Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Are you two out of your minds? I refuse to hear this nonsense, get out."

"Dio, we would not stand here if this wasn't of utmost importance! Don't be like this…"

Dio's eye twitched with barely restrained, boiling hot rage. That Jojo would have the nerve to show his face here, plead to something so laughable as a long since buried conscience , then dare lower his head like a beat dog when rejected. 

Restraint and composure. Should he not as a superior being learn to master these qualities, if only to chase these despicable heroes away? The nature of the vampire, ghoul, or the wampyr as it was known in Eastern Europe, was it not reasonable to imagine it callous, calculating and cold as ice? In either case, it would seem the triviality of mortal life still got under his skin and ruined it all.

"Have you no compassion for your fellow countrymen?" Outraged by the perceived slight, the other man stepped up in a rare display of bravery, laying a hand on his own chest with passion. "We will all suffer the same fate without your aid, including yourself! Do you truly mean to succumb to this fate out of plain, vile hatred for the living? Out of spite and jealousy?"

Dio grit his teeth. Him, out of all people! That spineless traitor who would condemn his soul to hell to gain favor with Jojo, some spoiled, silver spoon fed, rich brat he'd only just encountered. Oh no, he had not forgotten how they'd locked eyes with recognition that night, how his brother knew him as Speedwagon and not Robert. Dio would have thought of him as Rob, had the situation not been so tasteless to him as it was now. It could have been anyone, yet it was Robert who betrayed him and set the irreversible in motion.

In truth, Dio hated Robert more than he did Jonathan, who could be excused by his naivety and upbringing.

"Get out. We're done here."

Jonathan's eyes widened. "If you will not listen to compassion, then listen to self preservation! These men we encountered are something sinister, I tell you, even now it frightens me to think of them. They would not show us any mercy! Dio!"

The nails digging into his palms were drawing out blood. It stained the golden arm supports of the throne a red that came closer to black. "Oh, you worry about my well being, is that it? How kind of you, Jojo, but I have no need for your false and exaggerated display of concern…"

"We need to put our quarrel to rest. It will be the death of us all! If I am willing to let go of your many horrible transgressions, then why can't you do the same? What wrong could I possibly have committed against you, who tormented me until I cowered in fear as you passed me in the hallway?"

"Get out!" Dio roared at him, rising hastily now provoked into a blind rage. A mere thread held him back from committing to the impulse of lunging at his brother. "Get OUT, and don't you dare show your face here again! I vow to kill you the next time our paths cross, Jojo!"

Then he turned to Robert, who instinctively drew back from the force of the fury he now faced. "And you! Best believe I will be thinking of ways to make you suffer! Now get out of my face, already!" 

The only joy he could hope relieved the agitation was the despondent and disheartened expression sullying Jonathan's face. It was not nearly enough to make up for this absurd intrusion, but it would suffice. Laying a hand on Robert's shoulder to relieve the tension still festering in his mannerisms, he attempted to smile encouragingly at the newfound companion.

"Come, Speedwagon." He softly spoke. "We did our best, and we can do no more."

Dio was determined to be the last to break off the deadly glare shared between them, and so eventually, reluctantly, his features softened with resignation. They walked out through the large and withered entrance doors together, but not before Robert cast him one last, tearfully angry glare over the shoulder.

Their departure gave him no relief. In fact, as soon as Dio felt confident they were gone he began to frantically pace, jaw tense and his whole body trembling with pent up energy. 

He needed to think, assess the situation. Already his mind had searched for flaws or deceit within their story and found none, seeing how desperate their pleading had been. The discontent Jonathan and Robert felt was genuine, concerningly mighty a foe. What could have possibly spooked those two to come here and plead for his help?

Four strange men appeared amidst the mess he had so skillfully created, but their introduction had yet been to his advantage. From Jonathan's account they were stronger than himself, possessed unnatural abilities of some kind and had yet to reveal their intentions. Of course, Dio couldn't neglect to notice how, days after this brief encounter, his brother was still struggling to stand upright. Either he told the truth, or Hamon had abruptly ceased to be a miraculous force of healing. 

The dust flew from the remains of the carpet beneath his boots, filtered through the moonlight and slowly but inevitably made its way back down. Only to be disrupted yet again as he passed by in the same, worn down circle of unrest. 

Robert had never, not once, dared to address him in that way since their ugly reunion. And back then his voice had faltered, hesitating to challenge the perceived evil in front of him. The brashness of it itched at Dio's more bloodthirsty urge to go back on his words and hunt them both down, having granted them safe passage in and out of the castle. Just this once, and never again. 

How dare they. How dare they! 

