks they bought for the high schoolers and sits down beside Avdol by the fire. Sherry grabs a beer and starts chatting up Koichi and Yukako at a picnic table (everyone pretends not to notice Yukako swap out her root beer with actual beer; she’s only a few years younger than Sherry, Jotaro, and Kakyoin, and really out of everyone only Avdol and Polnareff are of age), while Polnareff, Josuke, and Okuyasu start… a game of tag? Just running around? Either way, Polnareff is doing it with a bottle of beer in his hand, which might end poorly, but at least it won’t break if it falls on the grass.

Jotaro picks up a bottle of beer and awkwardly sits down at the picnic table with Sherry, Koichi, and Yukako. He’s only half listening to their conversation because his gaze keeps shifting over to Kakyoin and Avdol by the fire. He really wants to join them, but… Kakyoin will probably leave then. 

“Basically, I’m very lucky.” Yukako is saying. “Josuke, Okuyasu, Polnareff, and Avdol were scared of me at first I think, but nothing can keep me from my Koichi!” she leans over to peck Koichi’s cheek, and for about three seconds after she pulls away there is a light teal print of her lips on his face. It fades away quickly after that.

“I see.” Sherry lifts her eyebrows. “How do you feel, Koichi?”

Jotaro glances over at the fire pit again and catches Avdol’s eye. Avdol lifts his eyebrows, looks over at Kakyoin, and tilts his head slightly in his direction. Jotaro stares back pensively. Avdol tilts his head a little more aggressively before saying something to Kakyoin, standing up, and walking over to their picnic table. Kakyoin is left alone by the fire, staring into the flames.

“What are you guys talking about?” Avdol asks, sitting down beside Jotaro. He deliberately nudges Jotaro’s knee with his own under the table.

“I’m just getting to know Koichi and Yukako!” Sherry beams. “Polnareff always makes the coolest friends. Don’t tell him I said that.”

Avdol chuckles. “Of course.” He nudges Jotaro under the table again, harder this time.

Jotaro grits his teeth and stands up abruptly from the table. Sherry, Koichi, and Yukako look at him strangely.

“Gonna.” Jotaro gestures vagule away. “Go.”

Avdol gives him a smile.

Kakyoin is still sitting on one of the low wooden benches by the fire. He’s picked up a stick and is poking at the flames with it absentmindedly.

Communication is key in any relationship you want to work out  his mom's voice says in his head.

Ok, he tells himself as his heart rate steadily begins to increase, you can do this. This is only the most terrifying thing you’ve ever had to do.

His grip on his bottle is tight as he gets closer and closer to Kakyoin. Does he have time to take another sip for courage before-

Kakyoin looks up before Jotaro can make a decision on that front and instantly wrinkles his nose in disdain. “What.”

Jotaro stares at him for a second too long, trying to make anything leave his mouth. All that’s going on in his brain is his internal voice chanting Kakyoin over and over again.

“Stop looking at me.” Kakyoin demands. He turns back and continues poking the fire with his stick. “I’m not a zoo animal. You can go talk to Avdol or whatever.”

“Wait.” Jotaro tries not to plead. He carefully sits down next to Kakyoin, who rolls his eyes but doesn’t move away, something that reassures Jotaro and gives him a little bit of courage to move forward. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you.”

“Well what else am I supposed to think?” Kakyoin throws his hands up in frustration. “And stop apologizing. What the hell are you apologizing for?”

“Sorry.” Jotaro flinches, but for a moment it looks like Kakyoin is about to smile. The moment is gone before he can blink, replaced with a scowl. Jotaro shifts his body a little closer to Kakyoin, who still doesn’t move away. Jotaro gathers the courage he gains from this and reaches out to touch Kakyoin’s hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kakyoin snaps, moving away like he was burnt and dropping the stick he was poking the fire with.

“I’m.” Jotaro swallows, withdrawing his hand. Wow, the stars are really bright tonight. “I’m sorry for making you upset. I thought that you would judge me since my soulmate is Rohan, but I shouldn’t have shied away. I was- am- scared of you thinking less of me. Because I know how much you hate Rohan.”

Kakyoin looks at him, eyebrows drawn together apprehensively. They're silent for a moment save for the crackle of the fire and drawl of distant conversation between their friends. Then Kakyoin sighs and turns back to watching the flames dance across the logs. “Why did you ignore my messages asking to talk then? You’ve been radio silent, Jotaro, ever since you started dating… him.”

Jotaro frowns and pulls out his phone. Avdol and Polnareff said something similar, too. Did Kakyoin text him today? No, there aren’t any new messages from Kakyoin today. He pulls up his contact anyway, where the last message is from that Sunday two weeks ago, confirming that they would meet in the dining hall. “I didn’t ignore your messages. I definitely would have responded if you texted me. I didn’t text you first because I was afraid of annoying you, it sounded like you wanted space from me and…”

“No, shut up.” Kakyoin is staring at the screen of Jotaro’s phone. Jotaro stops talking instantly. “You really didn’t get any messages from me? I texted you three separate times after this.” He looks down at his lap. “And then one more time after that.”

One of the logs in the fire pit pops. The gears start turning in Jotaro’s head. “Really?”

Kakyoin nods, refusing to meet Jotaro’s eye, choosing to stare at his phone screen instead.

Jotaro taps on Kakyoin’s contact and scrolls to the bottom. There- the bottommost option.

Unblock this caller

... what? There’s no way he would’ve ever blocked Kakyoin. Jotaro stares at his screen, not processing what he’s seeing.

“You better not have fucking blocked me and forgotten about it.” Kakyoin says. “Or worse, gaslit me just now that you didn’t know.”

“I would never block you.” Jotaro is quick to affirm, quickly pressing the button to unblock Kakyoin.

“Then…” Kakyoin cuts himself off. “Rohan.”

Rohan blocked Kakyoin from his phone? Why would he do that? Many reasons pop instantly into his head, including a couple that the nagging voice in the back of his head screams at him in a muffled voice. Jotaro turns off his phone. He can feel the anger at Rohan rising to the surface the more he thinks about the situation. Jotaro certainly didn’t block Kakyoin, and Rohan was the only one in the past two and a half weeks to even be near him enough to get to his phone. If Rohan blocked Kakyoin…

“It was his fault.” Kakyoin and Jotaro speak at the same time. They look at each other and suddenly the air between them is twenty times clearer.

“I’m going to talk to him.” Jotaro says firmly. This is not okay.

“Please do. You know this isn’t normal boyfriend behavior, right? He shouldn’t have an excuse for going through your phone and blocking people without your permission.” Kakyoin is finally looking at him without any malice directed his way and it’s making him feel like a huge weight is lifting off his shoulders. “Seriously, talk to him because…”

Jotaro sets his drink down and wraps his arms around Kakyoin, hugging him tightly. Kakyoin goes rigid for a second (in which Jotaro’s anxiety rockets up to extreme levels) before tentatively wrapping his arms around Jotaro in return.

This is what Jotaro wanted to do for a long time. If he's being honest with himself, since before he even met Kakyoin in real life. Holding Kakyoin like this, against his chest, where his heart hammers away, feels good. The light from the campfire dances playfully across their silhouette, and Jotaro tightens his hold, ducking his head down, afraid of letting go. Kakyoin’s hair smells really nice, too, not that Jotaro is specifically smelling his hair or anything, but he’s here , and he smells like cherries, and Jotaro feels warmth everywhere he is touching Kakyoin, which is a lot. The place where he’s pressed against Jotaro’s lower chest is practically burning.

“I’m really sorry that I didn’t notice sooner.” he speaks into Kakyoin’s hair. “I still should’ve reached out to you. I’m a coward.”

“Don’t say that.” Kakyoin pulls away and Jotaro feels so cold without him. “I do wish you would’ve made an effort yourself to talk to me more, but I’m glad to know it’s not because you’re tired of me.”

“Never.” Jotaro is quick to try and assure him. “Rohan knows you’re my best friend.”

Kakyoin looks at him. “I’m your best friend?”

“Yeah.” Jotaro plays with the brim of his hat. “Knowing you were mad at me was really hard.”

This time, it’s Kakyoin who wraps his arms around Jotaro. He buries his face in Jotaro’s chest and there’s no way he can’t feel how fast Jotaro’s heart is hammering right now as he hugs Kakyoin back. He just might explode from the radiance he feels burning him up inside out at being able to touch Kakyoin like this.

“I’m glad you weren’t just ignoring me.” Kakyoin says as he pulls back. “That was really hard, too.”

“Never.” Jotaro picks his bottle back up and takes a drink to try and calm his racing heart. How come Kakyoin can make him feel more emotions in one hour than Rohan can in a day? The warmth Kakyoin left behind seems to concentrate in three points of Jotaro’s lower chest even though he’s long since pulled away.

That was clue number four .

“What did you text me about?” Jotaro asks. “I want to know.”

“Oh!” Kakyoin looks a little taken aback. “Sure. Although in context now it’s a little silly.”

“I still want to know.”

Kakyoin pulls out his phone apprehensively and pulls up his messages. He starts reading out loud. “Jotaro, I’m sorry that I was so hostile yesterday. I guess I was just confused. I really want to know what you’re thinking, but it’s not fair for me to expect you to tell me stuff if you don’t want to. Do you want to actually talk without me being a huge bitch?”

“You weren’t a huge bitch.” Jotaro quickly says.

Kakyoin snorts. He picks off a tiny splinter from the bench they’re sitting on and tosses it into the fire. “I kinda was. Though that would’ve been helpful to hear about two weeks ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Jotaro says. He really feels so guilty for whatever Kakyoin must have gone through, what he thought.

Kakyoin actually laughs, and Jotaro can’t help but smile as he watches the joy on his best friend’s face. “Stop apologizing! You sound like a broken record!” Kakyoin gives him the most radiant smile Jotaro swears he’s seen in his life.

Jotaro feels his face heat up and he tugs his hat down in an attempt to cover it.

“You’re adorable.” Kakyoin says softly.

Oh.

Jotaro peeks out to try and catch Kakyoin’s eye, but he’s staring pointedly at the fire. The gentle flickering highlights the blush on his cheeks. He has the edge of his coat in his hands as he plays with the zipper. “Sorry. You have a boyfriend to tell you things like that.”

Jotaro swallows. Rohan never tells him he's adorable. Gorgeous, sure, and pretty, but not adorable. He desperately wants Kakyoin to say it again but doesn't know what to say to make him repeat it. He ends up just staring at Kakyoin, looking at how soft his hair looks, how nice the shape of his face it, how wonderful his eyes look illuminated by the dim light. The backdrop of the stars and the fire creating a warm glow around Kakyoin is… beautiful. But Kakyoin’s right. He shouldn’t think about things like that when he has a boyfriend.

Kakyoin gives him a sideways smile and breaks Jotaro out of his daydream. “So what’s your deal with Rohan anyway? Would you tell me now?”

Chapter Text

“So what’s your deal with Rohan anyway? Would you tell me now?”

Jotaro raises his eyebrows slightly at the question. Kakyoin stares back. He’s not gonna take his question back. He’s wanted to know for weeks now, why Rohan? Even though he’s incredibly glad that Jotaro doesn’t hate him, his declaration about Rohan came incredibly out of nowhere to begin with, and now Kakyoin is hyper aware how badly he wants to kiss Jotaro, but can’t, for more reasons than one. Even though he’s a bitch, Jotaro has a boyfriend.

“He’s fine.” Jotaro shrugs. He grabs his hat and angles it lower over his face.

“No offense, but he’s clearly not. He went behind your back to micromanage your contacts.” Kakyoin tries not to add too much bite to his words, as bitter as he is. Rohan is the reason his entire life is so screwed up.

Jotaro frowns.

What if Rohan deluded Jotaro in thinking he was his soulmate, too?

“Are you sure he’s your soulmate?” Kakyoin asks.

Jotaro’s frown deepens. “What are you talking about?” 

No, it isn’t his place to critique Jotaro’s feelings. He can only control his own.

“He’s my soulmate.” Jotaro says. The crease between his eyebrows deepens. “I think.”

“Why do you think? Shouldn’t you just know? ” Kakyoin asks. He’s toeing the edge of very dangerous territory, but he can’t help himself.

Jotaro looks away, lost in thought. Kakyoin is worried he pushed too far but then Jotaro turns to him again contemplatively.

“I got my soulmark last year.” Jotaro says. He turns and looks into the fire. “In November. I didn’t know who it was. I kind of had to guess who it was.”

Kakyoin can feel his heart dropping into his stomach. He’s kind of been foolishly holding onto hope that there’s been a misunderstanding, but if Jotaro got his soulmark last November… maybe it isn’t him after all. Kakyoin got his the same day he met Jotaro, but if Jotaro already had his a long time before that…

“Right.” Kakyoin says. “So… why Rohan then?”

Jotaro shrugs. “It fit and I’m scared.”

Kakyoin frowns. “What do you…”

Jotaro sighs, cutting him off. “Soulmates… are kind of cursed in my family.” He glances quickly at Kakyoin, who nods to encourage him to keep going. Jotaro looks back at the fire. “I don’t like thinking about it because I don’t want to think about how I might hurt them.”

“Jotaro.” against better judgement, Kakyoin scoots closer to him, so their thighs touch, and puts his hand on his forearm. “You’re one of the kindest people I know. How could you possibly hurt anyone?” He hurt you, his brain supplies, “On purpose, I mean?”

Jotaro looks at him. “You think I could hurt someone unintentionally?” he ducks his head down. “That’s what I’m scared of. That’s why it’s better to just stay away from anyone I care about. Rohan matched so I talked to him and he was on board. I’m…” he stares down at his hands. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

He looks up to meet Kakyoin’s eyes very suddenly, and Kakyoin is rendered speechless. They are sitting much closer than Kakyoin intended when he first scooted over, so now the space between them is very small. Jotaro’s eyes dart downwards to Kakyoin’s lips for a moment and Kakyoin stops breathing. He’s still holding Jotaro’s arm, and he tries to pull his hand away but Jotaro reaches out to catch it, holding it in place. Jotaro visibly swallows and strokes his thumb against the back of Kakyoin’s hand.

“Kakyoin…” Jotaro says, his voice a low rumble. The sound sends electricity all the way down Kakyoin’s spine. “What’s your soulmark?”

Oh, fuck.  

Kakyoin’s tongue darts out to wet his lips and Jotaro’s eyes snap down to follow the action. His mouth feels dry. He blinks. “I…”

“Kakyoin! Jotaro!” Okuyasu calls them. Both of them jump. Kakyoin snaps to attention immediately, and Jotaro quickly lets go of Kakyoin’s hand in favor of tugging down his cap. Kakyoin looks over to where Okuyasu is waving them over from the picnic tables, where Polnareff is frantically making abort hand signals at him. Okuyasu gestures over excitedly. “Come here! We’re playing a game!” Avdol smiles apologetically at them behind Okuyasu’s back.

“We should probably…” Jotaro stands up, and almost loses his balance on the way. He grabs Kakyoin’s shoulder to catch himself. “Sorry.” he looks at his mostly empty beer. “I promise I’m not drunk, just…”

Oh. He’s tipsy. He’s… right, okay. Even with the new revelation, Kakyoin can’t will his heart rate go back down, no matter how he tries. Jotaro isn’t exactly in the right mindset right now. Kakyoin could’ve done something really bad if that situation continued. “Right. Let’s go see what they’re up to.”

Turns out the “game” is Never Have I Ever. Kakyoin grabs a Capri Sun and sits down beside Jotaro, against his better judgement. Jotaro instantly shifts closer to him, and continues doing so throughout the game. Kakyoin can’t help but notice it correlating to the progression of how drunk Jotaro gets. By the end of the game, Polnareff, Sherry, and Jotaro are pretty far gone, and all of the high schoolers except Koichi have at least sampled some alcohol, making them a little tipsy too.

Kakyoin learns that Jotaro has never officially dated anyone before Rohan, but that he has had one night stands, that he has stolen before, that he has tried weed, that he’s never broken a bone but that he’s chipped a tooth before, that he’s broken someone else’s bone before (Jotaro smiled at him sheepishly then), that he was born in Japan, that he has never sent nudes, that he knows how to play guitar and a little bit of saxophone, that he’s been to jail overnight a couple times, and that he’s dressed up in drag once for a school play (“you have to show us now” Polnareff had slurred). The game is overall very informative for everyone in the group, but Kakyoin is more concerned about Jotaro’s hand occasionally coming down to brush against his thigh when he leans in to talk to him, or the look Polnareff keeps giving them when he thinks Jotaro isn’t looking.

They finally decide to go home around two in the morning. Kakyoin is ready to leave. He isn’t sure what the hell is going on with Jotaro, but it feels wrong to do. A problem arises, however, the second Kakyoin and Avdol try to usher seven drunk and/or tired individuals to the cars in the form of Sherry grabbing onto Yukako.

“ Please can Yukako come home with us, Jean?” Sherry pleads. She’s got her arm slung around Yukako’s shoulders, Yukako in turn wrapping her arm around Sherry’s waist. “We can have a sleepover! She’s my new best friend!”

Polnareff looks at Avdol and Kakyoin. He leans against Avdol’s side. “ Please can Yukako come home with us, Momo?”

Avdol smiles affectionately at his mess of a boyfriend. “It’s your house, habibi. We have space in the car. We still have to drop Jotaro off, though.”

Kakyoin feels two large arms come to wrap around his waist and he nearly jumps out of his skin. Polnareff gives him a look and a drunken smile. Kakyoin grits his teeth as Jotaro speaks right next to his ear. “You don’t have to worry about me. Kakyoin can take me home, right?”

Josuke and Okuyasu look at each other. “ Ooooohhhhhh” they both drawl in unison.

“Shut up!” Kakyoin snaps in their direction. He quickly unwraps Jotaro’s arms from around himself and tries not to look at the pout Jotaro gives him at the action. “Jotaro has a boyfriend.”

Josuke stares at Jotaro. “You’re still with Rohan?” he asks incredulously.

Jotaro shrugs and tucks his hands in his pockets. “Yeah.”

“He’s so mean, though!” Okuyasu tilts his head in confusion.

“He’s not that mean.” Jotaro shakes his head.

“Yes he is.” Josuke and Okuyasu say in unison.

Kakyoin clenches his fist. “Okay. I don’t care who I’m taking, but I’m getting in my car. You all - figure it out.” He turns and marches over to his car and tries not to slam the door shut behind him too hard. He leans his forehead against the steering wheel. Somehow, talking to Jotaro again is worse than not talking before. Jotaro is making it really hard to not act a little more than friendly like he desperately wants to. He… forgot how much he liked Jotaro.

He jumps when the passenger side door opens and Jotaro slides in. Kakyoin sits back up quickly and checks in the rearview mirror to watch Yukako get into Avdol’s car. Excellent.

“Kakyoin. Are you mad at me? Josuke’s mad at me because I didn’t break up with Rohan.” Jotaro slurs. He’s slumped down a bit in the passenger seat, looking out the window like a petulant child. It’s really adorable, honestly.

Kakyoin sighs. “No, I’m not mad at you. Put your seatbelt on.”

Jotaro obediently reaches over to tug on the seatbelt. His hat slides down his forehead comically, blocking his vision.

