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The hushed conversation from dinner was over, the camp fire flame all but died out. Jotaro was perched on top of a rocky outcrop, a good few meters away from it. Being in such close proximity of people for this long was almost as exhausting as the blazing heat had been earlier. Sharing a hotel room didn't offer much privacy, and wandering unfamiliar cities at night didn't seem like a wise decision, stand or no. So, Jotaro was grateful for the vast, sandy plains, happy to sacrifice warmth and comfort for some time alone.
Chain smoking his third cigarette, he watched the desert wind whip up tiny whirls of sand, sending them dancing across the dunes. His eyes were drawn back to the camp fire as someone shifted in their sleeping bag. Perhaps the chill of the desert at night was too much for them.
Polnareff heaved a sigh as he shuffled out of his sleeping bag, taking care not to let any sand in. He stood up, wrapped a thin scarf around his shoulders as a makeshift blanket. After dragging his feet through the sand towards Jotaro, he clambered up the dune and parked himself next to where he sat. Shivering, he pulled out a cigarette from his own packet, and paused before nudging Jotaro. He made a little up-and-down movement with his thumb and Jotaro patted his trouser pockets with his spare hand, retrieving a lighter for Polnareff. The only language in common between the two was English, heavily accented and littered with stumbling and errors. Jotaro was better than your average Japanese 17 year-old, but without Joseph to guide them, their dialogue was limited to gestures and simple, textbook phrases.
“Can't sleep?” Jotaro asked.
Polnareff shook his head, a sheepish expression on his face.
“Non, the...” he pondered for a couple of seconds and then held out an unusually pink forearm, “my... skin? It hurts, from the sun.”
“I see.” Jotaro replied, bringing up his cigarette to hide a smile.
They sat together in a comfortable silence until Polnareff finished his cigarette. He left Jotaro with a grin and a quick squeeze on the shoulder.
Once Polnareff had wriggled back into his sleeping bag, Jotaro leaned his head back, inhaling the cold night air. He felt insignificant. The sky was clear enough to see countless points of light, more than he had ever seen back home. Being alone meant he had time to worry about things properly, worry about his mother and his new friends. It was a welcome change from only being able to fear for his own immediate safety.