He came to an abrupt halt that sent even more dust flying than before. Focus. Must focus, not act on regrettable urges. Acting without thinking and allowing emotions to get the better of him was a glaring weakness. It had to be controlled, or else Dio would find himself to be the greatest enemy of them all. Yet, how to ensure victory against the threat he had yet to face?

It was then the idea came to him. And how obvious wasn't it from the very beginning that this would be the wisest, most calculated move? Dio at last freed himself from the unending circle and ventured up into his new residual quarters, a grand room that had recently had its ancient remains removed and then refurbished with modern century luxuries. In this master bedroom stood an escritoire not unlike the one that perished in the blaze. The only item he'd bothered to keep on him at all times lay inside a locked drawer, a journal with a sleek, dark cover that revealed nothing of its contents. 

Whatever might happen, this journal must be kept safe. Its contents could cause some undesirable issues to arise were it to be read by anyone else.

Seated by the dim, flickering light of the desk lamp and dipping a pencil into a newly opened container of ink, he set to work recording and perfecting a simple yet skillfully mastered and reworked plan. It only took a few minutes to put it into words, many more to contemplate exactly how it should be executed. 

To strike down two enemies at once, Jonathan and Robert must be instilled in a false sense of security by my reluctant compliance. I must bide my time, gain their trust and have them wholeheartedly rely on my strength. Together as comrades we eliminate our common enemy and wipe his chess pieces off the board, and in their gratitude they shall both forget I possess teeth and claws. 

With our enemy dead, I will take care of the rest before they come to their senses. 

Note: Erina may be with child. She and this potential risk must be dealt with, too. Jonathan is sure to reveal this in a moment of vulnerability. I must make sure he confides in me, his beloved brother.

Satisfied, Dio laid down the quill and smirked to himself. It was time to form an alliance.

Chapter Text

The temperatures fell to such a freezing depth that not even snow would form and dare disturb the thin, prickling air. All vegetation in sight seemed on the brink of death, solid as stone and hardened by the unusually relentless winter nights. 

Two day and night cycles came and went before the appropriate time neared to leave the castle behind and venture out into the oppressive darkness in search of the only two souls that could not afford the luxury of resting by a warm hearth.

Dio wondered why Jonathan had not used his status to acquire shelter and other such comforts. In the eyes of the rest of the world, he remained the sole heir to the Joestar fortune and various establishments funded or co-owned by the prestigious family. And who wouldn't offer their home to a poor lad that only a month prior lost his beloved father and brother to a tragic fire? Was it the lie that caused him to commit to this honorable self torment? Was it the reasonable assumption Dio would punish whoever aided him, and do so mercilessly? Did Jonathan elect to leave humanity behind in his own way to focus on his aspiration to set things right?

No matter. The important aspect of this particularly infuriating, heroic self sacrifice was that it left him vulnerable. Yet Dio had learned the hard way not to underestimate his brother's resilience. Jonathan appeared an imbecile carrying himself up with the same fragile porcelain spine the aristocrats adored, a surface level display of prowess and power, yet he'd come out of Dio's brutal beatdowns with a head high held. It was not the Hamon nor his muscle mass which made Jonathan Joestar a dangerous foe; It was that sharp glint ever present in otherwise so naive puppy eyes. 

It wasn't that it came as a surprise to see Robert at his side. Not really, when he really allowed himself to think of it. Infuriating, yes, but rational. There was a particular strength to strive after in such a determined and morally just character. In Dio's case, he hunted it down in order to crush it, suffocate and smother an incessant menace of a man that would not budge one bit. He did not need to kill his brother, but that was precisely why he had to do it. 

Dio could not grant Jonathan any kind of victory, real or imagined. He'd much rather they both die together than accept such a naive and faulty basis of morality as superior. Rather die by his own actions than allow the world to crush his aspirations.

He stopped. The acrid, heavy scent of smoke and burning coals signified a fire nearby fighting to stay alive in the desolate landscape. And beneath it, a scent Dio had come to recognize as human. They were difficult to place or compare to anything he'd previously known, yet it was without a doubt Jonathan and Robert seated by this fire. The vampiric, unnatural senses honed in on them, painted a picture of two hearts flowing with blood belonging to one larger and one smaller figure. For a moment Dio forgot himself and allowed that foreign, instinctual self to hungrily listen to the soft thuds of each heartbeat, lose sight of the nearby surroundings and drown in a vicious, insatiable need.

It was not that he could not control himself. If only it were that easy to abstain from blame. This violent desire was a poison he willingly allowed himself to drink, only because it tasted so sweet.