An idea formulates in Kakyoin’s brain and he acts on it immediately. He reaches over, snatches the hat right off Jotaro’s head, and puts it on. He grins triumphantly.

“Hey!” Jotaro makes a delayed grab at his hat and furrows his eyebrows when he misses. He’s so open like this. His curly hair springs up and falls out onto his forehead. He grunts. “You’re mean.”

“And you’re adorable.” Kakyoin blurts out before he can process what he’s saying.

Jotaro smiles openly. “You said it again.”

Fuck , fuck fuck. Fuck. Where the fuck are the high schoolers? Why the fuck did he open his mouth? Kakyoin turns back forward in a panic and looks in the rearview mirror desperately.

“You look nice in my hat.” Jotaro says. A quick glance to the side confirms that Jotaro has a deep blush on his whole face, but whether or not that’s from the alcohol is a mystery. 

Kakyoin snatches the cap off his head and extends it out to Jotaro to take. “Take it back.” Jotaro doesn’t make any move to take his hat, so Kakyoin drops it into his lap.

Jotaro frowns. “I wanted to see you in it.”

Drunk Jotaro sure is twenty times chattier than normal Jotaro. He would literally love nothing more than to indulge in whatever silly drunk shenanigans Jotaro wants to partake in with him, but it’s a very dangerous road, seeing as he’s the sober one between the two of them. He is not about to be an asshole and flirt with another man’s boyfriend, even if that other man is Rohan.

Jotaro reaches out and touches Kakyoin’s thigh gently. “Hey…”

Anything else Jotaro would’ve said is interrupted by the back door opening and the three boys piling in after each other. Kakyoin quickly brushes Jotaro’s hand away from him and turns the key in the ignition.

“There you guys are!” Kakyoin turns to smile at them. “Back to Okuaysu’s, right? Since you all are sleeping over there?”

“Yeah!” Josuke grins and throws an arm around Okuyasu’s shoulders.

“Yukako decided to go with Sherry.” Koichi adds in. “In case you couldn’t tell. So you don’t need to wait for her.”

“Got it.” Kakyoin slowly starts to pull out of the parking lot, avoiding looking over at Jotaro at all costs. He needs to stop talking to him while he’s still drunk.

This turns out to be rather difficult once the boys exit his car in front of Okuyasu’s house, leaving him and Jotaro by themselves. He waves goodbye to them as Josuke and Okuyasu help lift Koichi over the fence and then hop over themselves.

The silence in the car is heavy.

“I used to have sleepovers with Josuke when we were younger.” Jotaro slurs as he watches the boys. He’s slumped against the window, his hat still laying in his lap from where Kakyoin last dropped it.

“Really?” Kakyoin asks as he pulls away from the curb and starts the trip back to campus where both of them live.

Jotaro nods. “When he was about eight and I was twelve. The old man would come visit my mom and I and bring Josuke. That’s pretty much when everyone stopped feeling awkward about him cheating on my grandma.”

“Oh.” Kakyoin isn’t really sure what to say to that. This is kind of personal, but Jotaro looks perfectly calm. “You guys must be really close, then.”

Jotaro nods. “He’s cool.” He wrinkles his nose. “Really immature, though. Can’t believe we’re related.”

“I can.” Kakyoin says. “You guys are more alike than you think.”

Jotaro groans. “Please don’t say that.”

Kakyoin smiles. “So when did you guys stop having sleepovers? That’s pretty sweet of you guys.”

“Around when I got to high school, I think.” Jotaro says after a moment of thought. “When you’re a kid you can just play games and watch tv and stuff, but I don’t even know what we would do if we had a sleepover now.” He furrows his eyebrows. “I guess we would watch Stardust-”

Jotaro cuts himself off, but not before letting a little too much information slip. His eyes go wide. Kakyoin feels his pulse jump. He grins.

“Watch what, Jotaro?”

Jotaro shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“You were definitely about to say something . What is it, Jotaro? Are you embarrassed to admit that you were just as big of a fangirl of StardustCrusaders as Josuke and Okuyasu were?”

“No.” Jotaro says as firmly as his inebriation allows him.

“I’m surprised you held out that long without telling us, Jotaro. You were really good at hiding it.” Kakyoin teases.

“Stop talking.” Jotaro grumbles. “You don’t bully any of your other fans like this.”

Kakyoin smiles. “Why didn’t you say anything though? I would’ve exploded if I were you, I think.”

Kakyoin can see Jotaro glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. “I… didn’t know what to say. And I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

That’s honestly incredibly sweet. Kakyoin can easily imagine Jotaro, who definitely keeps most of his emotions to himself, feeling super awkward. “That’s very sweet. You still could’ve told us though.”

Jotaro looks away to stare out the window. “Good grief.” He pauses for a moment. “Josuke was going crazy, though. He sent me your link in the first place. When you went scuba diving.” He leans his head against the window. “He thought I would like it.”

“He knows you well.” Kakyoin agrees. If he were to recommend any of their videos to Jotaro, their scuba diving series would be a good first choice. “It’s cool that you have someone like that, though, who’s known you for years.” He smiles wistfully at the road. “I used to wish I had a sibling or something when I was little. Before Pol I kind of struggled to make friends, so I would’ve appreciated something like that a lot. ”

Jotaro is silent for a bit and Kakyoin assumes he’s finished talking or fallen asleep. “I’m sorry.” he says after a moment.

“Hm? Oh, it’s fine.” Kakyoin laughs lightly. “I’m fine. Well. I guess I just didn’t really like most of the kids in my class. It’s not like anyone actively bullied me or anything.” he smirks and glances at Jotaro briefly. “I guess you can say I’m not like the other girls.”

Jotaro snorts softly. “You’re funny.” he reaches out a hand and starts playing with the glove compartment. “I also didn’t really like most of the people in my class.”

It’s Kakyoin’s turn to snort. “Really? Mr. Bad Boy Delinquent didn’t get along with the people in his class? Shocking.”

“Shut up.” Jotaro mumbles, smiling. “I didn’t just pick fights for fun. Usually people did shit to piss me off.”

“Okay, edgelord.” Kakyoin rolls his eyes. “We either would’ve gotten along super well or I would’ve hated you in high school.”

“I think I would’ve liked you.” Jotaro says quietly. “I can’t imagine myself not liking you.”

Kakyoin swallows. “Yeah.” he says after a while. “Me too.”

They drive in comfrotable silence for a bit after that. Luckily, Okuyasu doesn’t live too far away from campus so they make it to Jotaro’s apartment a little bit before 2:30.

“Alright.” Kakyoin puts the car in park. “We’re here. Will you be able to get up to your apartment okay? You’re pretty out of it.” he smiles teasingly.

Jotaro doesn’t smile or look at him. He doesn’t even make a move to get out of the car. Why isn’t he getting out of the car? Kakyoin stares at him expectantly. He can’t see very well with the only light coming from his dashboard and a single street light outside, but he can clearly see the contemplation on Jotaro’s face. Kakyoin distantly wonders if there’s always this much emotion hidden under Jotaro’s hat.

“Are you uncomfortable around me?” Jotaro asks. 

It takes a moment for Kakyoin to understand what he asked through his insanely slurred speech. He frowns. “What do you mean?”

Jotaro turns to look at him. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

Kakyoin blinks as the anxiety swirls in his gut. “No… you don’t.” they sit in silence for a moment. Kakyoin runs his nail down the side of the steering wheel. “It’s not you. I just want to do the right thing.”

Jotaro nods. They fall into silence again. Why isn’t Jotaro leaving the car? The feeling like Jotaro is debating whether or not to say something else is making Kakyoin increasingly anxious.

“I…” Jotaro begins. He pauses to look at Kakyoin. He looks so conflicted, a mix of remorse, longing, regret, and confusion written very plainly on his face. “I think… you mean more to me than Rohan does.”

Kakyoin’s breath is taken away. He feels weak, his heart beating very hard and very fast in his chest. Jotaro’s drunk. He shouldn’t be here with him right now. He doesn’t know what the hell he’s saying.

“You’re drunk.” Kakyoin says, his nails digging into the steering wheel.

“Not really.” Jotaro says, looking down at his lap. “I’ve mostly come down. If anything, I’m tired.” he looks at Kakyoin again, face impassive. “I’m sorry if that made you feel weird.”

Kakyoin doesn’t know what the right thing to do is here. What would he want him to do if he were in Rohan’s spot? Part of him is screaming to stop thinking about Rohan but he can’t just ignore that if he says so, Rohan is probably Jotaro’s soulmate. Jotaro’s soulmark didn’t show up on the same day as his. It would be super unwise to get involved when he doesn’t have as big of an emotional stake in the matter.

He must take too long to actually do anything because Jotaro grabs the door handle and pushes it open. “Well… thanks for the ride. I just wanted to tell you. Sorry.”

Kakyoin watches him put his hat on his head and leave the car. The longing he feels to keep him in his car forever increases tenfold. He can’t do anything. He shouldn’t do anything. It would be incredibly immature of him to get involved in a conversation that Jotaro and Rohan need to have. Kakyoin is… nothing. He’s nothing.

Kakyoin switches the car into drive and goes back to his dorm.

He doesn’t bother turning on the lights when he gets there; Polnareff isn’t around to be considerate of. He throws his keys and wallet onto Polnareff’s desk and flops onto his bed to browse the internet. He needs to stew in the feeling of being told he means more to Jotaro than Rohan does. Rohan can go suck on that. Here, in the privacy of his room, Kakyoin doesn’t feel bad about daydreaming about Jotaro. He entertains the idea of Jotaro confronting Rohan about blocking him from his phone and breaking up with him for a little bit before he lets the other shoe drop and reasons that there’s no reason for Jotaro to do that since Kakyoin doesn’t actually appear to be his soulmate after all. 

Kakyoin frowns and switches to another social media app. Polnareff isn’t around to tell him off about his bad sleeping habits, so he lounges around on his bed for about an hour in total darkness, save for the light from his phone that he holds way too close to his face. It’s a miracle he’s not blind yet.

He finally decides to go brush his teeth or something when his eyelids begin to feel heavy. He turns off his phone, submerging him in total darkness, and feels his way over to the bathroom after grabbing his T-Shirt and pajama pants from the foot of his bed.

It’s so quiet at 3:47 am. This is why Kakyoin likes staying up late by himself. There are literally no expectations from him. There’s the sounds of distant city life outside, and someone on another floor drops something with a muted thump, but besides that the night is still. If he chooses to throw his discarded shirt in a random direction like a slob, no consequences will come of it now.

Shit, where the hell did he set down his pajamas though? Kakyoin feels blindly around on the counter in the utter darkness of the bathroom, but comes up empty-handed. He sighs, shifting over to feeling around on the wall for the light switch. He closes his eyes tightly as he flicks on the light, cringing hard at the harsh artificial light in here. He slowly cracks open his eyes to look around at his reflection.

He jumps so hard he slips on the bathroom mat and cracks his head against the wall behind him with a smack.

He groans through clenched teeth as he scrambles to regain his balance, the light still harsh on his eyes and pain throbbing on the back of his skull as adrenaline and cortisol shoot down to his core.

“What the fuck!” he announces loudly because he can. He gingerly rubs his fingers over the back of his head as he cracks his eyes open further.

There’s a fourth fucking tattoo directly above the fish. There’s a fourth tattoo on his chest. He rubs his eyes to get them used to the light already so he can examine it closer. Fucking tattoo gave him a head injury.

Immediately Kakyoin notices a pattern that he gets a little bit excited about. The fish and the video game controller are both symmetrically a little bit lower than the star, which rests right in the middle of his ribs. This new tattoo (which appears to be a plant of some sort?) is spaced a little higher than the star, making a new formation that is one tattoo away from looking like the arrangement of dots for the number five on a dice. He presses a finger over the empty space across from the new tattoo and above the video game controller.

So what the fuck is the new tattoo? Kakyoin turns his head to try and understand. It’s… a bunch of leaves. How underwhelming. Kakyoin looks down to trace around some little red sprouts amongst the foliage. He’s going to have to get a book on plant life later to try and understand what’s going on here, because he sure as hell has no clue right now.

So. A new tattoo. Coincidentally on the same day that he talks to Jotaro again. He tries not to think about what that means, but hope blossoms in his chest again for what feels like the first time in months .

No, it’s not possible. Jotaro’s mark showed up way before they met. This is just a coincidence… right?

He needs Polnareff right now. He's the only person who actually knows everything about the situation. He goes to grab his phone off his bed and sends Polnareff a quick text.

Me: Hey do you want to hang out tomorrow? Just us. I just got another tattoo.

Polnareff won’t answer tonight. It’s far too late. Kakyoin is aware of this. Tomorrow, though, hopefully Polnareff will be able to pull away from his family for a bit to talk to him.

Meanwhile, he kind of wants to draw the new tattoo. He has a page in his sketchbook dedicated to drawing his marks. It’s… cheesy, but it’s grounding, somehow. Kakyoin picks up his discarded shirt from the bathroom floor and puts it back on. He’s going to have to go run down to his car for a moment to get his sketchbook. He grabs his keys, coat, and keycard, and runs out the door quickly.

There’s nothing quite like being out in the parking lot at nearly 4 in the morning. Kakyoin tucks his hands into his pockets. It’s so damn cold he can see his breath coming out of his mouth in puffs of steam. There’s considerably fewer cars here than there normally are, what with it being Thanksgiving break and all, so Kakyoin’s car isn’t actually parked too far from the dorm. Should be just a quick trip in and out and then-

“Noriaki-kun.” A voice cuts crisply through the night air.

Dread pools in Kakyoin’s gut before he can even process whose voice it is. He turns around quickly.

None other than Dio Brando stands a mere few feet away, leaning casually against an incredibly flashy sports car. He’s wearing very little for this time of year, but that comes as no surprise. Irritation and resentment spike up in Kakyoin at the sight of his face.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, curling his fingers around his sketchbook defensively.

Dio pushes off of the car and sashays over menacingly. Kakyoin takes a step back but Dio just takes another step forward to counter it. “I’m visiting a friend. He lives in the same dorm as you, isn’t that cute? Maybe you know him. Are you familiar with an Enrico Pucci?”

“No.” Kakyoin doesn’t really want to be participating in the conversation, but he has a feeling Dio won’t let him go that easily. He curls his upper lip in disdain. “Does Enrico know about you? Does he know you’re a liar, cheater, manipulator, and scumbag?”

Dio tsks . “Oh come now, those are rather strong words. Especially coming from someone so completely insignificant as you.”

“You don’t scare me.” Kakyoin will stand his ground. He refuses to break eye contact.

“If I was trying to scare you, you wouldn’t still be talking to me.” Dio responds calmly. “I’m merely stating facts. You were decent company at best-”

SMACK

Kakyoin swiftly swings his hand up and brings it straight across Dio's face. Dio recoils slightly, clutching his cheek. Kakyoin glares at him. "Shut the fuck up. I'm over this. I'm going back inside, if you don't mind."

Kakyoin is about to move past Dio towards the building, but Dio grabs his wrist, and before Kakyoin can even react, searing pain erupts in Kakyoin's cheekbone and eye as Dio punches him.

"I do mind, actually. Bitch." Dio snarls. He lets go of Kakyoin's wrist to grab him by the shoulder instead. "Don't you ever," his other fist sinks right into Kakyoin's stomach as he punches him again, "touch me again."

Kakyoin collapses to the ground like a sack of potatoes, clutching at his stomach. He can't breathe. He sits on the pavement, gasping helplessly for air like a fish, while Dio towers over him. His sketchbook lies facedown a few feet away, forgotten. Panic starts to set in as Kakyoin can't even manage to take one full breath of air. He closes his mouth and forces himself to inhale through his nose, making an awful wheezing noise as he does so, trying to make his fucking diaphragm work again.

"That's what I thought." Kakyoin registers Dio saying. "Pathetic."

Kakyoin is aware of Dio walking away, but his main concern at the moment is the pain throbbing in his left eye and the fact that he still can't seem to take a full lungful of air. He has no idea how long he sits there, trying to calm down enough to assess the situation. He's not even sure how he eventually gets back to his room. All he knows is that the second he sees his bed he practically collapses. He has time to send one more text to Polnareff before his exhaustion catches up to him and he crashes.

Me: Dio fucking punched me

Chapter Text

Jotaro wakes up to a familiar weight wrapped around him.

He glances down to find Rohan asleep in bed next to him in sweatpants and a tank top. A quick look at his phone confirms that it’s nearly noon - the consequences of staying out with his friends until almost 3 am.

Shit, he promised Rohan he would hang out with him today. That’s... fine. This is what boyfriends did. Rohan doesn’t seem too upset that Jotaro was asleep whenever he got here. It’s good that he’s here. He wanted to talk to him anyways. Jotaro’s gonna look on the bright side. He carefully removes himself from Rohan, feeling kind of guilty about how relieved he feels to not be next to him anymore. He can’t help it… he’s kind of upset at him right now.

He feels gross, though, from last night, so he walks across the hall to his bathroom to take a shower. Further consequences of staying out with his friends until almost 3 am. Hopefully Rohan doesn’t wake up anytime soon. He needs to plan what he wants to say to him. First of all, he needs to ask why he blocked Kakyoin. Well… he should probably give him the benefit of the doubt, so he doesn’t come on too strongly. He doesn’t want...

All thought that Jotaro begins to gather shuts down when he strips his shirt and looks down.

There’s another tattoo.

He thought they were done. He thought it was enough. Not only is there another tattoo, but the pattern on his chest implies that there might be another one, totaling to five tattoos with the diamond in the middle. 

Jotaro closes his eyes and counts to five as he breathes in and out.

Why now??

He doesn’t think about Rohan, for once.

He thinks about Kakyoin.

He opens his eyes and turns to the mirror to look at what the red splotch is.

It’s two cherries.

Jotaro stares at the two cherries connected by one stem silently. He lets his mind go blank for a moment to just look. What a nice collage his tattoos create. Aesthetically, it’s nice to look at. He wonders what the fifth tattoo is going to be and suddenly the situation catches up to him.

Kakyoin’s contact name is literally Cherry Bitch in his phone . The connection is pretty explicit, and the thought makes his stomach drop.

He turns around, strips the rest of the way, and steps into the shower.

Rohan is in his bed right now. Not only does he have to deal with having that conversation now, but he has to do it with the knowledge that his fourth tattoo matches Kakyoin better than it ever could Rohan. He knows that cherries are Kakyoin’s favorite food without ever explicitly asking him. He knew before he even met Kakyoin in real life, because of the internet. Even if Rohan likes them too, it won’t matter.

Fuck, this is too much. He had fantasized about this exact situation for too long. He let himself dream about Kakyoin being his soulmate because he never thought it could actually happen. The thought of Kakyoin sharing his tattoos brings a blush to Jotaro’s face that has nothing to do with the steam coming from the hot water. There’s a moment where Jotaro wonders if Kakyoin’s tattoos would even be the same as his, and if they’re not, what clues would describe him, and he covers his face with his hands as butterflies swarm around in his stomach. The moment ends when Jotaro reminds himself about his boyfriend in the other room, in his bed, and the smile drops from his face.

He thinks about what he told Kakyoin last night.

“I think you mean more to me than Rohan does.”

