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Noriaki had just barely picked up his sandwich when Polnareff slammed his hands on his desk, shaking the entire thing. His bright cherry soda was unsalvageable— it was capped, at least, but when it fell over the carbonation erupted into a flurry of bubbles that made the top of the bottle bulge. To say nothing of his dessert, which teetered off the edge, giving him hope for a scant second before it flopped right onto the floor. At least his croquette and egg sandwich was safe, but he nearly crushed it in the rage that swept through him. He spent hours on his lunch! What the hell could be so important that it was worth destroying the entire thing?! He glared at Polnareff and almost let out a scathing comment about his ugly tower of hair, but the eagerness in his tormentor’s face brought him up short, enough for Polnareff to get a word in. Several words, actually, all of them terrible when brought together.
“Our Jotaro is in love!” Polnareff exclaimed, a wide smile on his face. Noriaki’s heartbeat suddenly filled his ears and if he was anything less than the pinnacle of self-restraint, he would have screeched. Polnareff went and ruined his lunch over the unfunniest joke Noriaki had ever heard in his life? This deserved jail time. An execution. The guillotine, even. How was Polnareff going to come up here and drop that when he knew damn well that was the worst news Noriaki could ever hear?!
“I will give you ten seconds to retract that statement,” Noriaki said, his lilac eyes turning violent. If he could have stabbed Polnareff with just a look… well, if that was the case it definitely would have happened already, but especially right then. They were the type of friends who found affection through jokes and bullying and teasing, but even this was beyond anything Noriaki would have expected from him. Jotaro, in love? He figured the day would come when Jotaro would leave him behind, but not now of all times.
“It’s true!” Polnareff smirked and leaned back, and Noriaki’s eyes narrowed to something smaller and more deadly than slits. Was this French fucker being willfully obtuse? Or did he really forget when Noriaki confessed to him that he was in love with Jotaro and didn’t know what to do about it? It hadn’t even been helpful in the end, since apparently Polnareff had made Avdol fall in love with him by accident. (Unsurprising but again, unhelpful.) If he made him go through all that and didn’t even remember...
“I’m going to stab you,” Noriaki said with finality and picked up the plastic knife he’d brought for his beautiful cherry cake, which was currently getting scraped off the ground by Polnareff, ready to go right for his weakest joints. Polnareff seemed entirely unthreatened, humming and picking up the soda as well, dancing right out of arm’s reach right when Noriaki swung for his throat.
“Just watch! He was right behind me. He should be here soon. Ask him about it, petite cerise!” Instead of returning within stabbing distance, Polnareff danced out of the classroom... just as Jotaro Kujo himself appeared in the doorway, with a stern face and tense shoulders. Noriaki dropped his knife and picked up his sandwich, not wanting Jotaro to catch him on a murderous rampage. He had to be controlled and polite, nothing like the rabid girls constantly sending love letters to him or hanging off his arm, and nothing close to Polnareff’s level of obnoxious enthusiasm. It had been impossible to find out what Jotaro liked, but so easy to figure out what he didn’t like, and Noriaki had spent too much time taking notes and editing his entire self to lose now.
Although, he guessed it was already a lost cause, if Jotaro Kujo was in love. Noriaki knew there was no way it could be with him. Jotaro didn’t care for the girls around school, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t interested in women, period, and Noriaki spent enough time around Jotaro that if he liked men or Noriaki specifically, he definitely would have noticed. Maybe one singular girl caught his eye or said all the right things in those love letters he got so often and she was just different enough that Jotaro found who he’d been looking for. How was Noriaki supposed to win against someone he’d probably never spoken to before?
He looked at Jotaro, at how nervous and on edge he seemed as he beelined to the chair next to Noriaki, and he realized that was the wrong question. He dredged up a smile as genuine as he could muster and knew it had worked when he saw the tension go out of Jotaro’s shoulders and a slight lift to the corners of his mouth. There were any number of students eating lunch in that room, almost all of which had noticed Jotaro’s entrance, but it was as if they were the only two there. And that was when Noriaki made his decision, quick but unshakeable.
If his chance was gone, then it was gone. In the end he’d never truly expected anything to happen, not with Jotaro being the way he was. He was the hero type, the kind who always won their battles and got the girl. Boys like Noriaki didn’t get stories, much less happy endings, but boys like Jotaro deserved them. Even more so because Noriaki knew who he really was underneath— the delinquent persona and tough aura hid someone who loved his mother above all else, someone with a passion for the sea, someone with bright eyes and a strong sense of justice. Jotaro deserved to love and be loved, and if Noriaki didn’t get to fill either of those roles, then he’d do his best to make sure the object of Jotaro’s affections didn’t escape him. He couldn’t have hard feelings against her if it meant she’d make Jotaro happy. After all, that slight smile was all Noriaki ever wanted to see.
