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~When Jotaro met the son of DIO, he felt the same aura that he felt from DIO but a little less so.
His aura was threatening, but more in a way of 'I'll kill you if you get in my way' kind of threatening not the 'I'll kill everyone you know and love' kind of threatening.
Jotaro also produced that aura so it would be hypocritical for him to say that it was threatening.
He met the Don of Passione as well as Polnareff, (Why was he in the body of a turtle when Jotaro could have helped him out?!) and he figured that as long as Jotaro wasn't bothering him, Giorno Gio- Brando (he really had to remember that was his name now. Giorno had a bad look when he said 'Giovanna') wouldn't bother him. It was a win win situation.
It confirmed Jotaro's theory as well when the guard of Giorno (was his name Buccellati?) took Josuke and Jolyne on a tour and they came back in one piece possibly even more happy than when they arrived here. Jolyne had a bit of frosting on her mouth as well.
As long as they (meaning Giorno specifically) didn't hurt Jotaro's family then he guessed it would be ok.
But... was it ok? Jotaro looked at Giorno who was sitting by his walnut desk doing some paperwork to form a contract between the Speedwagon Foundation and Passione. The walls were imprinted with maroon wallpaper and there were small golden ladybug decorations littering the maroon. The chair Jotaro was sitting on was of the same material as the table, expensive and it screamed royalty despite there being no royal figure anywhere in the area. The decoration of just the room itself reminded Jotaro of DIO's mansion where...
This kid's Father nearly killed Jotaro's own Mother. His Grandfather was literally on the brink of death because of DIO! If that wasn't a reason for him to attack this Brando without second thought then Jotaro wasn't sure what would!
Kakyoin lay motionless in the hospital stretcher. The grey cloth that was covered over him stained with crimson.
He wasn't supposed to be here. It wasn't his problem to solve. It was a Joestar ordeal so only the Joestars should have went!
It wasn't Kakyoin's fault... it was DIO's for planting the flesh bud on him.
"Why... why did you save me?"
I only regret not being able to save you a second time, Kakyoin. Would you be angry with me for working with DIO's son?
"Signor Jotaro?" Jotaro's head perked up with his name being associated with the Italian word for 'Mister.' Giorno had the piece of paper and a fountain pen ready in his hand.
"I've already signed the documents. It just needs your signature now." Jotaro nodded as he took the contract wordlessly. Outside, the clouds were starting to get dark. There was a flash of lightning in the sky.
"Oh dear. I don't think it would be ideal for you to leave the Manor in this weather." Giorno stated. Jotaro looked at the contract. Everything seemed to be well in order. Nothing was wrong with it.
"I can manage to go back to the hotel thank you." Jotaro didn't want to extend Brando's hospitality for longer than he has to.
It was as if the world were against him that there was a 'boom!' that came right after the flash and it started to pour buckets of water.
"There are plenty of rooms for you to sleep in, Signor Josuke can have a separate room as well if he desires to as well." Giorno added turning towards the window.
The son of DIO was offering Jotaro a place to stay? No thank you. Not after what DIO's done to...
Jotaro couldn't even put the name of his best friend next to that vampire bastard.
"If we go out now, there won't be much trouble." Jotaro placed the cap on the fancy fountain pen and placed both the contract and the pen on the desk. Brando smiled. (It was so much like DIO's sneer)
"No no. I insist. Signorina Jolyne might get sick in this weather. She's still a child after all." Damn it. He had a point. If there was one thing that Jotaro cared for in this world, it was Jolyne. If she got hurt, he hated himself for letting her get hurt. The same goes for when she got sick.
Jotaro looked at the rain then at Brando's face. He pulled his cap down towards his face.
"I wouldn't want to be a burden." He said in a polite tone as how he was trained to say by his Mother. Giorno shook his head.
"Nonsense. We're technically famiglia so you should stay at the Manor as well. I'll just call up Buccellati to tell the servants to set up- how many rooms do you want? Is Signorina Jolyne going to sleep with you?" Jotaro nodded. There was no way he was letting Jolyne sleep in another room in such a vast mansion with the son of DIO as one of it's inhabitants.
Even though Jotaro thought that Giorno was alright, he has been wrong before.
"Alright then. I'll tell Buccellati to tell the servants to set up two rooms for the three of you. Mista will show you to your rooms as soon as Signor Josuke comes back with Buccellati and Signorina Jolyne. Dinner's at 7. We can chat more then." Jotaro wordlessly nodded again.
He had already started to regret staying here.
***
Jotaro looked at Jolyne sleeping on the other side of the bed and smiled slightly.
Giorno's Squad wasn't that bad. They reminded Jotaro of...
He shook his head. Now was not the time to get upset about the past. He had to make sure he was on his guard. Who knew what the son of DIO had in store for him. Even though Giorno said that he wasn't mad at Jotaro for killing DIO, he could have been lying.
Jotaro took out a single picture from his briefcase and turned to look at the date.
January 11, 1989
The Stardust Crusaders ready to defeat DIO!