Jotaro groans and turns to knock his forehead against the shower wall in shame. What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking at all, that’s the point. He’s lucky he didn’t say more.

“Hey, Kakyoin, I’ve actually had feelings for you for way longer than I’ve known you, I daydream about you being my soulmate like some little kid obsessed with a Disney prince, will you marry me?”

Kakyoin would never speak to him again if he said that. Telling him that he means more to him than his boyfriend was pretty bad to start. No wonder he didn’t say anything in response. He was probably weirded the fuck out. Why should he even be Jotaro’s soulmate?

Jotaro’s insecurities finally catch up to him and he lifts his head from the wall, resigned. There are many reasons he came to the conclusion that Rohan, not Kakyoin, was his soulmate. Kakyoin is way too good for him. If they truly were soulmates, wouldn’t Kakyoin have said something himself already?

Besides, Jotaro would literally rather gouge his eyes out than let anything really bad happen to Kakyoin.

Not Rohan, though? his brain asks, and a wave of guilt washes over Jotaro so strongly that he turns the water off quickly, distracting himself with the shock of cold air on heated skin. Rohan wants him, but Kakyoin…

He towels off quickly and wraps the towel around his waist to brush his teeth and walk back into his bedroom.

Rohan is still asleep in his bed. Jotaro grabs some clothes quickly and goes back into the bathroom to change. Him and Rohan just haven’t gotten far enough in their relationship that Jotaro feels at ease being exposed like that in front of him.

Rohan’s still wearing his green headband, Jotaro notices when he walks back into the room dressed in his usual jacket and hat. He sits down on the edge of his bed. That cannot possibly be comfortable to sleep in. He’s noticed this consistently, the handful of times Rohan has stayed overnight. He never takes it off. He claims he feels insecure about his hairline, but surely wearing it to bed can’t be good either.

Jotaro carefully reaches over, hooks his fingers under the band of the fabric, and tugs it off Rohan’s head.

It takes a moment to process the date tattooed on Rohan’s temple.

May second, two years ago. 11:49 am.

Jotaro stares at the tiny numbers previously concealed by his headband, not processing why they’re there. Rohan told him he didn’t have a soulmark. He said it fit. He said…

“Rohan.” Jotaro grabs Rohan by the shoulder and shakes him. “Rohan, wake up.”

Rohan rolls over onto his back and raises his arms in a stretch. Jotaro clenches his headband in his fist, waiting. Rohan opens his eyes and smiles. “Good morning. Or…” he wrinkles his nose. “Is it still morning?”

“What is this?” Jotaro reaches around to point at Rohan’s temple.

Rohan’s eyebrows draw together in confusion. “What…” his eyes land on his headband in Jotaro’s other hand. His eyes go wide and he sits up straight. He snatches his headband out of Jotaro’s grip and puts it back on hastily. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Jotaro wants to laugh. “What am I doing? You lied to me.”

Rohan shakes his head. “I didn’t…”

“You said you didn’t have a soulmark.” Jotaro interrupts him.

Rohan bites his lip. “Please, I can explain…”

“You also lied that you would leave Kakyoin alone, and yet somehow he mysteriously got blocked on my phone.” Jotaro crosses his arms. “Care to explain that, too? What the fuck is going on, Rohan?”

“I am leaving Kakyoin alone.” Rohan protests.

Jotaro actually does huff through his nose in bitter amusement at that. He looks expectantly at Rohan, who is looking paler and paler by the second. “Get out of my apartment.”

“Jotaro, please.” Rohan tries to reach out a hand to Jotaro, who takes lots of joy in finally indulging himself in the desire to jerk away.

“Get. Out.” he repeats, firmer this time.

“Please let me explain, Jojo.” Rohan pleads.

“Why? So you can feed me more lies?” Jotaro is seething. He doesn’t remember the last time he was this mad. “You have a soulmate and you lied to me about it. And don’t call me Jojo.”

“No, Jojo, I don’t.” Rohan scoots forward. “I really don’t, please, listen to me.”

“Get out of my bed, first of all.” Jotaro throws the sheets back for him and Rohan quickly complies.

“Please.” He begs. “Can we talk about this?”

Jotaro is quiet for a moment. He’s honestly already conflicted about how relieved he feels knowing for a fact he’s not Rohan’s soulmate, but he supposes it’s only fair that he let Rohan talk. He deserves an explanation for being led on. Plus, he’s not gonna lie, he’s just a little curious. “Fine. But not in my bedroom. I don’t want you in here.”

Rohan bites his lip and looks down. He nods and follows Jotaro out of the room, taking a seat across from Jotaro at his small dining table.

“So.” Jotaro crosses his arms across his chest. “Talk. What happened on May second?”

Rohan picks at the cuticle on one hand as he visibly gathers his thoughts. He takes a deep breath. “I’m never gonna be with that soulmate.” he looks up to try and gauge Jotaro’s reaction, but Jotaro’s well-versed in not letting a single emotion show on his face. Rohan looks away. “Two years ago, when I was eighteen, I knew that I was going to meet my soulmate on May second. I also knew I was gay, and I was comfortable with that.” He looks at Jotaro. “I’m still comfortable with that. Akira… wasn’t.” he shrugs. “I knew I would meet him no matter what I did or where I went, so I just went to the park and sat down. When Akira showed up, he looked… really anxious. When he saw me, he didn’t look happy.” Rohan’s jaw clenches. “He proceeded to call both me and himself lots of rude names that I’m sure you can imagine. It wasn’t anything new, but… he was my soulmate. He didn’t want to accept that he was queer, that much was obvious, and was confused. He said his family was waiting for him to come back home with a nice girl, and…” Rohan shrugs again. “I didn’t see him again after that. I honestly wish I didn’t know his name.” He looks up, looking incredibly pained. “My soulmate was a gay homophobe, Jotaro.”

Dammit, he is not about to feel bad for Rohan. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He says. “Really. I hope you can reconnect with him one day, after he’s done some introspection, but…” anger coils in his gut again and his jaw involuntarily twitches, “that doesn’t mean that you could lie to me. I mean, you stole my chance to find my real soulmate. How is that any better? What, were you planning on hiding your tattoo for the rest of our lives?”

Rohan looks down at his lap. “I was gonna tell you.”

Jotaro scoffs. “When?”

Rohan stares at him.

Jotaro stares back. “When, Rohan?”

“I…” Rohan looks like he’s picking his choice of words very carefully. “When… I would be sure you wouldn’t leave me for someone else.”

Jotaro has to look away in shock at that. He is bursting with rage. He can’t wait to kick Rohan out for good. “Are you that insecure? Why do you think I would leave you for someone else suddenly?”

Rohan has the audacity to laugh then. “Do you think I’m stupid, Jotaro?” Jotaro turns his head back quickly. Rohan has an eyebrow arched up in disbelief. “I have been jealous of Kakyoin our entire relationship.”

Jotaro nearly flinches, stopping himself at the last second. “Is that why you blocked him for me?” Rohan opens his mouth but Jotaro cuts him off. “Who do you think you are to try and play with my emotions like that? Do you know what you’ve done? You’re a bitch, Rohan. Kakyoin was right about you. I can’t believe I ever even entertained the thought of you being my soulmate, let alone acted on it.”

Rohan looks visibly hurt at that. Good. He’s done more than enough harm. “I’m sorry.” he says. “I just really like you.”

Jotaro doesn’t hold back visibly cringing at that. “If you liked me you would’ve been upfront with me. What kind of relationship revolves around one member lying and manipulating the other’s life to fit theirs? I’m a person, Rohan.” he closes his eyes. “I trusted you with information I trust very few people with.”

“I won’t break that trust, Jotaro.” Rohan says. “I promise. I know you don’t exactly have a reason to believe me, but I know what it’s like to feel guarded about your soulmark.” he smiles a bit. “Very few people know about mine, too.”

Jotaro nods. This is the one thing he believes him about. Jotaro definitely wouldn’t go around talking about Rohan’s troubles, and he’s sure Rohan feels the same.

“So are you aware of how much you like Kakyoin?” Rohan asks. He shakes his head. “Sorry. I don’t mean to pry, but… you’d do anything for him, right?”

Jotaro’s brain answers yes before the rest of him catches up with the question. Yeah, he supposes, he would. Kakyoin deserves more than anything Jotaro could ever give him. He’s not about to tell Rohan about that, though.

Rohan takes Jotaro’s silence as an answer. He smiles. “Are you going to tell him?”

Jotaro glares at him . “That’s none of your business.”

Rohan raises his hands in surrender. “All right. Just… I just think you should stop torturing everyone around and tell him how you feel.”

That really rubs Jotaro the wrong way. He stands up from his chair abruptly. “I don’t think you’re exactly in a place to tell me what to do. How do I know you didn’t do more shit to Kakyoin behind my back beyond just blocking him?”

Rohan is silent for a moment too long.

Jotaro’s grip on the back of his chair tightens. “Listen. I don’t know what the fuck you did to him yet, and I’m sorry to hear about Akira, really, but you are out of line, Rohan.” he gestures to the door. “Don’t tell me what to do, don’t even look at Kakyoin, don’t get involved where you’re not wanted. I really don’t want or need you meddling in my life. Please leave.”

Rohan stands up as well. “I was just trying to help.”

“Don’t.” Jotaro crosses his arms across his chest. “I’ve listened to you. Now leave.”

Rohan looks at Jotaro for a few seconds, then wordlessly goes over to the front door. Jotaro doesn’t walk him out, just watches silently.

Before he leaves, Rohan turns over his shoulder for the final time. They stare at each other for a second before he sighs. “I’m always available,” he says, “just know that.”

The door closes behind him before Jotaro can even roll his eyes and Jotaro is left alone.

To say he feels free would be an understatement. Not only does he feel light, like a weight has been lifted off his chest, but he also feels like he has a clean slate now, like he’s wiped off all the grime obscuring his view and the answer is painfully obvious.

He’s not your soulmate! The nagging voice in the back of his head cries, you should tell Kakyoin.

Should he tell Kakyoin? Why not? He doesn’t want to appear too forward. What would he even say?

“Hey Kakyoin, I’m single now. I’m telling you this because actually you’re the one I wanted to be dating this whole time.”

Everything about that is wrong to say. Besides, the thought of dating Kakyoin feels so surreal it can’t possibly ever be reality. He gets tens of thousands of likes on Instagram. He’s verified on Instagram. He’s a celebrity that everyone wants. Jotaro isn’t special. He’s seen the comments under Kakyoin’s posts.

He’s psyching himself out, he knows it. After all, Kakyoin hasn’t felt like a celebrity to him for two months now. It’s just… well, first of all, he’s not actually sure he’s ready for anything immediately after Rohan. There’s also no indication from Kakyoin that they’re actually soulmates, and especially if they aren’t soulmates, Kakyoin won’t want to be with him probably.

You’re thinking too hard about this, his brain tells him, just text him or go over to his place or something. There do not have to be any strings attached.

Maybe he will just go over to Kakyoin’s and see how he’s doing. Now that everything is cleared up between them and Rohan, the possibility of going out for coffee together again seems very possible and very appealing.

That’s it. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Rohan prevented him from being able to see Kakyoin, so he’s just making up for lost time. Totally cool.

Jotaro nods to himself with a note of finality, and heads out. (Before he leaves, he makes sure to tie the bracelet Kakyoin made for him around his wrist. Just in case.)

It occurs to Jotaro on the way that maybe he should bring Kakyoin something in apology. After all, it’s his fault he didn’t even try talking to him himself. Kakyoin has every right to still be pissed off at him, as he probably is. What do people do in these situations? What would his mom tell him to do?

His mom would probably tell him to buy flowers.

Jotaro makes a quick detour at the nearest grocery store to buy a bouquet of assorted purple flowers that the person at the desk recommends to him.

He feels very awkward walking into Kakyoin’s dorm holding a bouquet. It’s crossed his mind more than once how this could be seen as a romantic gesture. The girl who lets him into the dorm looks at him, then the flowers, and smirks. Honestly, Jotaro shouldn’t care as much as he does. Flowers can be a perfectly platonic thing.

His heart is still beating really fast when he knocks on Kakyoin’s door. What if he’s not even here? It’s nearly one pm, maybe he’s getting lunch. Maybe he won’t want coffee right now. Maybe he’s-

The door opens and Polnareff peeks out. “Oh, Jotaro! Bonjour .”

“Hey.” Jotaro is just a little bit confused. “Aren’t you living at your house right now?”

“Oh, I am.” Polnareff peeks back into the room for a second. “I… came for Kakyoin.”

So Kakyoin is busy, Jotaro realizes as his heart sinks. “Right.” he adjusts his grip on the flowers. “Is he busy?”

Polnareff looks down at the flowers and raises an eyebrow. “Flowers are a very bold move, Jotaro. Have you forgotten that you have a boyfriend?”

Jotaro shifts his weight uncomfortably. “I don’t, actually.”

Polnareff’s jaw literally drops at that. “No way! Since when?”

Jotaro flexes his fingers. “This morning.”

Polnareff whistles and adjusts himself so that he’s standing in front of the door leaning against the frame. “What happened?”

“I found out he was lying to me.” Jotaro shrugs. Polnareff pouts sympathetically. “It’s fine, though. I was thinking about it already anyways.”

Polnareff nods. “It’s for the best, my friend. None of us liked him.”

Jotaro smiles a bit at that. “Yeah, I know.”

Polnareff nods at the flowers. “Still! You are moving on quick!”

“Shut up.” Jotaro can feel the tips of his ears start to burn. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure, because you bring flowers to a friend for no reason.” Polnareff teases.

“Shut up.” Jotaro reaches out his available hand to push at Polnareff’s shoulder.

Polnareff grins. He glances back into the room briefly again, a worried expression replacing the smile on his face. “Well listen, as much as I think you and Kakyoin should talk, I don’t know if now is a good time.”

Jotaro does not like how that sounds. “Why not?”

Polnareff chews at his bottom lip. “Kakyoin… isn’t doing the best.”

Jotaro really does not like how that sounds. “Is he okay?” The fact that Polnareff doesn’t immediately answer worries Jotaro beyond measure. “Polnareff.”

“He’s fine right now .” Polnareff tries to assure him.

“Let me into the room, Polnareff.” Jotaro demands.

“I don’t know if that’s wise…”

“Does he not want to see me?” Jotaro takes a step forward, crowding Polnareff against the door.

“No, no!” Polnareff assures. “It’s just…”

“Then let me in, dammit. ”

With a firm shove to Polnareff’s shoulder, Jotaro is able to push himself into the room.

Kakyoin is sitting upright in bed. He startles a bit when Jotaro rushes in. Jotaro’s heart sinks and his gut clenches. 

He looks wrecked. There’s a large bruise on the left side of his face, swelling up everything around the cheekbone and eye so much that his eye is half closed. Jotaro sees red. As someone who had dealt punches that left similar results, Jotaro is instantly on edge.

“Who did that?” He demands, walking straight over and sitting down on the edge of Kakyoin’s bed. “Who the fuck did that to you? I’m going to kill them.”

“Jotaro, calm down.” Kakyoin says weakly.

“ Tell me who did this.” Jotaro repeats firmly.

“Jotaro, don’t yell. He shouldn’t strain himself.” Polnareff says from over where he’s standing near the door. “Believe me, I want to beat him up just as much as you do.”

“ Who? What do you mean strain? Did he hurt you somewhere else? I swear I’m going to beat him up so hard he won’t be able to walk. ” Jotaro’s breathing hard, now. So it doesn’t even matter what he does. Kakyoin got hurt. Kakyoin got hurt and he wasn’t there and now-

“He punched me in the stomach, too.” Kakyoin says, in that same soft tone as before. “But I promise I’ll be fine! We called the doctor and everything. I just need to rest.” Jotaro’s grip on the bouquet tightens so hard the plastic crinkles. Kakyoin looks down at the flowers. “Those are very nice. What are they for?”

Hearing Kakyoin’s calm voice is helping Jotaro stop shaking. He glances down at the bouquet. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. If Kakyoin says he needs to rest, he needs to rest. He can beat up whoever did this later. Now he needs to be strong. For Kakyoin. He extends the bouquet to Kakyoin. “It’s for you. I’m sorry that I was distant and I’m sorry that I didn’t talk to you.”

Kakyoin smiles brightly, causing the blush Jotaro can feel on his cheeks to grow. God, he would do anything for this man. Anything in the world.

“Thank you, Jojo, this is incredibly sweet.” Kakyoin takes the flowers and smells them. Jotaro’s heart leaps at being called “Jojo” so affectionately.

“Well. If Jotaro isn’t going to explode from rage now,” Polnareff says from the door, “I think I will leave you two alone to talk, hm?” He doesn’t wait for an answer before showing himself out, but not before winking at both of them. Jotaro turns away quickly.

They are left alone.

“These are beautiful.” Kakyoin says. He sets them aside. He starts to reach towards the windowsill next to the bed.

“Don’t.” Jotaro stops him. “Don’t hurt yourself. What do you need?”

Kakyoin smiles at him again, and Jotaro feels warm all over. “I was going to get that vase next to Hierophant Green. Do you think you could fill it with water for these flowers?”

“Of course.” Jotaro grabs the vase and walks over to the bathroom, filling the vase with water, and bringing it back.

“Thank you.” Kakyoin smiles and slips the flowers into the vase. “They will look so beautiful with Hierophant and Emerald.”

“Kakyoin, who hurt you?” Jotaro asks, taking his previous spot on the edge of Kakyoin’s bed. 

Kakyoin sighs. “You won’t rest, huh? It was my ex, Dio. He was here yesterday at like four in the morning, and we got into a bit of an argument, and then I hit him and he punched me back.”

Jotaro tries to contain his shaking by clenching his fists. “I’m going to murder him.”

Kakyoin smiles. “We can do it together. When I don’t feel like shit and when I can see properly.”

Jotaro nods, smiling back. “That’s fair. You can have the first punch.” Something warm and pleasant settles in the pit of Jotaro’s stomach as he and Kakyoin smile at each other. He really wants to reach out and take Kakyoin’s hand, but the thought makes him a little nervous.

“So what brings you here now?” Kakyoin asks. “Did you just want to drop off the flowers, which are lovely by the way, or did you need something else?”

Jotaro looks down at his lap. “I just wanted to see you.” He wets his lips with the tip of his tongue. “I, um… broke up with Rohan.”

Kakyoin is silent for a moment. Jotaro looks up to see him struggling to keep his smile down. “Sorry.” Kakyoin says. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Fondness swells in Jotaro’s chest. He reaches out and gently flicks Kakyoin’s arm. “No you’re not.”

Kakyoin stops fighting the smile that is threatening to break out across his face. He grins. “You’re right. I hate that bitch. What happened?”

Jotaro smiles a bit himself. “So it turns out he’s not my soulmate.”

Kakyoin’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, shit. How did you figure that out?”

Jotaro thinks about what he actually can say. “He… has a history with someone. I probably shouldn’t tell you.”

Kakyoin nods. “That’s fair, honestly. Are you okay though?”

Jotaro nods. “I was already thinking about it. I was really mad about how he treated you. Plus, I…” he chuckles. “I don’t think I really like him either.”

“Yeah, I was a little concerned for you.” Kakyoin teases. He reaches out and takes Jotaro’s hand gently. “I’m glad you did what you needed to do.”