Jotaro’s long stride meant he reached Noriaki’s desk before he could truly mull anything over. There were a few open seats surrounding him but Jotaro didn’t take any of them, not even his own. Instead he hovered, an uncharacteristically anxious energy surrounding him as he loomed over Noriaki and the remnants of his destroyed meal with all the intensity of a lunchtime reaper come to guide the smeared frosting on the floor to cherry heaven. When Jotaro finally found his words, his voice was so low and serious Noriaki worried for a moment he’d stormed over for a completely different, much more grave reason, and it took an embarrassingly solid amount of time for his brain to take in Jotaro’s words.
“Did Polnareff say anything to you?” Jotaro was so still he could have been carved from marble. His hands were in his pocket, so Noriaki couldn’t look for a nervous twitch of his fingers that would give away how much he wanted to pull his hat over his eyes. Usually he let his guard down around him— did he really not want Noriaki to know? Could he not trust him with it? The idea that his best friend wanted to hide something so serious as his first real crush from him (and not Polnareff, that traitor, of all people) made a dark, heavy feeling settle in his stomach. He couldn’t help but feel like Jotaro was already pushing him away, preparing for someone else to occupy all his time the way Noriaki did. Or used to, rather.
“He told me everything.” Well, almost everything, but if Jotaro thought he already knew who it was he might not hold anything back. Noriaki tried his best to let it come out in a light, teasing tone. He didn’t want Jotaro to read his panic or feel responsible for his worry, but it was hard to hide it when Jotaro suddenly slumped into his chair like a marionette cut from its strings. Noriaki dropped his sandwich on his desk and leaned over, waving his hands in front of his face to make sure he hadn’t fainted. “Jotaro? I’m not mad at you for not saying anything. It’s alright.”
“You’re not—? You’re okay with it?” Jotaro sounded so unsure, Noriaki had to sit back and reevaluate his life. Was he really such a horrible best friend that Jotaro thought he might not want him to share something so exciting with him? Or was he an absolute fool, and Jotaro had known he had a crush on him this entire time but was trying to spare his feelings? Noriaki’s fake smile turned into a real frown as his eyebrows furrowed. He’d have to fix this immediately. He couldn’t let Jotaro continue thinking he was so selfish or petty.
“Of course I am,” he finally answered. Noriaki swallowed and then reached out before he could think better of it. Jotaro’s hand moved toward his as if magnetized, north to south, an inevitable collision, and Noriaki squeezed it tight when their fingers met. He should have let go, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Not when he glanced up and saw Jotaro staring at him so intensely. “Did you really think I wouldn’t be?”
“I just,” Jotaro started, and then stopped. His lips pressed together tightly and he tried to start a series of sentences, but they all failed. It was, again, incredibly jarring to hear someone usually so articulate and sure of himself as Jotaro floundering. If he didn’t have anything to say, he didn’t say anything at all. This wasn’t like him.
“Jotaro,” Noriaki gently chided, saving him from himself, “you are one of the most important people in my life. I would never be unhappy to hear your feelings. I admit it came as a bit of a shock, but all I want is for you to be happy, and I truly mean that.” Noriaki’s eyes lowered, watching the press of his fingers against the back of Jotaro’s hand. His touch became softer, lighter, and before he could stop himself, his mouth opened again. “I’ve really treasured every moment we’ve spent together, and I know this is silly and sentimental, but I’ve always felt like we were two halves of the same whole. If this is where your heart is leading you... you know I’ll have no choice but to follow.” No matter what it would mean for him.
Noriaki looked up when Jotaro squeezed his hand tight. If he’d even entertained for a moment the idea of trying to fall out of love with him, it was smashed to bits by the look in his eyes. When Noriaki looked into them, he could practically hear the seagulls and the soft rush of waves coming in. The tide came closer, closer, and then Noriaki froze when he realize Jotaro’s mouth was against his.
The kiss was softer and shorter than it had any right to be. Jotaro had always been so gentle and careful with him and aware of his strength, and Noriaki swore his heart was going to give out when he realized Jotaro was holding back. And even worse, but somehow better, his crush was actually kissing him. Before Noriaki could decide one way or the other whether to pinch himself or climb Jotaro like a tree, the other boy decided for him and pulled away with the widest smile Noriaki had ever seen.
“Good,” Jotaro said. He pulled Noriaki to his feet with one hand and then dropped it to his waist. He squeezed it lightly, as if reassuring himself that Noriaki was still real. He certainly didn’t feel real. He must have fallen into an alternate universe where things went his way, and he was only going to get trapped if he didn’t say something, but Jotaro looked so wonderfully happy, and wasn’t that the only thing Noriaki wanted? He had no choice but give in when Jotaro started to drag him out of the room. “Come on, we’re skipping the rest of today. I want to take you on a date.”
Noriaki opened his mouth, but his muscles fought against him. Whatever he wanted to say disappeared inside a nod and a smile. After all, he’d said it himself; wherever Jotaro wanted to go, he had no choice but to follow.