The name was Polnareff's idea but Jotaro really liked it. It stuck with the group and Jotaro could only think of them as this now.
Polnareff was ok with Giorno but Jotaro knew that he couldn't have any peace towards the teen. His Dad killed-
Stop it Jotaro. Jotaro wanted to smack himself. Stop thinking about that. Kakyoin's gone. You couldn't save him. He's gone now.
Jotaro lay on his bed taking off his white hat and setting it on the foreign nightstand. The loud whoosh! could be heard from the window because of the storm.
Jotaro's other hand was still holding onto the photo with his dear life as his eyes started to close...
***
There was only darkness. It was unlike any of the nightmares Jotaro dreamed of where his eyes would open to streetlights and DIO floating on the air above him daring him to fight only for Jotaro to lose in the end.
No. That was not how it happened.
"Hello?" Jotaro was a man with little words but this darkness could freak out even the most tough of people. "Is anyone there?" His voice echoed into the void.
That was when he saw it.
A green flicker far beyond the distance.
Jotaro knew that that light would probably bring him to a better place than this void, so he followed it. His walk turned into a run as the light became closer and closer.
In front of him was a teenager with a slick green uniform. He had violet eyes which were full of warmth unlike the last time Jotaro saw them-
"K-Kakyoin?" Jotaro didn't stutter much. It showed weakness and in the times when he was being bullied for being a halfu, being weak wasn't an option.
Kakyion smiled.
"In the flesh." He replied with a smile. Jotaro couldn't help it. He stepped up to Kakyoin and gave him a bone crushing hug.
"Whoa! I'm glad to see you too, Jotaro! It's been so long!" Jotaro let go of Kakyoin and he told him to sit down on the chair behind him. Jotaro sat on a lavish couch decorated black and gold whereas the chair Kakyoin sat in was navy blue and silver.
"But aren't you... dead?" Jotaro asked after a deafening silence. Kakyoin smiled softly.
"Yeah. This is the only time that I can talk to you freely -well until you die.-" Jotaro looked down at the dark void under him. It was my fault he died. He shouldn't be here right now. He should be alive and happy!
"Hey. You're still guilty over our deaths even after thirteen years, Jotaro? Don't you think that it's time for you to... let go?" Jotaro's hands balled into a fist and they started to tremble. He stared at Kakyoin.
(He looked just like he did back in Cairo. Everything Jotaro remembered was in front of him. Curse his stupid brain for remembering every small detail about Kakyoin.)
"Would you let go if I died?" Kakyoin frowned at Jotaro's reply.
"Well, no. You have a point. But you shouldn't really put all your hate on Giorno. He's a good kid." He knew that I didn't trust Giorno? Jotaro hid a smile to himself. Typical.
"You really should let go. If not for your sake, for Jolyne's at least. Polnareff's coping on his own even when he's a ghost. Shouldn't you as well?" When the Japanese High school student stated this, Jotaro stood up so fast, he would have reckoned that his head would have been spinning if he were awake.
"If I was just a half an hour faster, I would have been able to save you. Don't you know how that makes me feel?!" Jotaro put a hand to his chest. He wasn't going to cry. He won't.
Kakyoin put a hand on his shoulder.
"Star Platinum can stop time. Not rewind it. You couldn't do anything about it. Just let it go. Live on. I'm here and I'm happy to be here. My roommates... well, they can be entertaining at times." Kakyoin reasoned.
But that gave no reason for Jotaro to let go.
Jotaro looked at Kakyoin. His blue eyes softened.
Maybe he should let go... if only for Jolyne. She wouldn't want a depressed Dad would she?
It was as if Kakyoin read his mind, he smiled.
"You're going to do well. Trust Giorno. He's nothing like his Father and even his Father's changed for the better!" Jotaro blinked.
"Wait what?!"
***
"Kakyoin, wait! What do you mean?!" Jotaro said in his sleep.
"Signor Jotaro! You're dreaming!" Jotaro's eyes shot open to find a blonde on his bed wearing a regal black suit with golden ladybug brooches. He looked over to find an empty bed on the other side where Jolyne-
"Jolyne is downstairs with Signor Josuke and Narancia. She's in safe hands." Giorno supplied quickly. Jotaro relaxed visibly.
"Did you have a dream about one of your friends?" Giorno asked curiously. Jotaro froze.
"How did you know?" He interrogated. Giorno softly smiled as he stared at his blue shoes.
"I have the same dreams too. I know how it's like to wake up to one." Jotaro could see that Giorno wasn't going to be specific on who it was but he wasn't going to pry. It wasn't his buisness.
"We're only mortal, Signor Jotaro. I learned that the hard way and someone close to me had to teach me that." Jotaro couldn't believe that he had to hear a sixteen year old reassuring him.
Well, he was his great great uncle so it counted.
"Yeah. We're mortals. We can try to prevent someone's death but if it falls on them, then we can't do anything about it."
Giorno Brando wasn't a bad kid. He was nothing like his Father.
Jotaro could only hope that Kakyoin would agree with him wherever he was.