Jotaro strokes his thumb across Kakyoin’s smooth skin. “Yeah.” he studies Kakyoin’s face. The bruise looks really bad. Jotaro can already see it yellowing a bit at the edges, but still… he reaches out a hand gently. “Can I…” he gestures to Kakyoin’s face.

Kakyoin swallows and looks down bashfully. He nods. 

Jotaro softly touches his fingers to Kakyoin’s cheekbone, feather-light, so as not to hurt him. Kakyoin flinches a bit, but doesn’t move away, so Jotaro, emboldened, cups the unbruised side of Kakyoin’s face in the palm of his hand, gently stroking a thumb over the swollen part of his face.

“You’re so gentle.” Kakyoin says softly. He’s the most precious thing in Jotaro’s life.

“Kakyoin…” Jotaro begins.

“Noriaki.” he interrupts him. “You can call me Noriaki, if you want.”

“Noriaki…” Jotaro says. Noriaki smiles. “I don’t know what you’re doing tomorrow, but my mom has been bugging me about bringing someone home for Thanksgiving.” he swallows nervously. “If you’re interested.”

Noriaki’s smile is the brightest Jotaro has seen yet. “Of course I’m interested.” he leans his face slightly into Jotaro’s hand. “My original plan was to crash the Polnareff’s. My parents and I aren’t that close.”

Jotaro can’t contain the smile that breaks out across his face either. He’s going home with Noriaki tomorrow. He’s going to introduce him to his family. He feels like he’s on cloud nine, here now, holding Noriaki’s face in one hand and his hand in the other. He could get drunk off this moment, here on Noriaki’s bed. He’s not leaving his side. He needs to protect him.

Why the fuck did he ever give a shit about Rohan again?

Chapter Text

Jotaro and Noriaki pull into Jotaro’s hometown early on Thanksgiving day.

Noriaki is nervous . Not only is he very scared of meeting Jotaro’s mom and grandparents, but he’s staying overnight.

“Are you okay?” Jotaro asks as he merges off the highway. “You look tense suddenly. Is your stomach okay?”

Noriaki nods. “I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt that much by itself anymore. Just nervous about meeting your family.”

“They’ll love you.” Jotaro affirms immediately.

Noriaki smiles at that. He looks out the window as they drive through the city. A song that he chose, actually, starts to play.

Jotaro groans. “Is this fucking Discord?”

Noriaki grins. “ I’m not a fan of puppeteers, but I’ve a nagging fear, someone else is pulling all the strings,” he sings.

“ Please, stop.” Jotaro wrinkles his nose.

Noriaki laughs and turns up the volume. “That’s what you get for letting your gamer best friend choose the music!” he says over the music. “I’m honestly surprised you know the name of the song. Have you been holding out on me?”

“I started watching your streams.” Jotaro says, a light blush dotting his cheeks. “I kind of know what an emote is now.”

“I’m touched.” Noriaki presses a hand to his chest. He tilts his head back to sing loudly. “Discooord, I’m howling at the moon, and sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon.”

Jotaro clenches his fists around the steering wheel. “You’re so annoying.”

“No I’m not.” Noriaki says. Jotaro rolls his eyes. “Okay but you watch my streams? Why don’t you ever say anything in chat, lurker?”

“I do. Your chat moves too fast. You’re too famous.” Jotaro says.

“Shut up.” Noriaki says. “Give me your Twitch handle and I’ll follow you back.”

Jotaro smiles a bit. “Okay.”

Noriaki tilts his head and raises an eyebrow teasingly. “So. Do you like any of the games I play?”

Jotaro adjusts his grip on the steering wheel awkwardly. “I like your games. You’re fun to watch.” he stares at the road ahead determinantly. “ Resident Evil is cool. Those are your most popular streams.”

“Yeah, they are!” Noriaki exclaims, surprised, “I’m surprised that you know that.”

Jotaro shrugs. “I watch a lot of your streams. They’re cool.”

Noriaki looks away as he feels a self-conscious blush spread across his face. He wants to ask Jotaro what else he thinks of his streams but that would be a tad too forward, too embarrassing, he thinks, and his crush would quickly become evident. He chooses to watch the scenery pass through the window instead. This is Jotaro’s hometown. He spent his youth here. “Did you hang out anywhere here?”

“Yeah, I guess. Not really.” Jotaro says. “My high school and house is on the other end of town, though.”

“Right, the high school that lost to ours in the regional one act competition.” Noriaki can’t help but flaunt.

“You’re never gonna let that go?” Jotaro shakes his head. “I never did theater or anything like that. I’m not a nerd.”

“How dare you.” Noriaki feigns offense. “You’re just jealous because my high school was better than yours.”

“Sure.” Jotaro comments flatly.

Satisfied, Noriaki turns back to the window to watch more of Jotaro’s hometown pass by, thinking.

—-

“Hold on, my mom is calling.” Jotaro said, setting the coffee he had gone out and ordered for them earlier, after bringing Noriaki flowers, on Polnareff’s desk. “Do you mind if I take this?” 

“No, go ahead.” Noriaki said, sipping on his coffee. Jotaro was so incredibly sweet it made his heart hurt. Jotaro was single now, and the first thing he did was bring Noriaki flowers and go get them both coffee so that they could hang out without Noriaki having to leave bed. He even got him more ice for his face and stomach. It was the most Noriaki had ever felt cared for.

“Hi mom.” Jotaro said into the receiver. A pause. He looked over at Noriaki. “Do you have any food allergies or something? I already told her you’re a vegetarian.”

Noriaki blinked. “You already told her?”

Jotaro looked away. “Yes. When I was getting coffee and ice.”

Ah, that made sense. “Besides the meat, there’s nothing. But really, no accommodations are necessary, I don’t want to be a bother. It’s enough that you invited me.”

“You’re never a bother.” Jotaro said. He furrowed his eyebrows. “My mom wants to talk to you.”

“To me?” Noriaki took the phone that Jotaro extended out to him. Jotaro shrugged and leaned back in Polnareff’s desk chair. Noriaki lifted the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hello, Kakyoin, it’s a pleasure to finally speak to you!” a bubbly feminine voice came through the other end.

“Likewise, Mrs. Kujo.” Noriaki said. Jotaro snorted.

“Oh God, never call me that again. Holly is just fine.” Holly said.

“Okay…” Noriaki looked at Jotaro. “Thanks, Holly.”

“Much better.” Noriaki could almost feel her nod through the phone. “I’m so glad you’ll be joining us this year! Is there anything in particular you like to eat instead of meat? I know people often make tofu, instead.”

“Oh, well…” Noriaki adjusted his grip on the phone uncomfortably. “You really don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”

Holly tsked . “I can’t let you starve on Thanksgiving! It would be my pleasure to make you feel welcome. Now tell me, what do you normally like to substitute?”

Noriaki couldn’t help the little smile on his face. Holly sure was firm in her assertions. He could see where Jotaro got it from. “If it’s not too much of a bother. I do like tofu, yes.”

“Wonderful, I’ll make sure to look into some recipes for you.” Holly shuffled around on the other end. “Are you staying the night?”

Noriaki looked at Jotaro immediately. Jotaro lifted his eyebrows in question. “Am I staying the night?”

“If you want to.” Jotaro said at the same time that Holly said “Of course you are!”

“I can drive you back, but it’ll be pretty late.” Jotaro said with Holly overlapping “it will be late, and the drive is long!”

Noriaki bit back a smile. “You guys just said the exact same thing. All right. I’ll stay. Thank you for your hospitality.”

—-

Noriaki isn’t sure what he was expecting when he imagined the Kujo house. He can’t help but stare as Jotaro pulls up to the gate ( yes, the gate ) and puts in a code, driving up a long gravel driveway to pull up by the long, Japanese villa.

“Kujo, what the fuck?” Noriaki tries to not let his jaw drop. “You never told me you were rich. ”

“It’s whatever.” Jotaro shrugs as he unbuckles his seat belt. “It reminds my dad of home.” He smiles bitterly. “Funny because he’s never here.”

Noriaki can’t even think of what to say. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Jotaro shakes his head. “It’s fine. He’s a bitch. Let’s get our stuff and get inside before my mom comes out here.”

It already smells wonderful when they enter the house. Noriaki’s mouth waters a bit at the mere whiff of spices coming down the hall.

“Mom!” Jotaro calls out as he drops his bag on the floor and toes off his shoes. Noriaki follows suit, albeit neater.

There’s the scuffle of slippers on hardwood flooring and a shorter woman with blonde hair appears around the corner, wiping her hands with a green and white embroidered hand towel that’s tucked into the strap of a red checkered apron. She has Jotaro’s blue eyes.

“You’re here!” She smiles wide, spreading her arms and throwing them around Jotaro’s neck, peppering his face with kisses. Jotaro seems to… tolerate it, as he wraps his arms around the woman in turn. “Welcome home, honey!” She turns to Noriaki and wraps her arms around him, next. Noriaki tries hard not to wince as she presses against his injured stomach.

“Be careful with him.” Jotaro says quickly. “He’s hurt.”

Holly pulls back, frowning.

“I’m fine. Jotaro’s just being dramatic.” Noriaki rolls his eyes.

“Is he? Are you okay?” Holly looks at him cautiously. “What happened to your eye? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh.” Noriaki reaches up to gingerly touch the affected area. “I got hit.”

“Did you have a doctor look at it?”

“Yes.” Noriaki smiles to reassure her. “I promise Jotaro’s just worried.”

“I’m not worried.” Jotaro tries to protest but both Noriaki and Holly ignore him.

“Well, if you’re sure. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need. Kakyoin, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you! Jotaro has told me lots about you.” She smiles warmly. Noriaki likes her. Her wide smile reveals the sweetest of dimples, and he can’t help but wonder if Jotaro would have them too, if he were to smile this wide. Noriaki will have to test that out.

“Has he, now?” Noriaki looks over at Jotaro. “I wonder what he could possibly have to say. It’s very nice to meet you, too.” Jotaro looks away.

“Oh, they were very good things.” Holly pulls back, holding Noriaki by the shoulders to look him up and down. She’s half a head shorter. “You’re so tall! Jotaro didn’t mention you were so tall!”

Noriaki scoffs. “Compared to your massive son ,” he smiles at Jotaro, “I don’t hear that that often. Thank you.”

“That’s because you’re short.” Jotaro says. “Stop loitering at the door. Come in.”

“Don’t be rude.” Holly scolds. “But yes. I bet you boys are hungry. Are you ready for something that isn’t dorm food yet, Kakyoin? I remember coming home from college and eating everything. My mother is Italian, you know, and a wonderful chef.”

Noriaki smiles. “Just a bit. That sounds wonderful! Whatever is cooking smells wonderful, too. Could I help with anything?”

“Oh, only if you want to!” Holly says as she leads the two of them through the larger living area to the dining room and kitchen. “If you want, you can help Jotaro with the cranberry sauce and stuffing, I’ve set that aside specifically for him. Please, make yourself at home.”

Holly walks into the kitchen where an older couple is hunched over a recipe book, holding a bowl. Noriaki realizes these must be Joseph and Suzi Joestar. This is Jotaro’s grandfather, whose first soulmate… Noriaki chases the information from his brain. He wishes he didn’t know such deep information about a stranger.

“Mama and papa.” Holly clears her throat to get their attention. “Jotaro and Kakyoin are here.”

Both Joestars raise their heads.

“Oh my goodness!” Suzi claps her hands together and walks over to give both Jotaro and Noriaki a hug.

“There they are!” Joseph sets the bowl down and walks over to shake Noriaki’s hand. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Joseph.”

“Noriaki Kakyoin.” Noriaki smiles, trying not to wince at this man’s firm handshake.

“And I’m Suzi! Welcome!” Suzi trills, spinning around the kitchen. Noriaki can definitely see the resemblance between her and Holly. “Would you boys like something to eat? Did you have breakfast?”

“You know, Kakyoin.” Joseph claps a hand over Noriaki’s shoulder. “Jotaro’s never brought a boy home. You must be special.”

“Old man.” Jotaro warns. Noriaki feels his heart flutter in his chest and he smiles a bit, feeling a light blush rise to his cheeks.

“Papa, not now.” Holly says. She turns to Noriaki. “Would you like some tea?”

“Good grief, stop crowding him.” Jotaro grabs Noriaki by the arm, pulling him a little closer.

“Jotaro, it’s fine.” Noriaki smiles up at him. He turns to Holly. “Some tea would be lovely, thank you. It’s really great to meet you all.”

The family sets about bustling around the kitchen once more. It’s very domestic, Noriaki thinks. He already feels very warm and very at home, even though he’s been here for less than an hour. Joseph and Suzi are working on what appears upon closer inspection to be a pumpkin pie filling, arguing and pushing each other around. Holly, after putting on the kettle, turns around and gets back to work on what Noriaki realizes with a smile is tofu.

“Sorry about how annoying they are.” Jotaro says, leading Noriaki over to the refrigerator to pull out three bags of frozen cranberries.

“Your family’s not annoying.” Noriaki frowns. “I was just about to say how nice they all are.”

“They’re a pain in my ass.” Jotaro dumps the bags onto a free space on the counter and reaches down to pull out a pot.

Noriaki looks around the rest of the rather spacious kitchen. “I don’t know about that. I would love to have a family like this.”

Jotaro sets the bowl down and looks at Noriaki contemplatively. “Okay, fine. They’re all right.”

Noriaki smiles. Nobody seems to really be paying attention to them, which is nice because now that everyone is back in their routine, Noriaki can sense the low-key stress underlying everyone’s movements. It’s only fair, he supposes; they’re preparing a lot of food. “How much food do you guys normally make?”

“Quite a bit.” Jotaro says, reaching across the counter behind them to snag some sugar from his grandparents. “Josuke and Okuyasu are coming by later, too. Not Tomoko, though.” Jotaro glances over. “That’s Josuke’s mom.” He glances back at his grandparents bickering behind them and leans in to speak quietly. “Don’t bring her up. My grandma still refuses to be in the same room as her. It’s awkward.”

Jotaro has explained his family tree to Noriaki before. It’s pretty bad. Noriaki nods and makes a mental note to not bring up Josuke’s mom. “Got it.” He nods. He looks around while Jotaro washes the measuring cups covered in flour and pumpkin, feeling a little useless. “Jotaro, give me a job to do. I want to help.”

“Yeah, just give me a moment.” Jotaro finishes washing off the cups and dries them off with the towel he grabs from Holly’s apron. She doesn’t even notice as she leans over the oven. “Okay. We’re making cranberry sauce.” Jotaro sets the measuring cups and towel down beside them. “This shouldn’t be too hard.” He looks over at Noriaki. “You might want to pin your bangs back, though.”

Before Noriaki can blink, Jotaro reaches out and pinches the tip of Noriaki’s bangs between his fingers and guides it behind his ear, tracing the edge of his jaw with his fingertips. Noriaki barely suppresses the light shudder that he feels pass down his spine as Jotaro’s fingertips linger on his jaw for longer than strictly necessary, tipping his chin up.

Jotaro draws back his hand quickly, almost like he’s realizing what he’s doing, and both boys turn away from each other, blushing. Noriaki tries to savor the lingering feeling of Jotaro’s touch on his face, feeling a light tingle, a sort of awareness of everywhere Jotaro touched. He doesn’t want to move his hair out of the position that Jotaro put it in.

“Sorry.” Jotaro says, busying himself with dipping the measuring cup into the sugar.

“It’s fine.” Noriaki is still in a state of trying to relive the feeling of Jotaro touching his face. “I, um… I don’t have a hair tie or anything.”

“I do!” Holly says from behind them. Noriaki turns around to see Holly extending a simple black hair tie to him, smiling. Noriaki takes it, blushing. How long was she there? From the smile on her face, she probably saw everything.

“Thank you.” Noriaki takes the hair tie and scoops his hair as best he can into a poor excuse for a ponytail. A few strands of his bangs still manage to fall out, but he tucks them behind his ear.

“Kakyoin!” Holly gushes. “You look so handsome!” she nudges Jotaro in the arm. “Doesn’t he look handsome, Jotaro?”

“Oh!” Noriaki reaches back to touch the little tuft of hair sticking out from the back of his head. “Thank you? I don’t normally put my hair up.”

“You should.” Jotaro says. “It, uh… looks nice. You should grow it out.”

Holly beams.

Noriaki reaches up to tug on his bangs, but is met with empty air. “Thanks, Jojo. Maybe I will.”

Jotaro smiles, a smaller version of the bright grin on Holly’s face.

---

Noriaki didn’t think that cooking with Jotaro and his family would be this nice, but four hours later, once everything is either in the fridge or in the oven, Noriaki feels like he has gotten completely acclimated. The rest of Jotaro’s family is very vibrant and loving, the kind of family Noriaki has always dreamed about being a part of. Even though Jotaro acts like his usual grumpy self, Noriaki can tell that he’s enjoying himself. He was a little nervous that he would feel awkward around Jotaro’s family, but he and Holly bonded quickly once Noriaki learned that she was also a huge fan of The Police.

“I would love to go to another concert one day, if they have one.” she says as she and Noriaki set the table. Jotaro and his grandparents are in the living room, choosing a board game to play.

“That sounds like a dream, honestly. I sadly think I missed that train.” Noriaki says with a sigh. “They’ll probably never get back together.”

“Well, you know what they said.” Holly looks at Noriaki knowingly.

“That they’re not officially broken up, yeah, yeah.” Noriaki and Holly both roll their eyes.

“Their reunions are wonderful, though!” Holly says, straightening the knives.

“Oh, yes! They made some of their best music in their solo careers and on reunions!” Noriaki nods in agreement.

“Very true.” Holly sighs dramatically. “They’re just that talented, I guess.”

Noriaki laughs. “Okay, but it’s true though! They are!”

Holly laughs as well. “It is!” She hands Noriaki the napkins. “All right, you set those out, and I’ll handle the glasses, and then we’re done!”

“Will do.” Noriaki takes the napkin basket and starts setting them out on plates. He glances up at Holly. “I can’t thank you enough for having me here, Holly. You’ve been really kind to me.”

“Of course! You’re always welcome here.” Holly beams back. She sets down the final glass and leans against the edge of the table conspiratorially. “And I know Jotaro would agree.”

Noriaki feels his face heat up. He’s tried not to think about how well he’s getting on with the mother of his crush, but… well. “Thank you. You’ve all definitely made me feel welcome.”

“You are welcome.” Holly repeats. She smiles, staring wistfully at Noriaki, clearly thinking about something as she observes him. “You’re very sweet, Kakyoin. I can see why Jotaro likes you.”

Noriaki looks away, but he can still feel Holly’s gaze observing him.

“Thank you for being patient with him.” Holly continues. “My son, he’s very bright, but… he’s not exactly… sociable. It takes him a second to truly warm up to others and usually by that time people aren’t really that interested anymore.”

“Jotaro is my best friend.” Noriaki says. “I’ve come to learn how he communicates.”

Holly nods. “And he’s very thankful for that, too. Give him time and he’ll come around.”

Noriaki suppresses a groan. That’s what Avdol said, too. All he’s been giving Jotaro is time, with very little payoff. Well, actually…

Noriaki thinks about how much more relaxed Jotaro has been with him in the past 24 hours, after breaking up with bitch boy Rohan. Maybe time is just what he needs. Noriaki nods. “Yeah,” he says, “of course.”

“Holly! Kakyoin! Come join us for Settlers of Catan!” Suzi calls from the living room.

Holly glances over to the door and back at Noriaki. “Shall we?”

Noriaki smiles and holds out his arm like a Victorian gentleman, which Holly takes with a giggle. “We shall.”

Surprisingly, Jotaro wins at Catan. It’s a game Noriaki has never played before, so he feels lost and confused the entire time, despite Jotaro constantly assuring him that he’s doing great. He manages to snag second place from Suzi at the last moment, causing Jotaro to give him a proud smile that melts Noriaki’s insides.

“Kakyoin, nice job!” Joseph sets his cards down once Jotaro places his last piece, assuring his victory. “For a newbie, you did exceptionally well!”

“Noriaki is a gamer.” Jotaro says, busying himself with organizing the remaining cards.

“Thank you! That’s right!” Noriaki strikes his gamer pose, a finger gun framing his chin, and grins. “What I’m surprised about is how well you did, Mr. ‘Can-You-Die-In-Minecraft’.” He nudges Jotaro playfully with his elbow. “I didn’t know that board games were your forte.”

“Jotaro’s sharp! Keeps us on our toes!” Joseph winks at Noriaki.

Jotaro shrugs. “I just think if I’m gonna be fighting, I might as well do it in real life, not by pressing buttons. I like when I can think.”

“Okay, nerd.” Noriaki teases.

Jotaro tugs on the brim of his hat. Adorable.

“Kids these days.” Suzi reaches over to poke both of them in the arm. “Pack it up, lovebirds. We have a meal to get to.”

Noriaki swears he can feel the blush on his face for the next five minutes as Jotaro hides so far under his hat most of his face is obscured.

—-

The meal is the best Thanksgiving meal Noriaki has ever had. As fantastic as Polnareff’s wonderful French cooking is, nothing can compare with the combined efforts of the Joestar-Kujo household. The garlic tofu roast that Holly serves him is wonderful, and he begs Holly to share her recipe with him. Josuke and Okuyasu swing by for an hour, eat and chat with them, and then leave, bringing even more joy to the table for the time they are there.

Noriaki can’t help but think for the hundredth time today that this is the kind of family he always desperately wanted. He laughs at Joseph’s anecdotes and listens to Suzi gossip and makes sure to compliment Jotaro’s cooking just to watch him get flustered. Their knees brush more than once under the table and Noriaki feels like he might die . It might be Noriaki’s imagination, but the angle of Jotaro’s body makes him wonder if he’s doing it on purpose.

“Thank you, everyone, for a lovely Thanksgiving meal.” Joseph declares once the mood has shifted a bit to a more chill, tired one. “I vote that before we all go to bed, we go around and say what we’re thankful for.”

“Yes! That’s a great idea!” Holly claps her hands.

Jotaro scowls.

Joseph laughs heartily. “There’s no reason to look so sour, Jotaro! Here, I’ll go first.” He clears his throat. “I am thankful for my wonderful family, my beautiful wife and daughter, my charming son, and my grumpy grandson. I am thankful for my grandmother Erina for raising me, and for giving me the opportunities I had in life. And of course, I am thankful for our guest this evening.” He gestures to Noriaki, who smiles awkwardly.

Suzi clears her throat. “All right, my turn! I am also very thankful for my family, for the wonderful individuals at this table, and for all of my amazing friends who have kept me going throughout my life.”

Holly nods as Suzi looks at her expectantly. She inhales. “I am incredibly thankful for the people in my life, and how they’ve shaped me as a person.” She takes a shaky inhale.

“Don’t start crying now.” Jotaro says and Noriaki nudges him under the table.

Holly takes a moment to compose herself. “You’re right. I just get so sentimental when I think about how much worse my life would be without the people in it.” She presses a hand against her chest. “I am thankful for everyone I know, and especially the people with us tonight.” She reaches out and squeezes Noriaki’s hand, smiling. “Kakyoin, dear, it’s your turn.”

Noriaki has secretly been scrambling to come up with something to say this entire time. Like Jotaro, probably, he hates these sorts of things, but for Holly, he’ll do it. “I suppose firstly I am thankful for you guys having me here today.” His mind races to come up with something else. “I’m also thankful for my best friends, Pol and Jotaro.” He doesn’t look at Jotaro when he says this. “And for Avdol, who I am also getting to know quite rapidly. I’m thankful for the honorary family they make for me.” Well that came out a lot sappier than he intended, Jesus.

Noriaki looks up to find Holly with tears in her eyes. “That was beautiful, Kakyoin. Thank you.”

Everyone turns to Jotaro, who sits with his arms crossed, a faint flush seen on his face. He rolls his eyes. “I’m thankful for you guys. And for Noriaki. And Star Platinum. That’s it.”

“Aww, Jotaro!” Holly coos and Noriaki feels a strong blush rise to his cheeks. Jotaro’s blunt declaration is rendering him more flustered than he would ever care to admit.

“That’s more words than last year!” Joseph presses a hand to his chest.

“Good grief. Shut up.” Jotaro rolls his eyes. “Are we done here now? Can we put away the plates and go?”

The level of flustered Jotaro is getting from being affectionate with his family is frankly adorable.

“If you and Kakyoin want to go, we can clean up for you guys.” Holly suggests. Noriaki doesn’t miss how she winks at Suzi and Joseph. “We don’t mind.”

Noriaki is about to protest this, but Jotaro grabs his hand and pulls him up before he can properly react. “Great. Then I’m going to show Noriaki to his room.” He says, pulling Noriaki out of his chair.

“Thank you so much for the meal!” Noriaki manages to call out before they leave the room for good.

They make their way through the house, stopping by the front door to get their things, and walking upstairs, and all the while Jotaro’s grip on Noriaki’s hand is unwavering. Noriaki likes it a lot.

“Here’s your room.” Jotaro stops in front of a guest bedroom and leads Noriaki inside. 

Noriaki sets down his bag, but Jotaro still isn’t letting go of his hand. It’s making Noriaki’s heart beat faster the longer it happens.

Jotaro looks down at the floor. “Noriaki, uh…” he adjusts the brim of his hat. “Are you tired?”

“Um…” Noriaki is kind of tired, but if Jotaro is suggesting what he thinks he’s suggesting… “not really.”

Jotaro nods. “Would you maybe um. Want to watch a movie or something.”

Noriaki smiles, pleasant butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “Sure.”

Jotaro visibly relaxes. “Great. Then, um… let’s go.” 

Jotaro’s room is strangely exactly what Noriaki expected, but it still feels weird as fuck being in here. There’s a large window beside a desk on the opposite wall from the door, a bed pressed against the left wall, and a dresser, TV, and shelf on the right side. The shelf is decorated with model planes and ships, which wasn’t something Noriaki would’ve expected, but it fits. There are five sets of dumbbells on the floor beside the bed, an assortment of coral on the dresser.

“Nice room.” Noriaki comments, looking around.

Jotaro clicks on the lamp beside the bed. “Thanks. Sorry that it looks so stale, I obviously haven’t lived here for a while.”

“You are not forgiven.” Noriaki deadpans, and Jotaro rolls his eyes.

“Whatever.”

Noriaki walks over to the shelf (which appears to contain a decent collection of manga and comics, marine life books, and more books about planes and boats) and gingerly picks up a model plane. “Planes, huh?”

Jotaro looks up at him from where he’s sat down with his back against the headboard. “Yeah. They’re cool.”

“They are. Just didn’t know it was your thing.” Noriaki puts the plane back on the shelf. “I would tell you a fact about planes, but you probably know more than me.”

Jotaro chuckles. “Probably. I was obsessed as a kid.”

“That’s cute.” Noriaki comments.

Jotaro grabs the brim of his cap. “Thanks.” He tugs down on his hat and pats the space next to him once, bashfully.

Noriaki quickly sits down next to him. “So do you realize how cool it is that you have a TV in your room? How cool it is that we can just… do this? If I had a TV in my room as a kid, I’d never come out.”

Jotaro shrugs as he turns on the tv and begins browsing the movie selection. “I guess. If I hung out with people, it usually wasn’t in here.”

“Too bad. Your smoking buddies could’ve been hanging out in style.” Noriaki grins as Jotaro flips him off.

“As if any of them were actually cool. Like half of them dropped out of school later.”

“Nothing wrong with dropping out.” Noriaki points out.

Jotaro nods. “True, but they definitely weren’t cool. I wonder where they’re at now.”

“Me too. I mean look, you really turned around, didn’t you?” Noriaki cackles as Jotaro slugs him on the arm.

They eventually settle on watching Ex Machina, a movie Noriaki has seen before and enjoyed. It’s relatively slow pace and not action-heavy, so they settle in quickly. After such a lovely meal as Holly’s, a bit of lazing around feels divine .

He tries to keep up with providing his witty commentary throughout, but about halfway through the movie, Noriaki realizes he’s falling asleep. It’s no surprise, honestly, but Noriaki still feels bad for not being better company for Jotaro.

Noriaki looks up at him out of the corner of his eye. The low light from the tv illuminates the profile of Jotaro’s face and Noriaki is again reminded of how handsome he is. He’s honestly any teenage girl’s dream, with his chiseled jawline and thick eyebrows, his loose black curls falling down onto his forehead. An idea starts formulating in his brain. It’s getting pretty late, but he feels so content right now. It’s cozy in the darkness of the room, and the warmth from Jotaro is so inviting. It would be so easy to just…

Noriaki closes his eyes and tilts sideways, slumping his weight against Jotaro’s shoulder. God, he’s just a wall of solid muscle and warm skin. Noriaki instantly loves this decision.

Jotaro tenses up a bit beneath Noriaki. Will he wake him up? Noriaki hopes not. He knows he should go to the guest room he was given, but honestly… he would be super content falling asleep right here, on Jotaro’s bed, if he could just prolong this physical contact.

“Noriaki.” Jotaro says softly. Noriaki chooses to pretend like he’s asleep. If he could just get away with this… “Noriaki.” Jotaro repeats again.

Noriaki snuggles his face farther into Jotaro’s shoulder, being mindful of his eye, accidentally making a little noise in the back of his throat. Hopefully Jotaro will find it endearing.

Jotaro doesn’t move. Noriaki wishes he would relax; he’s still incredibly tense, and Noriaki can tell he feels very awkward. Will he push him off?

Jotaro shifts carefully and slowly beneath him, and Noriaki tries his best to keep his breathing even. He feels Jotaro’s arm moving to press closer against him, sliding against his back, until… Jotaro’s hand comes to rest on Noriaki’s waist.

Noriaki’s heart is in his throat.

Clearly emboldened, Jotaro pulls Noriaki more firmly against him, and Noriaki lets himself be adjusted so that he’s secured safely against Jotaro’s side. He takes the opportunity to shift his legs closer to face towards Jotaro as well.

Noriaki thinks that’s the end of it until he feels Jotaro shifting a little bit away from him, clearly trying his best to reach for something across the bed. The angle is a little uncomfortable but Noriaki would never give up his current spot with Jotaro’s arm wrapped so snugly around his waist. He hopes Jotaro can’t feel his heart racing.

After many agonizing moments, Jotaro relaxes into their previous position. Very slowly, he drapes what Noriaki now realizes is a blanket over the two of them. The noise from the TV suddenly gets quieter, until it’s barely a murmur, before it's turned off completely, leaving Jotaro and Noriaki in dark silence.

The situation finally dawns on Noriaki as Jotaro carefully eases them down so that they are laying down, with Noriaki’s head resting against the juncture of Jotaro’s shoulder and chest. He’s in bed. With Jotaro. And Jotaro put them there. Noriaki realizes with a jolt of glee that Jotaro might actually intend on letting him fall asleep right here.

And God if his chest isn’t the best surface to rest his head on. Jotaro’s arm is still wrapped tightly around Noriaki’s waist, and Noriaki takes this moment to pretend like he’s shifting in his sleep and wraps his arms around Jotaro, too. He can hear Jotaro’s heart hammering in his chest.

This is where he feels safe. This is where he feels protected. It probably isn’t good to fall head over heels for someone he’s not even in a relationship with, but God if it doesn’t feel good.

“Noriaki?” Jotaro whispers again, but Noriaki chooses, again, not to answer. He’s far too comfortable where he is.

He can feel Jotaro’s other hand come up and his fingers begin to comb through Noriaki’s hair, softly. It feels heavenly. He wishes he would never stop.

Noriaki is about to explode . This is the most loved he’s ever felt in his life, he thinks, and Jotaro hasn’t even said more than his name. He feels a fiery warmth unfurl in his chest.

Unbeknownst to Noriaki, Jotaro feels a similar fiery warmth as he holds his favorite person in his arms.

They both feel it.

The desire to be together, the desire to hold and be held, the desire to never leave each other’s side.

If they were both a little more attentive, they would recognize this feeling.

 As it happens, however, both of them are too preoccupied with the feeling of warmth from each other to notice their final soulmark fall into place.

Chapter Text

The morning after Thanksgiving Jotaro woke up before Noriaki. There was a moment where all he felt was the warm body in his arms laying half on top of him, and instinct told him to hug them closer, so that’s what he did. The person sighed softly, shifting closer, and Jotaro snapped his eyes open as he remembered.

Noriaki.

Noriaki was sprawled on his stomach across most of the bed, his head in the crook of Jotaro’s neck and one arm and one leg flung across Jotaro’s body. It was kind of endearing how much space he took up. It didn’t seem like he was awake yet, which was good, because Jotaro needed a moment to calm the fuck down.

This definitely felt way less than platonic than Jotaro reasoned with last night. Friends didn’t cuddle like this, right? Jotaro was having a hard time trying to imagine Noriaki sleeping with Polnareff like this. The vulnerability of their position made Jotaro’s heart melt. He knew he shouldn’t be taking advantage of a sleeping Noriaki, but Jotaro couldn’t help but wrap his arms tighter around Noriaki to hug him close for a moment.

What if Noriaki would get mad that he didn’t wake him up so that he could go back to the guest room? They had both taken off their jackets the night before, so they were relatively comfortable, but what if Noriaki thought this was weird? Jotaro had to get out. Besides, Noriaki’s mouth being mere centimeters away from his neck was frankly doing a lot more for Jotaro than he wanted to admit. He squinted at the old alarm clock on his shelf, reading 9:14 am.

Reluctantly, Jotaro began to pull himself away from the warmth of his bed and Noriaki’s embrace.

“Where are you going?” Noriaki mumbled and Jotaro froze.

Shit.

“I’m getting up.” Jotaro said, feeling awkward as hell, a deer caught in headlights.

Noriaki pulled Jotaro closer, momentarily rubbing his nose against his neck, causing electricity to shoot straight down Jotaro’s body. 

Good grief, get a grip, he scolded himself as he felt his pulse get faster and faster.

“Your voice is so rough in the morning. Cute.” Noriaki mumbled. Jotaro’s breathing was growing shallow. If he didn’t leave soon, he just might die. Maybe he could just pretend for a second that...

“You too.” Jotaro said. “You’re cute.”

“Mm?” Noriaki hummed into Jotaro’s shoulder.

Nope, abort, he couldn’t handle this right now, this was too dangerous.

Jotaro eased the blanket off of him and pulled himself out of Noriaki’s grip, despite Noriaki trying to hold on.

“I’m cold.” Noriaki pouted. His eyes were still closed, and now that he was actually standing over him, Jotaro couldn’t help but stare at his normally styled hair all wavy and messy. Noriaki’s bed head was almost too much for Jotaro’s heart to take.

“Sorry.” Jotaro said. “I really want to take a shower, though.”

Noriaki pulled Jotaro’s blanket tighter around himself, burying his face in the fabric. “Fine.” his muffled voice came through.

Jotaro reluctantly tore his eyes off the frankly adorable sight. He needed to go pull himself together. A shower was not a bad plan at all, to be honest.

His right arm had a print of Noriaki’s shirt on it. Jotaro stared at it while he waited for the water to heat up. He could almost still feel Noriaki’s weight in his arms if he concentrated hard enough.

He could hear movement in his room and Noriaki’s voice through the bathroom door. “I’ll be in my room.”

“Okay.” Jotaro avoided looking longingly at the door by turning towards the mirror instead to take off his shirt. Wouldn’t it be interesting if-

Jotaro dropped his shirt on the floor. There was a new tattoo.

For the first time in his life, Jotaro felt a spark of hope and excitement bloom at the sight. He wanted it to be Noriaki. He wanted to be the one who Noriaki trusted, confided in, and was excited to see. He rushed over to the mirror to get a better look.

It was a snowflake.

Jotaro looked at it long and hard, trying to figure out what it could mean. 

A snowflake… was Noriaki’s favorite season winter? Jotaro’s birthday was in winter. He would have to ask Noriaki. Ugh, but then he might as well just show him his fucking chest. This was a problem.

Jotaro stripped the rest of the way and got into the shower. Well, it was definitely not Rohan. Fuck him. Jotaro had been realizing more and more how much he actually never cared. It was all a coverup for feelings he was still having trouble admitting.

He had to be discreet. Granted, intentionally choosing to not wake up his best friend for the promise of getting to hold him close wasn’t discreet at all. It wasn’t even discreet to Jotaro himself. He couldn’t deny how badly he wanted to wake up to Noriaki in his bed every single day.

Jotaro met up with Noriaki outside the guest room about twenty minutes later. His hair was bouncy and styled again and his smile bright when he saw Jotaro.

“Hi, Jotaro.” Noriaki said. He reached up tugged on his bang. “Can I ask you kind of a random question?”

“Yeah.” Jotaro pinched his thigh to try and stop himself from staring stupidly at Noriaki.

“When’s your birthday?”

An excited trickle ran down Jotaro’s spine. “In January.”

Noriaki smiled. “I see. Thanks.”

“Yours is in July?” Jotaro asked.

Noriaki raised an eyebrow. “Okay, stalker. Yes, it is.”

Jotaro looked away. “Shut up.”

“Never.” Noriaki smiled and looked down the hall to where the rest of the house was.

“Shall we? I’m excited to have breakfast made by Holly.”

---

The next time Jotaro is able to hang out with Noriaki after they make it back to campus the evening of Black Friday is the next Saturday, right before finals week. Jotaro hates it. He hates not being able to see Noriaki. He doesn’t really have a choice, he’s got far too many assignments to do, presentations to present, labs to finish, and exams to study for, but he thinks about Noriaki every single day. It’s like a disease. It’s gotten so much worse since Thanksgiving, since he’s known what it’s like to hold Noriaki in his arms all night long, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. What is wrong with him?

The snowflake haunts him.

Of course, when Noriaki texted him “hey, I just submitted my last batch of etchings, want to hang out?” Saturday evening, he didn’t even think twice about how late it was, or that he technically still had an assignment due tomorrow. He agreed immediately.

Noriaki takes him downtown. It’s been a while since Jotaro’s been downtown; he doesn’t really like going by himself, but he’d follow Noriaki to the end of the world. That weird feeling returns to Jotaro's chest.

With Noriaki, it’s never a bad time, and indeed Jotaro feels the most content he’s felt since Thanksgiving break, bundled up in his jacket, Noriaki by his side, looking around at all the early holiday decorations in the shop windows. It’s perfect.

Nearly perfect.

Mid-sentence, Noriaki freezes and stops walking. 

Jotaro turns around. “Noriaki?” 

Noriaki is staring at a bar across the street. Jotaro glances over but doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary, just a bouncer and a couple people walking in.

“Are you okay?” Jotaro asks, taking a step forward to stand beside Noriaki again.

Noriaki pulls his eyes off the bar and looks at Jotaro. He looks scared, face pale and eyes darting around. He swallows. “Yes.” He says. “Lets just go.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jotaro catches Noriaki by the arm as he tries to rush away.

“Jotaro, can we please go? I don’t want to be here.” Noriaki basically pleads.

“Of course.” Jotaro avoids pulling Noriaki into his arms by allowing him to lead the way until they’re the next street over. Anything for the comfort of Noriaki.

Noriaki looks down the street behind them and lets out a breath.

“What’s wrong.” Jotaro demands. He does not like seeing Noriaki scared. If he can do something, he will.

“Hey, sorry.” Noriaki shakes his head. “It’s nothing. I don’t know why I reacted like that. I just saw Dio.”

Jotaro’s jaw twitches as his eyebrows draw together. “The one that punched you?”

Noriaki smiles as he puts a hand on Jotaro’s tense shoulder. “There’s no need to puff up like a cat.”

“I want to beat the shit out of him.” Jotaro says, ignoring that last statement. He turns to start walking back towards the bar.

“Wait.” Noriaki reaches out to grab Jotaro’s arm.

“Don’t try to stop me. He hurt you.” Jotaro practically feels himself growl.

“I wasn’t trying to stop you.” Noriaki says calmly. “Just, are you sure now is a good time? I don’t want to get arrested.”

Jotaro could kiss him. “I’m sure, Nori. I want to make him pay.”

There’s a glint in Noriaki’s eye as he grins. “You’re malicious, Kujo.”

Jotaro smiles back. “Anything for you, Kakyoin.”

Getting into the bar isn’t terribly difficult. Jotaro is tall and he uses it to his advantage as he puffs up his chest and flexes for the bouncer, who is much more concerned about a group of scraggly students who are clearly teenagers than about the two of them.

“Where is he?” Jotaro asks, scanning the bar for anyone who looks like an asshole.

Noriaki points at a man in a yellow blazer sitting at the bar with a guy who appears to be blind (if the way his eyes are closed and his dependent grip on Dio’s arm is any indication) and a boy who looks like a freshman with dark skin and white hair.

He looks like an asshole. His stupid blonde hair is swept back by a green headband and he’s wearing the most pretentious yellow shoes Jotaro has ever seen. Oh, he can’t wait to punch that self-satisfied smirk off his face.

“Come with me.” Jotaro says, taking Noriaki’s hand and leading him around to the other side of the bar. He’s too high off of adrenaline from a potential future fight that Noriaki’s trusting grip on his hand only adds intensity to the rush.

“What are you doing?” Noriaki asks when Jotaro elbows a couple making out away from the bar and sits down.

“You’ll see.” Jotaro leans in to mutter, and the way Noriaki blushes doesn’t go unnoticed by Jotaro, whose heart is working overtime.

Jotaro stares directly at the bartender. “Excuse me.” He says loudly, grabbing the girl’s attention and waving her over. “What’s your cheapest option?”

The girl doesn’t look too thrilled by the question, furrowing her eyebrows and pursing her lips. Jotaro doesn’t really care. He stares at her expectantly. She sighs and rolls her eyes.  “Anything mixed with soda is pretty cheap. If you really want to go cheap, I could pour you a shot of vodka. I’m sure your boyfriend will be really impressed with that.” She glances over at Noriaki.

“Shut up.” Jotaro warns. He doesn’t have time for this. “I’ll take a gin and tonic or whatever.”

The barista shrugs and turns around to mix the drink, setting it down in front of Jotaro. “Four dollars.”

Jotaro gives her the money and takes his drink. Noriaki is eyeing it curiously. Jotaro gets up from the bar with the glass. “Let’s go.”

Understanding settles in Noriaki’s features and he grins. “Let’s go.”

Jotaro makes a straight beeline for Dio, making sure to hold his drink out in front of him. The bastard laughs at something one of his companions said. Jotaro suddenly remembers that not only did Dio punch Noriaki, but he’s also his ex-boyfriend, and his grip on the glass in his hand tightens.

“Excuse me.” Jotaro interjects once he reaches Dio’s small group. He makes a move like he’s trying to reach over to the bar. Dio turns his attention to Jotaro briefly, and Jotaro catches a whiff of some sort of expensive cologne. Disgusting. Time to act. “Oops!” Jotaro jerks his hand like he’s suddenly falling, and the contents of his drink splash all over the front of Dio’s blazer. He can hear Noriaki stifle a gleefully shocked shout behind him.

Dio hops up from his barstool immediately. “Fucker!” he shouts. Oh, he has a British accent. “Do you know how much this blazer costs?”

“I don’t care.” Jotaro says cooly. He sets the glass back down at the bar.

Dio narrows his eyes as he stands up to his full height. He’s a little taller than Jotaro, which annoys him to no end. He won’t let this deter him, though, and he stands his ground as he and Dio glare at each other.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Dio asks. They’ve drawn the attention of a good chunk of the bar at this point, and some of the people at surrounding tables begin to throw them interested glances.

“I said I don’t care.” Jotaro responds.

Dio’s eyes narrow. “What’s your name?”

Jotaro narrows his eyes back. “Jotaro. What are you going to do, sue me for a mistake?”

Dio leans in until his face is just a few inches away from Jotaro’s. Jotaro refuses to give in to any of his intimidation tactics. Dio smirks meanly. “Yes.”

“Gentlemen!” The bartender shouts at them. “It’s just a spilled drink! If you’re going to fight, take it outside. Otherwise, I’m going to call security.”

Dio’s gaze flickers over to the bartender for a moment and he smiles, all fake charm and suaveness. “Apologies, love. This young man was just leaving.” He turns back to Jotaro. “I expect full payment for my ruined blazer.”

Noriaki snorts from a little way away. “As if you don’t have ten pairs of that exact blazer.”

Dio snaps his eyes to Noriaki and seems to notice him for the first time. His upper lip curls in a sneer. “This bitch is yours?” 

Jotaro isn’t even 100% sure who he’s talking to, but it pisses him off either way. “Hey.” He barks, drawing Dio’s attention back to him. “Your beef is with me. ”

Dio looks Jotaro up and down and tsks a few times. “What has pathetic little Noriaki done to you?”

That’s it. Jotaro grabs Dio by the collar and tightens his hold to secure him in place.

“Do not. ” He snarles. “Talk about him like that.”

“Gentlemen!” the bartender warns.

Dio stares down at Jotaro indifferently. “You heard the woman.” He strips his blazer and hangs it over the back of his chair. He’s wearing a tight bodysuit underneath, starkly contrasting the professionalism of the blazer. “I have no interest in engaging in Noriaki’s silly drama.” He begins to sit back down.

Jotaro clenches his fist in his pocket. “Scared I’d break your nose?”

Dio rolls his shoulders and looks back. “As if. I could take you, easy.”

“Prove it.” Jotaro says. He can’t help but smirk as Dio turns around again.

“Are you itching for a fight?” Dio asks nonchalantly.

Jotaro fixes the brim of his hat. “I want to beat the shit out of you, yeah.”

Dio stares him down for a long moment. His companions at the bar and Noriaki continue silently taking in the conversation. Finally, Dio smiles, poising his hand on his hip.

“Fine. Let me show you how it’s done.” He turns to the two boys at the bar. “Enrico, N’Doul, keep each other company for a moment.” He barely throws a second glance at Jotaro before he’s striding towards the back of the bar without another word.

Jotaro looks at Noriaki and begins to make his way after Dio determinately. He can hear Noriaki making his way between the tables after him. It pisses him off that he has to be following Dio but running ahead of Dio now would just be petty. He won’t let him keep this upper hand for long.

“Jotaro.” Noriaki says, catching up. “Be careful. But break his jaw. I believe in you.”

Noriaki’s support is doing wonders for Jotaro’s ego, honestly. He gives Noriaki a brief smile and Noriaki smiles back. Jotaro feels his determination to protect this boy at all costs rise to exponential levels. He’ll have time to give him the care and attention he deserves later, though.

For now, Dio disappears behind a metal door in the back marked by a glowing red EXIT sign. Jotaro looks back at Noriaki, smiles a bit, and walks through the door after Dio into the small alleyway in the back.

Almost instantly Dio’s fist connects with Jotaro’s jaw.

“Ugh!” Jotaro grunts, staggering to the side as he quickly touches his jaw to make sure it’s okay. It feels intact and in the right spot, and a quick glance at his hand reveals no blood. Lucky hit.

Dio swings again right as Noriaki exits the bar. “Jotaro!” Noriaki cries, but Jotaro has been in enough fights to know what to expect. The second hit swings up past Jotaro’s chin as he ducks out of the way.

Jotaro takes a couple steps back and quickly sheds his jacket, getting into a proper fighting stance. The pain in his jaw has reduced from blinding pain to severe throbbing; it’ll definitely be sore tomorrow. It was really dirty that Dio swung before Jotaro was ready, but he honestly should’ve expected as much. That first hit was completely on him.

Dio sneers at him. “Not bad.” He spreads his arms in a taunt. “Well, big boy, come here.”

“You don’t scare me.” Jotaro spits and runs forward.

He aims the first hit at Dio’s stomach (payback) but Dio flexes his abs and catches Jotaro’s wrist, blocking most of the power behind it. Jotaro realizes what Dio is about to do just as he starts to do it, so when Dio begins to twist Jotaro’s arm out by the wrist to expose his middle, he’s able to put up his other hand to catch Dio’s other fist right before it connects with his ribs. Dio, finding his other fist rendered useless, releases Jotaro’s wrist, giving Jotaro the perfect opening to strike. He aims right for Dio’s neck.

Smack!

The satisfaction that courses through Jotaro’s body as Dio clutches his neck in pain is worth double, triple, the ache in his jaw. Dio stutters for breath, gagging as he gingerly brings up his hands to touch.

“What’s wrong?” Jotaro asks, trying not to sound too happy.

Dio glares at him from where he’s bent over, slightly clutching at his neck. He takes a breath and makes an ugly wheezing noise. Noriaki laughs from over where he’s leaned against the door. Dio closes his mouth angrily and visibly swallows. He takes an inhale through his nose. “Enough games.” He says and reaches into his pocket.

Jotaro just barely has enough time to register the glint of metal as Dio pulls out a knife.

“What the fuck ?” Jotaro stays rooted in place, afraid of stepping back in case Dio decides to take a running stab.

“Hey, wait.” Noriaki takes a step forward. “This isn’t a fair fight anymore.”

Dio smirks. “Life isn’t fair, Noriaki.” He turns back to Jotaro. “What’s wrong, Jotaro? Not so tough now, are you?”

How the fuck is he going to win a knife fight when he doesn’t have a knife? The stakes just went up several stages. Jotaro begins to brainstorm how he could get out of this without someone getting seriously injured.

“You’re a coward!” Noriaki shouts.

Dio raises his eyebrow. “ I’m a coward? Look who’s talking.”

“Enough.” Jotaro grits through his teeth. “Noriaki is not a coward. You are.”

With that, Jotaro lunges forward in an attempt to grab the knife. He’s got a plan. This is going to hurt like a bitch.

As Jotaro’s left arm reaches forward to grab Dio by the wrist, Dio attempts to dodge out of the way by bringing his hand up in a swiping motion, blade out.

“Jotaro!” Noriaki cries as the blade catches on Jotaro’s bicep.

Jotaro grits his teeth to maintain concentration even through the pain of getting cut. Dio’s arm ends up right where Jotaro wants it at the end of it’s trajectory, though – right in the air near his head.

Before Dio even begins to bask in the glory of his small victory, Jotaro’s other hand shoots forward to grab Dio’s wrist. Dio’s eyes widen. Jotaro grits his teeth through the pain in his left arm as he twists Dio’s arm sharply, causing Dio’s torso to twist so strongly he is forced to drop to his knees. The knife clatters to the ground. Jotaro kicks it away and Noriaki picks it up quickly.

“Not so tough now, are you?” Jotaro spits Dio’s previous words back at him maliciously. He brings his foot up and delivers a swift kick to Dio’s ribs.

Dio collapses to the ground the second Jotaro lets go of his wrist.

Jotaro stares down at Dio lying on the ground in pain for a moment, wondering if he should say anything else.

“Jotaro, your arm.” Noriaki says urgently.

Jotaro looks down at his left arm. There’s definitely a decent gash stretching halfway down his bicep. Blood trickles down his arm in a couple rivulets. With the adrenaline from the fight fading, he suddenly is becoming aware of the pain blossoming from the wound. He clenches his jaw to try and brush off the pain as best he can, walking over to where he discarded his jacket and picking it back up. He presses it firmly to his wound. “I’m fine. It looks more dramatic than it is. Let’s go. We have to tell the bar staff that this bitch is back here.”

Noriaki follows Jotaro with a concerned gaze as he walks past him into the bar. He walks straight over to the bar, continuing to stubbornly ignore the pain in his left arm. “Oi.” He barks loudly to get the bartender’s attention. She turns and her gaze instantly draws to his jacket, pressed against an open wound. “The jackass in the back attacked me with a knife. I beat the shit out of him in self-defense. But you might want to do something about that.”

Noriaki comes up behind him. “I was witness to this. He provoked us.” He slaps the knife of the bar. "Here's the knife."

The bartender just stares at them.

Jotaro nods, and without another word walks out of the bar, Noriaki at his side.

The second they get outside, Noriaki insists that Jotaro come with him to his dorm immediately to bandage him up. Normally, Jotaro would hate to seem like he can’t handle himself, but the idea of Noriaki fretting over him sounds so appealing that he’s unable to refuse. The atmosphere between them is buzzing with leftover adrenaline. Jotaro feels good. With the exception of the cut on his arm and ache in his jaw, he feels powerful. He barely even registers when Noriaki quickly ushers him into his dorm and shuts the door behind him.

“Here, sit down at my desk.” Noriaki instructs and disappears into the bathroom. He appears a few moments later with a wet towel and a roll of bandages. “You’re lucky I have these from my Dio injury. We don’t normally have bandages just laying around.” He sits down at the foot of his bed, across from where his desk chair is. “Carefully take off your jacket from the wound.”

Jotaro obediently lifts the jacket and Noriaki replaces it with the towel quickly.

“Hold that there. Give me your jacket.” Noriaki instructs.

Jotaro does as he’s told and Noriaki quickly takes the jacket into the bathroom. Jotaro can hear the heavy thwump of fabric in the tub and Noriaki returns. “Sorry that I’m getting blood on your towel.” Jotaro says.

“It’s fine. We can wash it.” Noriaki shakes his head. He blushes and directs his attention pointedly to taking the towel back. “You’re more important.”

Jotaro feels his pulse thrumming in his throat. Noriaki starts carefully wiping down Jotaro’s arm with the wet towel, but instead of watching what he’s doing Jotaro just watches Noriaki. It’s not often that he can just… study his face up close while he’s doing something. His eyelashes are red, and he’s got the faintest of freckles dotting his nose and cheeks. It’s frankly adorable.

“I can’t believe you let yourself get stabbed in order to get the knife from him.” Noriaki comments as he starts on wrapping the bandage. “That was so badass, seriously. I can only wish about doing something so metal.”

Noriaki looks up to catch Jotaro staring. He gives him a small smile.

Jotaro shrugs as Noriaki gets back to work. Noriaki’s fingers brushing over his skin feels incredible. It’s highly distracting. “I really wanted to beat him up for what he did to you.”

“Still.” Noriaki says, fumbling with the ends of the bandage to tie it. “You didn’t have to get stabbed for me.” He looks up to meet Jotaro’s eyes again.

Jotaro’s breath catches in his throat. He swallows. “I’d do anything for you.” He says.

Noriaki’s lips part slightly, and Jotaro can’t help but glance down at them.

“Jotaro…” Noriaki almost whispers. They’re sitting so close, he doesn’t even need to be any louder. Noriaki’s tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip. “What are we doing?”

Jotaro stops breathing. “I don’t know, uh…”

“Yes you do.” Noriaki interrupts him. He looks earnestly into his eyes. “I really like you, Jotaro. Do you feel the same?”

Jotaro’s mind is going fuzzy. The only thing he feels is Noriaki and Noriaki’s presence and how much he likes Noriaki. “Yeah.” he says, voice barely audible. He clears his throat. “Yeah I do.” he repeats. He couldn’t form a coherent sentence right now if he tried.

Noriaki honestly looks just as dazed as Jotaro feels as the most brilliant smile spreads across his face. He’s beautiful. Jotaro can’t help the smile from spreading across his face, either. He probably looks so stupid right now. He lifts his hand to try and awkwardly hide his smile in any way he can.

Noriaki grabs his hand and brings it down. “Don’t hide.” His eyes are shining. His smile grows gleefully and Jotaro can feel the blush stupidly on his cheeks. “So you do have dimples.”

Jotaro bats Noriaki’s hand away to pull his hat down. “Shut up.”

“No.” Noriaki says. “You’re beautiful.”

That makes Jotaro’s heart feel like it’s about to explode. He brings his hand up anyways to hide his stupid, silly grin.

“Romantically, right?” Noriaki asks, almost disbelief in his voice. “You like me romantically.”

Jotaro glances over to catch Noriaki tugging on his bangs nervously. He reaches out and captures Noriaki’s hand with his own, stopping the anxious action. “Yeah. I like you romantically.”

Noriaki’s face lights up and it’s the most beautiful thing Jotaro has ever seen. He thinks about the tattoos on his chest and wonders if now is a good time to ask. He’s about to open his mouth to ask, but changes his mind at the last moment. He doesn’t want to ruin this.

Noriaki actually likes him. He actually likes him. If he could go back in time a year and tell past Jotaro about this, he would lose his mind. This is quite possibly the happiest he’s ever been.

“Noriaki…” Jotaro clears his throat. “Do you want to go back home with me for winter break?” He tilts his head down, embarrassed. “But…” his face is burning. “Maybe… I could introduce us as being together now?”

Noriaki brushes his thumb over the back of Jotaro’s hand and Jotaro realizes they’re still holding hands. It just feels so right.

“Jotaro, yes. God.” Noriaki inhales and exhales shakily. “ Yes. I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Me neither.” If it were anyone else, Jotaro would never let them see him smiling this much. Noriaki is different, though. He’s Noriaki.

The dorm handle turns.

Both of them jump apart as Polnareff walks into the room. He freezes in the doorframe.

“Am I interrupting something?” He asks coyly.

“Yes, but it’s fine.” Noriaki says.

Polnareff narrows his eyebrows. “Why are both of you smiling like that? Did you guys…”

“I think I’m gonna go.” Jotaro says. A sly Polnareff is never good, and he’s much too happy right now for anything to rain on his parade. He turns to Noriaki. “I’ll text you.”

Noriaki’s smile widens. “Please.”

Jotaro bites the inside of his cheek to stop from grinning stupidly in front of Polnareff. “Of course.” He picks up the dirty towel from his lap. “Thanks for, um. Fixing me.”

Noriaki giggles, actually giggles. “Any time.”

“Are you guys going crazy or am I?” Polnareff asks. “Whose blood is that?”

Jotaro doesn’t answer, instead going to the bathroom to pick up his jacket from the tub. “I’ll take both of these and wash them.” He calls out to Noriaki, only to find him already waiting at the door.

“That’s fine.” Noriaki says.

Jotaro slips his shoes on while Noriaki waits. He pauses, a hand on the door. “Well, um… bye.”

Noriaki steps forward and wraps his arms around Jotaro tightly. Jotaro hugs him back immediately. This is really nice. God, it feels divine to know that Noriaki wants to hold him just as badly as Jotaro does. They hold on for many long seconds, neither really wanting to let go. When they finally pull apart, it’s reluctant.

Noriaki tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. “Bye.” he says softly.

Before the door closes behind him, Jotaro can hear Polnareff exclaim, “okay, now what the fuck?”

Jotaro doesn't contain his smile anymore as he gets out his phone to text his mom.

Chapter Text

It’s shocking how much at home Noriaki feels at Jotaro’s house.

He stands in Jotaro’s guest bedroom before his open suitcase, considering his clothing options for the day. No matter what, if they go outside, it’s going to be cold as shit. It’s already the 11th of December. Fall is over, as shocking as it is. Holly suggested last night something about Jotaro showing Noriaki around his hometown today and there’s no doubt in Noriaki’s mind that every single shop is going to have some sort of holiday decoration. It’s nice, actually. It feels good finally being free for the semester to enjoy the holidays.

They drove back yesterday, on the last day of finals week, bigger bags stuffed in the backseat this time, and Holly was very excited to see them again. Noriaki was very excited to see her too. He was only slightly worried about her approval of his interest in her son, but she just gave him a hug and told him how excited she was for him to join them again.

And Jotaro. Darling, sweet, Jotaro. His… Noriaki isn’t actually sure what they are, exactly. Since they told each other that they liked each other, it’s been… interesting. Noriaki definitely doesn’t feel bad about being touchy with him anymore, he definitely takes joy in making Jotaro flustered. It’s easy to do. The only issue is that Noriaki has no idea what else is and isn’t acceptable behavior.

They hadn’t really spoken about it much all week. To be fair, it was finals week, and they were barely able to talk, at least during the day, as is. They only saw each other once, for their Tuesday coffee. Even so, Jotaro was on Noriaki’s mind the entire time. When Jotaro came to pick him up after his last final yesterday, Noriaki couldn’t help the sheer joy he felt, especially when he took Jotaro’s hand in his own and Jotaro let him.

They texted each other until 1 or 2 in the morning every single night this week (with the exception of Wednesday night because Jotaro’s Thursday final was at 7:30 in the morning). Noriaki isn’t sure what it is that suddenly enables him to text Jotaro for hours every single day. It’s not like he had ever found himself at a loss of what to talk about around Jotaro, but he would’ve thought before that that would get tiring. Now, he finds that he actively has to stop himself from staying up all night talking to Jotaro.

He didn’t feel like this with Dio. It’s shocking that he ever thought that Dio was his soulmate. The thought makes him want to gag, now. Dio took 100% of the steps in their relationship. It felt like he was the leader and Noriaki the follower. With Jotaro…

With Jotaro, it feels like they’re growing together. Polnareff describes how he feels with Avdol as pieces of a two-piece puzzle fitting together. While this analogy works for the way Avdol and Polnareff neatly were able to insert themselves into a stable, long-term relationship, Noriaki feels different around Jotaro.

It feels… inevitable. It feels like he and Jotaro are two celestial bodies, caught up in each other’s gravitational pulls, spinning around each other faster and faster as the space between them gets smaller and smaller and eventually…

But it’s terrifying. They’re both a little fucked up, it seems, and while it’s obvious neither of them wants to admit it, they’re both scared as shit to confront the looming question. It’s just… What if Noriaki is wrong? What if Noriaki is foolishly letting himself get sucked into Jotaro’s gravitational pull when Jotaro doesn’t feel the same tug? What if he just likes having Noriaki as his satellite?

There’s also the question of the tattoo that showed up while he was with Jotaro during Thanksgiving break. Jotaro’s birthday is in late January, so of course Noriaki’s hopes for the meaning for it increased tenfold. Now that it’s December, he’s far more on edge anyways.

He lifts up the edge of his shirt to stare at his fifth tattoo. It’s really pretty, actually. Even though it’s just a simple snowflake, the design of the tattoo is really nice. Whatever celestial force designed these did a good job. As an art student, he approves.

Noriaki drops his shirt again and tucks it into the waistband of his jeans. He needs to go actually meet Jotaro for breakfast and do whatever it was he wanted to do today. He already feels a little bad that he spent more time with Holly last night during and after dinner than with Jotaro.

Noriaki can’t help but blush at the memory of last night. He presses his hands over his face and suppresses the urge to squeal like a child. The action would normally make him cringe at himself, but since he is alone he allows himself to do it. He’s never before had the desire to scream into a pillow over someone until now. What the hell was this feeling and why was it so scary?

“Hey, Jotaro?” Noriaki looked up at his... at Jotaro from where they were sitting on the back porch. The stars were easier to see out here from Jotaro’s backyard than they were from campus. It was nice, even if it was cold. The cold wasn’t even an issue for Noriaki at the current moment, actually. It gave him an excuse to bundle his coat tighter around himself and lean into Jotaro, who produced heat like a furnace.

Jotaro hummed in question.

“You know how I fell asleep on you during Thanksgiving?” Noriaki took joy in the feeling of Jotaro leaning in closer. Did he even realize he was doing it?

“Yeah.” Jotaro said.

“Did you realize I did that on purpose?” he asked. He lowered his head against Jotaro’s shoulder. He could feel more than hear Jotaro’s pulse hammering in his throat.

“You did?” Jotaro asked.

Noriaki exhaled amusedly out his nose. “It wasn’t that subtle I don’t think.”

Jotaro huffed a laugh through his nose too. “I guess I just couldn’t believe you would want that.”

Noriaki smiled. “You couldn’t believe that I would practically throw myself into your arms the second you were single? I’m really sorry if that was too forward, either way.” He lifted his head from Jotaro’s shoulder to properly look at him. “I’m sorry if I’m still forward. I just…” he shrugged. “I know I don’t want to be a rebound for you. And I think I’ve made it very clear how much I like you. I don’t want to be the person you settle for after a breakup because I’m available and willing.”

“Hey.” Jotaro stopped him with a hand on his knee. “I would never settle for you. You’re like…” he thought for a moment, “the best thing.” He fumbled awkwardly. “Nothing is better.”

Noriaki had to force himself to continue breathing. “That’s very sweet, Jotaro, but I need you to be sure you’re not just saying that because-”

“Let me finish.” Jotaro interrupted him. Noriaki shut his mouth at once. Jotaro looked out at his expansive backyard. The hand on Noriaki’s knee was burning a hole through his jeans. “You’re right, I think I need… a moment. I need to understand what I’m feeling.” The words sent a shock of ice straight down Noriaki’s body. Fuck, why did he say anything at all? Now Jotaro was going to end everything before it even began. Of course, that would probably be better than stretching it out, but- “I liked you for longer than…” Jotaro looked down, a blush barely visible on his face in the poor back porch lighting, “you liked me. And I know I was drunk when I said it but I meant it when I said you meant more to me than Rohan.” Jotaro looked into Noriaki’s eyes. “I only care about you. So… I think that proves that you can’t be a very effective rebound.”

Noriaki looked away, face burning. “Please. But I do gotta say I thought you were cute the moment I met you. A little hard to beat that.”

“I've liked you since last November.” Jotaro said. “When I first watched your videos.” He tapped a finger against Noriaki’s knee. “So.”

Noriaki closed his mouth. Holy shit. Since last November? That meant it’s been over a year now. The thought made Noriaki’s heart rate pick up. That was a whole many months during which Noriaki didn’t know Jotaro, but he… Noriaki thought back to the first time he ever met Jotaro. He liked him even then? Noriaki’s head spun at the news.

“Sorry, is that too much?” Jotaro asked.

“No.” Noriaki covered Jotaro’s hand on his knee with his own. He smiled, looking down at his lap. “It’s not too much. Just…” he swallowed. “I don’t feel that special.”

Jotaro shrugged. “You are to me.”

What was this goddamn feeling? It was constricting Noriaki’s lungs and making it hard to breathe properly. He stared at Jotaro’s hand on his knee and tried to take a deep breath as best he could. “You can’t just say things like that, Jojo.”

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.” Noriaki smiled. He looked up and met Jotaro’s eyes. They really were sitting so close together, weren't they? He would never allow himself to do this if they hadn’t established their mutual attraction to each other already. It made Noriaki’s heart happy. “What’s on your mind, Jotaro? Why do you need time?”

Jotaro looked away, out at his backyard. He was silent for a moment. Some wolf or maybe a coyote howled in the distance. Noriaki was grateful for Jotaro’s warmth at his side as a cold wind clacked the barren branches together. “I’m thinking about how I don’t want to hurt you. And how that’s all I’m good for.” Jotaro turned his head slightly in, but he wasn’t looking at Noriaki, rather at some spot on the porch past Noriaki’s shoulder. “My family doesn’t have a good history with s- partners, and I just… don’t know how to act.” He was definitely dissosiating now. “If I do something that hurts you, what’ll be the point? I’ve realized recently that that’s why I was so willing to accept that Rohan was my… and, I know it’s premature to even think like that, I know logically that’s stupid, but…” Jotaro blinked, bringing his focus back to the present moment. He looked at Noriaki. “I do really like you, Nori. And that’s scary to me.”

Noriaki smiled. “Jotaro, we absolutely can take things as slowly as you want to. It’s very important to me that you feel comfortable around me.”

“I do.” Jotaro said quickly. “I feel very comfortable around you. That’s part of what’s scary.” He looked down at this lap. “This is stupid, but… when I started watching your videos, it felt like I already knew everything about you.”

Noriaki smiled down at his lap. “I felt the same.”

They both looked up to look at each other for a moment. Noriaki smiled.

“Let’s just… take things at whatever pace feels right. Does this…” Noriaki slid the hand covering Jotaro’s on his knee up Jotaro’s forearm, “feel right?”

Jotaro stared at his hand on Noriaki’s knee like he just noticed it was there. “...yeah. This feels nice.” He slid his hand just a fraction up Noriaki’s thigh, and every single nerve in Noriaki’s body lit up at the slight adjustment.

“G-good.” Noriaki tried to cover up his stutter by clearing his throat. “Then… maybe we can just keep things like this for now. And keeping doing what feels right.” Noriaki nudged Jotaro’s shoulder with his own as best he could. “Whatever makes you feel comfortable, Jojo. We don’t have to discuss… anything big, yet.”

Jotaro nodded and gave Noriaki a slight smile that conveyed more than words ever could.

Nothing more needed to be said. They could both read between the lines.

There’s a knock on Noriaki’s door.

He jumps up from where he's sprawled out on the bed. Shit, that’s probably Holly or Jotaro and he probably looks like such a lazy ass right now, not even fully dressed or ready for the day. “Yeah!” he calls out as he randomly grabs the topmost garment in his suitcase, which happens to be one of his favorite cardigans, a thick, warm, dark green one.

“Hey.” Comes Jotaro’s voice through the door. “My mom wants to know if you want coffee.”

“Um…” Noriaki grabs his earrings and brush from the top of the dresser. “Yeah, that would be great, thank you!” He loops the earrings through his ears and scrambles to run the brush through his hair. He whips his gel out from his bag, squeezing a small dollop onto the tips of his fingers.

“Okay.” There’s a pause on the other side during which Noriaki quickly runs his gelled-up fingers through his hair. “Mom bought some almond milk for you, but if you don’t like it, she said not to worry about it because she also likes it.”

“That’s really sweet of her.” Noriaki caps his gel bottle and steps back, giving his appearance one final onceover. “She’s going to have to fight me though because I do like almond milk. I hope she’s prepared for combat.”

There’s a chuckle through the door. “I don’t even know who I’d bet my money on.”

Noriaki walks over and opens the door, revealing Jotaro, dressed in his usual basic getup, his hands in his pockets. His smile grows upon seeing Noriaki, who feels his own smile grow upon seeing Jotaro. “Are you saying Holly could catch these hands?”

“Actually, yeah.” Jotaro says. “She did jujitsu when she was younger. She only stopped because she stopped having time in her schedule between doing school and having me.”

“Damn. All the Kujos are badass, then.” Noriaki holds out his hand, palm out, and Jotaro takes it. “Guess I’m going to go sneak the milk away from your mom before she notices.”

There’s honestly no reason to hold Jotaro’s hand for just the short trip down the stairs and across the main living area to the kitchen, except that he wants to, so he does it anyway. Even though it’s just for a few moments, even though they drop their hands the second they walk into the kitchen, Noriaki refuses to pass up the luxury of having Jotaro’s hand in his own. He’s glad that Jotaro doesn’t comment on it either; either he’s just humoring him, or maybe he also enjoys any excuse to hold Noriaki’s hand. The thought is really nice.

“Oh! Good morning Kakyoin. Did Jotaro already ask you if you want any coffee?” Holly asks. She picks up a French press full of coffee and shakes it slightly in question. Jotaro makes a beeline over to one of the stools at the counter where a plate of eggs and toast is already is set out and sits down.

“Yes, he did, and yes, please.” Noriaki nods. “And you don’t have to call me Kakyoin. I like going by Noriaki to people I like.”

Holly grins as she gets three mugs out of the cupboard. “All right, then. Noriaki.”

“Would you like some toast?” Jotaro asks.

“Yes, please.” Noriaki comes over to sit beside Jotaro, who slides him a plate and drops two pieces of toast onto it. “Jotaro tells me there’s almond milk, Holly. You have good taste. Almond and coconut milk are my favorites.”

Holly smiles. “Oh, good, I’m glad. I wasn’t sure if you drank milk or not. Let me get it out for you.”

Jotaro slides a jar of raspberry apricot jam towards Noriaki silently.

Noriaki takes it and the knife that Jotaro passes him a moment later.

“So where are you boys going today? Jotaro tells me he’s going to take you around town today, Noriaki.” Holly turns around from the refrigerator and sets the almond milk on the counter. She pours all of them a cup of coffee.

“Yeah. I was gonna take him to The Wall and stuff like that.” Jotaro says, tearing off a piece of his own toast and dipping it in the jam in the corner of his plate.

“Oh, that’s nice!” Holly leans on the edge of the counter. “You’ll like it, Noriaki.”

“What is it?” Noriaki spreads the jam onto his piece of toast. 

“There’s this wall, near downtown.” Jotaro picks up his cup of coffee and takes a sip. “It’s got a bunch of graffiti and stuff and people clean it sometimes so people can come and spray paint what they want the next day. The city made it a long time ago, I think, in an attempt to decrease vandalism. Now it’s kind of this artist’s alley, people make all sorts of art there in addition to graffiti. I like it.” Jotaro shrugs.

“Oh, that sounds really cool actually!” Noriaki always has lots of respect for spray paint artists. “Banksy was actually one of the first artists I actually got excited about.”

“Well then I’m sure you’ll love the wall!” Holly smiles, sipping on her coffee. “It’s a local landmark. A lot of local artists have their work on display there. And it’s a lovely walk, too.” She winks at Noriaki, smirking. “ Romantic. ”

“ Mom.” Jotaro instantly grabs the brim of his hat to hide the blush that starts spreading across his face.

Noriaki also feels his face heat up. It’s one thing to tease Jotaro himself, but to have Holly do it… “I’m sure it is.” He says with a smile, the tips of his ears burning.

---

Noriaki was right this morning in assuming it would be cold as hell. Some brown crunchy leaves blow across their path as Jotaro locks the car and leads them across the street. Noriaki zips his coat up to the top and takes a larger step forward just to capture the crunch of a leaf blowing by under his foot.

“So this is the north side of downtown.” Jotaro gestures vaguely behind them as they walk.

“Very cool.” Noriaki comments as he looks around at the rather bland-looking buildings.

Jotaro snorts. “No it’s not.”

Noriaki smiles. “I’m sure it’s nice.”

“A little bit further in, yeah, it is. This is just office buildings and stuff. The cool things to do on the north side are in East River Plaza.” Jotaro shrugs.

Noraiki feels the edge of Jotaro’s pinky touch the side of his palm and he turns his hand out to let Jotaro intertwine their fingers together as they walk. His heart jumps pleasantly in his chest, as always, at the contact.

He’s not going to ask, because he wants Jotaro to continue feeling comfortable around him, but Noriaki can’t help but wonder if this is a date or not. They’re going out, alone, to a location that Holly called romantic. They’re holding hands. He won’t say anything, though. Not yet, at least.

As if he can read his mind, Jotaro clears his throat. Noriaki looks up at Jotaro. He looks a little uncomfortable. He’s actually… blushing. “Hey, Noriaki.”

“Hm?” Noriaki tries to smile encouragingly.

“Is… are we… is this a date?”

Noriaki smiles internally. They really are on the same page, huh? “If you want. I’d really like that.”

Jotaro nods, falling silent once again. Noriaki doesn’t push and they continue walking along the sidewalk. Noriaki was right, there are a bunch of holiday decorations out. A lot of the stores and doors have trees or lights decorating them. It’s really festive. Maybe he can convince Jotaro to get some hot chocolate or cider later, to really get in the mood.

“This is a date.” Jotaro blurts out. He looks in Noriaki’s direction out of the corner of his eye. “If you’re sure you want that.”

Noriaki’s smile widens. “Yeah, I do really want that.”

Jotaro nods once. “Then… it’s a date.”

They’re on a date.

I’m on a date with Jotaro, his mind cheers loudly. They’re on a date. Right now. He’s on a date with Jotaro.

Noriaki skips slightly to the side to lean against Jotaro while they walk and wraps his other arm around Jotaro’s. Jotaro looks down at him questioningly. Noriaki tries not to giggle. “I’m just really happy.” He says, unable to contain his smile.

Jotaro smiles warmly back. Noriaki loves how much more often Jotaro has started smiling at him recently. It feels nice. “Me too.” Jotaro gives Noriaki’s hand a squeeze.

As they round the corner towards the park, Noriaki can’t help but raise his eyebrows in awe. When Jotaro first said “The Wall”, Noriaki was honestly expecting a brick wall covered in random spray paint, but this is something else entirely. The park has a very pleasant, modern-esque aura, with neat gravel paths and white stone benches. The trees all have lights wrapped around them, and Noriaki thinks that this park is probably even sweeter at night when the lights are on. It’s not very big, they can see the whole park from where they are standing, but that honestly just makes it that much more charming. The Wall in question spans around 200 feet at the back of the park, and there is already quite a lot of really impressive and beautiful artwork on it. A couple artists are working on blank segments of the wall, and it’s mesmerizing to watch. Sculptures dot the lawn, and in the middle of the green a woman has set up a canvas and is painting the view of downtown. Some people have set up some tables near one of the paths and Noriaki sees a collection of smaller statues, jewelry, paintings, and fabrics for sale.

“This is so cute!” Noriaki exclaims happily. He looks up at Jotaro only to find Jotaro already watching him with a fond expression on his face. The second they make eye contact, however, Jotaro quickly schools his features into something more neutral.

“Yeah.” He says. “I thought you might like it.”

They walk over to The Wall, hand in hand, and Noriaki wanders over to a woman with bright pink hair who is just finishing signing her name beneath a beautiful picture of a desert sunset. Noriaki leans in to get a closer look.

Hot Pants

It’s an interesting alias, but as an artist, Noriaki isn’t about to judge someone else’s choice in signature. They watch her make a couple of adjustments to her piece for a while. The way she works is wonderful to Noriaki. The way the paint effortlessly settles onto the wall makes it seem like the can is an extension of her arm.

“Have you ever been to the desert?” Noriaki can’t help but ask. “It’s a beautiful piece you made.” ‘Hot Pants’ turns around.

“Yes.” She says. “I used to be a missionary when I was younger. I traveled around the country a lot, including the Arizona desert. It changed my life.”

Noriaki smiles. “I can tell from your work. It’s very emotional.”

Hot Pants nods. “Thank you.” She picks up her spray can. “The medium choice really helps. Spray paint is one of my favorites. It’s very difficult to control, so you have to sort of learn how to navigate and work with it. Kind of like nature, in a way.”

“I love that.” Noriaki says. “I do art, myself, but I’ve never really been able to mess around with spray paint. I’ve always admired it, though. Always wanted to try.”

Hot Pants lifts her eyebrows a bit. “An artist, huh?” She holds out her can. “Well, would you like to give it a try?”

Noriaki raises his eyebrows. He looks up at Jotaro, who gives him a small smile. “I’d love to see what you can do with it.” He says.

Hot Pants rattles the can a bit. “Don’t be shy.”

Noriaki swallows his excitement as he lets go of Jotaro’s hand to take the can from Hot Pants. “What should I paint?”

“That’s up to you.” Hot Pants says. “But maybe don’t make it too detailed if it’s your first time.”

Noriaki glances down at the can in his hand. It’s a light blue. He taps his nail against the edge, thinking. His mind instantly goes to Jotaro, as cheesy as it is. He probably wouldn’t be able to spray paint Jotaro very well, but what else… he could always do the ocean, Jotaro would definitely appreciate that.

Noriaki steps up to the wall, giving the can in his hand a shake (he’s actually not 100% sure why they do that. To mix up the paint, he supposes. It’s just what he’s seen on TV). He’s about to begin with setting a base for ocean waves, when a better idea comes to mind. He smiles slightly. “Do you have any white paint, actually?” He asks.

“White? Of course.” Hot Pants walks over to her bag and rummages through it, before coming up with another can of spray paint and handing it to Noriaki.

“Thank you.” Noriaki gives her a smile. “I’m thinking of doing something a little festive.”

In the end, it only takes him 20 minutes to paint his piece. When he steps back to look at it, he’s actually pretty proud of it. It’s a little abstract, but the sweeping clouds of blue, white and gray producing a flurry of white specks is difficult to mistake for anything else.

“Hey, not bad!” Hot Pants exclaims. “I love it! Snow next to a desert. Poetic.”

“Thanks for letting me use your materials.” Noriaki hands the cans back to her. “I enjoyed this.”

“Anytime.” Hot Pants nods and turns back around to continue working on her piece.

Noriaki turns to Jotaro. “What do you think?”

Jotaro is staring at the snow, a steely look on his face. He turns to stare at Noriaki. Noriaki stares back. Moments pass between them, just looking silently at each other. It almost feels like there is an energy flowing between them, silently communicating what they can’t with words. Noriaki feels warm under Jotaro’s gaze. He understands exactly what Jotaro is asking and hopes Jotaro understands his answer.

After a few brief seconds that feel like minutes, Jotaro blinks, and the spell is broken. He takes his hands out of his pockets. “Yeah. You’re really talented.”

“Thank you.” Noriaki smiles and takes Jotaro’s hand, turning back to look at some of the other art on The Wall.

“You’re the most talented artist I know.” Jotaro tells him, brushing his thumb over Noriaki’s knuckles. Noriaki beams at the praise.

“Your mom was right.” Noriaki says.

“About what?”

Noriaki smirks. “About this place being romantic. Look at you, getting all sappy on our first date.”

“Shut up.” Jotaro says, but he’s smiling, a blush rising steadily to his face. “If you keep that up, I’m never gonna tell you nice things ever again.”

“Hey, I never said I didn’t like it!” Noriaki protests. “You’re so grumpy all the time, I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you were never nice.”

Jotaro lets go of Noriaki’s hand and turns to walk down the gravel path away from him.

Noriaki gasps dramatically. “Now that is no way to treat your date!”

Jotaro lifts a hand to flip him off.

Even though he can’t see him, Noriaki presses a hand to his chest dramatically and runs to catch up to Jotaro. “You’re very sweet very often, you know.”

“Sure.” Jotaro deadpans.

Noriaki slips his fingers into Jotaro’s coat pocket and takes his hand. He basks in the warmth of Jotaro instantly curling his fingers around Noriaki’s. “You’re very sweet, even when you don’t realize it. I love it the most when you’re just being you. That’s the sweetest of all.”

Ah, there it is. Jotaro turns away and uses his other hand to pull down the brim of his hat as he blushes. “Shut up.”

Talking like this with Jotaro comes so easy.  Noriaki can't seem to get enough. It comes so naturally that it’s absolutely baffling that they’ve technically only known each other for a semester. Noriaki can almost forget about the tattoos on his chest, and what they could mean, like this.

Almost.

Chapter Text

“Jotaro, you have to press down B, you can’t hesitate. Smash players are brutal. A moment of hesitation is a moment you’re not attacking is a moment you’re vulnerable.” Noriaki instructs from beside Jotaro.

Jotaro furrows his eyebrows and presses the down button on his controller. Noriaki’s character leaps across the TV screen in the blink of an eye and blasts a ray of light three times taller than him. Jotaro’s character’s percentage at the bottom increases 30%. Jotaro still doesn’t understand what the percentage means, but Noriaki said it was a bad thing to have a high percentage, so that was probably bad. Jotaro’s character flies backwards.

Noriaki sighs. “Amateur.”

Jotaro rolls his eyes and sets the controller down. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m literally an amateur. How dare I.”

Noriaki pouts. “If you’re gonna be dating a professional video game streamer, it’s unacceptable that you suck so bad at video games. What will my audience think? It’s embarrassing.”

“Sorry. Guess I can’t join your livestreams. Whatever will I do without the attention.” Jotaro deadpans. Noriaki whacks him on the arm.

“Shut up. I just want people to know I have a competent taste in men.” Noriaki rolls his eyes.

“Ouch.” Jotaro deadpans. “Why don’t you just show me how you do it again without me playing?” Jotaro asks, hoping Noriaki won’t catch on to his real intentions.

Noriaki rolls his eyes. “You just want to slack off and pretend like you’re paying attention while not retaining a single thing I’m saying.” Damn.

“Yep.” Jotaro shrugs. “Can you blame me? You’re so good at video games.”

Noriaki snorts and elbows Jotaro lightly. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Kujo.” He relents, however, and opens a new Smash game. Jotaro settles back against the couch to watch as Noriaki selects a character and stage almost on autopilot. His mom went out today to hang out with some of her friends, so Noriaki and Jotaro have been sitting in the main family room for the past two hours, trying to teach Jotaro how to play video games. Noriaki was ecstatic when he managed to successfully hook his switch up to the TV this morning, and since then he has not gotten up from the couch. But Jotaro knew what he was getting into when he let him start wiring things together m.

Two weeks ago, Jotaro was terrified at the thought of letting himself fall for Noriaki. He didn’t know what to do, he was insecure, and anxiety swirled in his gut at the thought of Noriaki being ripped from his life. He’s realized, since, that he wants to protect Noriaki and keep him close more than anything. After all, Noriaki was already hurt once, technically twice, by Dio. Jotaro likes to think that it wouldn’t have happened if Jotaro were there. At least, he would’ve gotten hurt instead of Noriaki. From now on, he has to be there.

Jotaro glances over to watch Noriaki’s face of concentration. Surprisingly, it feels really good to let him in. It gives Jotaro a feeling of control over his emotions that he hasn’t had all semester . All year, actually, ever since he saw Noriaki for the first time. It’s scary how much he cares, and how much his fear of the unknown and of his stupid soulmarks held him back.

Noriaki looks so good right now, curled up on Jotaro’s couch, his long-since-finished mug of almond milk hot chocolate on the table beside Jotaro’s. It’s domestic in a romanticized, new relationship way, and it makes Jotaro’s heart squeeze in his chest knowing that Noraki likes being with him, too. Carefully, so as not to distract Noriaki from his match (which he is currently winning, obviously), Jotaro reaches up in a stretch, scoots towards Noriaki a bit, and brings his hand back down around Noriaki’s shoulders. 

Noriaki leans in to rest against Jotaro’s side, knees pulled up to his chest. “You’re real smooth, Kujo.” He snorts.

Jotaro’s heart is beating so hard in his chest. He’s never done something like this before, and not with Rohan. He’s beginning to realize just how much his relationship with Rohan was a complete sham. He wasn’t supposed to feel like that in a relationship, he was supposed to feel like this. It’s incredibly cheesy, he knows, but he’s always been just a little curious about what it would feel like to pull that arm-around-the-shoulders maneuver.

Noriaki is really warm. It’s pleasant. Everywhere Noriaki’s skin touches Jotaro’s tingles pleasantly. Jotaro can’t resist running his fingers over Noriaki’s arm. Jotaro is still really nervous every time he touches Noriaki. Small touches - holding his hand, leaning his head on his shoulder, putting a hand on his knee - are scary. Noriaki said it was okay, that he was okay with Jotaro taking their relationship at any pace he wants, but Jotaro has realized very quickly that even he isn’t sure what pace he wants. On the one hand, he wants to just say ‘fuck it’, grab Noriaki by the face, and kiss him, but on the other… It feels like a huge step. There’s still something within Jotaro asking what if he’s not the one? But what if he is ?  

“ Fuck!” Noriaki shouts, oblivious to Jotaro’s inner turmoil. He clenches the controller in his hands and presses it to his forehead, squeezing his eyes tight. On the screen, one cpu remains with two lives while Noriaki’s character respawns with his last one.

“You can do it.” Jotaro says, trying to sound invested.

“Fucking Dark Pit. OP as shit.” Noriaki grumbles as the fight continues. Jotaro doesn’t even try to pretend like he understood half the words that just came out of Noriaki’s mouth.

Jotaro has got to be the luckiest person in the world. So many StardustCrusaders fans would do so much  to be in his place right now, watching Noriaki play video games purely for his own enjoyment rather than for show. And it was so rare for celebrities to end up dating one of their fans. As if he and Noriaki were properly dating, even. They’ve been on one impromptu date. There of course was no question about their exclusiveness or about the promise of more dates to come (Noriaki already asked him at the end of their first one if he’d want to do it again. Jotaro said yes, obviously; he wasn’t insane), but still. Jotaro wonders if any of Noriaki’s other fans also have crushes on him, and jealousy flares up in his gut, a sick, twisted sort of joy coming from the knowledge that Noriaki chose him. Better not think about that.

“Fucker.” Noriaki mumbles as his opponent on the screen falls off the edge, Noriaki’s character just barely managing to stay on.

“Good job.” Jotaro comments.

Noriaki snorts. “Thanks for the riveting commentary. I should have you dub my clips.”

“Clearly. I know what’s going on.” Jotaro squints at the screen, trying to differentiate what’s happening between Noriaki’s character and the cpu. “The girl does a backflip. And… kicks? Him?”

“Samus. Dark Pit.” Noriaki adds distractedly. “At least learn the names first.”

“Right. And Samus is the girl.” Jotaro says.

“Yeah.” Noriaki’s eyes don’t leave the screen. “That specifically is Zero Suit Samus. Normally she’s wearing this big orange space suit, though. She’s from Metroid. Shit. ” Noriaki maneuvers his character around as the battle progresses to the air above the edge of the screen. Samus grabs onto the edge and pulls herself up, launching herself over the edge again to chase after Dark Pit. It looks very impressive. “Metroid is a classic. She’s the main character.”

“You’ve never played that on your streams.” Jotaro watches, transfixed, as both characters seem to defy gravity again and again. He would literally never in his life be able to play like that.

“It’s definitely something I played when I was younger. Not really a good game to stream, although I might do a stream with a bunch of nostalgia games. That’s actually not too bad of an idea.” Noriaki is the epitome of concentration right now, with his eyebrows drawn close together as finally, finally, Dark Pit goes flying off the screen and Samus is left victorious. “ Yes ! Suck on that, you half-assed clone!”

Jotaro tightens his hold around Noriaki’s shoulders. “Very nice.”

Noriaki looks up at him, beaming, and it takes Jotaro’s breath away. “Are you proud of me?”

What a stupid question. “Yeah, of course.” Jotaro smiles back. “You’re amazing.”

Noriaki’s smile grows and he turns to put the controller down on the coffee table. “Right answer.” Noriaki lifts his hand and links his hand with the hand around his shoulders, loosely clasping it. He leans his head against Jotaro’s shoulder. “Do you want to actually do something? Go out?” He perks up, lifting his head and looking at Jotaro. “Do you want to go out?”

“Um. Do you?” Jotaro fumbles awkwardly.

Noriaki snorts. “I asked you first, nerd. I told you, I’m fine with whatever you want.”

Jotaro turns away, blushing. “Then… yeah. Let’s go out.”

Noriaki stares at him for a moment, gaze going soft. He squeezes Jotaro’s hand briefly. “You’re so cute. I’m so lucky.”

Jotaro’s heart squeezes pleasantly as his stomach flutters. “ I’m lucky.”

Noriaki tsks. “That’s what they want you to think.” He gets up, not letting go of Jotaro’s hand, and tugs. “Come on. As much as I’d love to stay here and cuddle on your couch forever, a date with you sounds even better.”

Jotaro gets up obediently. “Yeah. Where are we going?”

Noriaki shrugs. “You tell me. I don’t live here. Where’s a good date location around here?”

This causes Jotaro to pause. “Uh…” How should he tell Noriaki he’s never been on a proper date, before their first one, not even with Rohan?

Noriaki smiles. “If you want, we can just drive around until we find somewhere interesting. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.” he squeezes Jotaro’s hand. “Being with you is enough.” He turns away, blushing. “ God, that’s so cheesy.”

Jotaro’s heart melts. “No, that sounds nice. We can get food.”

Noriaki’s smile widens. “That sounds perfect.”

---

They end up going to a place Jotaro went to a lot in high school. It’s nothing particularly fancy, just a little sandwich place along the road, but Noriaki asked him what his favorite place to get food was at home and that was instantly where Jotaro’s mind went.

“Sorry, this probably isn’t really glamorous date material.” Jotaro mumbles awkwardly when they get out of the car. Somehow he got to date two and already he’s fucking it up with his inability for eloquence.

“No, this is cute.” Noriaki assures him. “Believe me. As long as you don’t take me to a fucking fast food place, that’s fine. This is your favorite place in town, right? Obviously it has emotional significance to you, and I’d love to share that with you.” He smiles.

Gosh, how does he just always know the exact right thing to say? Jotaro can’t help but pull Noriaki in for a hug in the middle of the small parking lot. “Thanks.”

Noriaki wraps his arms around Jotaro in return, gripping him tight. “Of course. I’m excited to try your favorite sandwiches.”

“They’re not actually particularly fancy or anything. I promise they have vegetarian options, though.” Jotaro says, pulling away. “I just really liked them in high school because it was within walking distance and most people didn’t come here. This was like… my place.”

“That sounds really nice, actually.” Noriaki says, holding the door open for Jotaro. “The only places near my high school were McDonalds and Dairy Queen.”

“That’s boring.” Jotaro nods at the person behind the counter.

“Right? If I owned any sort of food business, I would open it right next to a high school. Smart business investment, if you ask me.” Noriaki looks at the menu. “Oh, this looks good!”

“Yeah, it always was exactly what I needed before a track meet.” Jotaro sticks his hands in his pockets.

“I bet.” Noriaki comments. “Do you know what you want? Let me pay for you.”

“Um.” Jotaro looks down at his feet, feeling a blush spread across his face. He’s so whipped, it’s not even funny. “If you’re sure. I should pay, though, since it’s my place.”

“No, no, let me pay. You’re already letting me stay at your house, plus I’m the one who asked you out on this date.” Noriaki looks up, smirking. “You can get the next one.”

Jotaro smiles back. “Okay.”

The sandwiches don’t take very long to make, seeing as they’re the only ones there on a Tuesday afternoon. They pick them up to-go and walk out just ten minutes later. Jotaro unwraps his sandwich and takes a bite as Noriaki does the same.

Noriaki nods approvingly. “This is a good sandwich place. I’m always on the lookout for places that can make a good hummus to bread to other vegetable ratio. A lot of those fucking ‘health food’ restaurants always way overcompensate the lack of meat with spices. I’m not against spicy food, but if I’m just trying to have a normal sandwich…” He takes another bite. “No, this is good. Thanks for bringing me. How’s yours?”

Jotaro closes his eyes, savoring the familiar taste. “Great. As always. This is what I always got in high school and it never failed me. I’m glad it worked for you too.”

“That’s so cute.” Noriaki juts out his bottom lip. “I’m just picturing you exactly how you are right now, but younger.” Noriaki takes Jotaro’s hand. “Speaking of high school, want to show me around yours, since you said it’s around here?” He smirks. “Really romantic date idea, I know. But I’m curious.”

Jotaro raises an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Noriaki nods enthusiastically. “You can show me around your track and stuff! Since we probably can’t go in.”

Jotaro smirks. “You’re so lame. But yeah, I can show you. It’s down that way.” He points across the field in front of the shop. “And actually, there’s like a 60% chance we’ll be able to get into the school. I’ve broken in plenty of times during breaks and stuff.”

Noriaki follows him across the field. “Badass.” He grabs his bangs and combs them down in front of his face in a poor imitation of an emo fringe. “Did you need a place to smoke and listen to My Chemical Romance?”

“You actually can’t play music up on the roof without the whole block hearing you.” Jotaro responds.

Noriaki stares at him for a second before breaking out in laughter.

Jotaro realizes what he just walked into a second too late. “Wait…”

“No, I’m not waiting.” Noriaki gasps between laughter. “You actually went to the roof to smoke? And listened to MCR?”

“Yeah, yeah, you love making fun of who I used to be.” Jotaro takes another bite of his sandwich to hide his reddening face.

Noriaki inhales sharply on his next laugh. “No, Jotaro, I think it’s cool.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jotaro steps off the curb from the field and waits for the cars to pass to cross the road.

Noriaki takes a deep breath to compose himself. “No, I’m serious. If we went to high school together I would’ve had a really big crush on you and you wouldn’t have even noticed me.”

“I would’ve noticed you.” Jotaro immediately disagrees.

“Eh. That’s sweet but probably not.” Noriaki shrugs. They jog across the street together. “I didn’t talk to anyone in high school, and it sounds like neither did you, really. The difference is you were the cool emo bad boy and I was just the quiet art kid in the corner with a Gameboy.”