Really, this whole ordeal was absurd. Would a man make deals with his cattle? Yet Dio felt compelled to partake in this outrageously spontaneous plan Jonathan so recklessly presented to him, saw its gaping flaws and the potential found within them. It would have to be different than the last time he acted the role of an agreeable and harmless man. No groveling, no pleading to Jonathan's sensitive heart. They would learn of him, but only that which Dio allowed to be observed.

Stepping out from the shadows and foliage in a manner which would draw their attention was easy enough. All it required was attention to detail, to all those dried leaves and branches snapping like bones beneath heels.

"Who goes there!" 

Robert was first to acknowledge it. Surprisingly quick for a mortal, in fact. Amused by the sudden alertness, Dio listened particularly eagerly to the frightened and paced up thudding within his chest. Did he suspect already who lurked just out of sight? 

Then Jonathan's less tense, yet unsettled voice. "What is it, my friend? Did you hear something?"

"Indeed I did, Mr. Joestar. There is a third person nearby, if such a monster could even be referred to as a person."

Dio chuckled as he stepped into view. "Why, are you not happy to see me? How you begged and pleaded for my help. Or was I imagining things?"

Almost immediately he was urged to raise his hands in response to his brother's readiness for battle, however, and the hilarity of the situation quickly faded to bitter animosity. "Jojo, I better not see you charge up that solar energy of yours." Dio hissed. "Or I shall make my departure with haste, I vow this to you both!"

"And what grief we would feel being rid of you!" Said Robert with an infuriating boldness.

Hopeless as it was to reason with a turncloak, however, it would seem the warning had its intended effect on the only person of importance. Though the situation had not lost its sharp edge of potential conflict, Jonathan cautiously chose to lower his fists in favor of knowledge. And perhaps a glimpse of terrible longing akin to grief hinted behind that steeled expression, spurred on by the memory of the person Dio had never been. He was, and had always been naive.

Ideal conditions. It could not have gone any better.

"Why are you here, Dio?" He asked. His voice sounded heavy with bad memories, and of exhaustion. There remained little hope within it.

Alert as always, Dio took one last glance at them both before deciding to speak. If they showed any alarming signs of distrust…"I was hoping to find out from you , in fact. What I witnessed two nights ago felt awfully suspicious from my point of view, as you surely could imagine. I don't like being kept in the dark."

"You're telling me you've had a change of heart? How could I possibly trust you?"

Behind him, Robert refused to let go of Dio with his glare. It was admirable, really, yet a slight he wasn't quick to forgive. That those eyes in particular would be so distant and cold…

"It's simple. You can't." Dio decided it wise to state the obvious. "Back then you pleaded to my self preservation, didn't you, Jojo? It was a wise choice of words, for I would not be here unless they had been spoken. And seeing how rattled the two of you are from this strange encounter, I would be a fool not to investigate it myself. Does that not sound rational?"

And there it was. A glimmer of doubt. "It does." Jonathan said, contemplating the honesty of the words with a hand to his chin. 

"However…" Intervened Robert. "After all that you have done, what guarantees do we have? What about Baron Zeppeli and everyone else you've mercilessly crushed beneath your heel?"

Right. Their former companions. As if he could bother remembering such insignificant pests. Some anger flickered out before Dio could conceal it, and his brother's new sidekick certainly saw it.

"I do not ask us to be friendly." He retorted. "I have no need for that, do I? I say we lay our differences aside to combat this greater force, as Jojo suggested. You two need my help, or you would have never stepped into my domain asking for it."

A brief, yet excruciating silence followed. It would all be determined at this moment, and all three of them knew it. Two words, yes or no. Which would it be?

The responsibility fell on Jonathan. He rather seriously met Dio's gaze, holding it for a moment to be sure, then…

Chapter Text

"I'd prefer you keep your distance…"

"Always so pleasant to be around, aren't you, Rob?"

He flinched. "Do not call me that!"

In response to this delightful resistance, Dio thrived in a way he rarely did these days and could not quite keep the self satisfied smirk at bay. Before Robert could hope to react, he'd snatched the ridiculous looking tophat from him and placed it atop his own head. Robert grew red with anger.

"Give that back, right now! You have no right to touch such a valuable item!" He demanded, gaping in disbelief. 

"Why should I return it?" As quickly as the mischievous streak took over, it was replaced with resentment and scorn. "You shot me, so watch your tone!" 

From the other side of the campfire came a rustling of blankets as Jonathan groggily sat up. "May I ask that you two gentlemen keep it down to a respectable level, please?" He said rather dryly. It was quite clear who this sharp comment was devoted to. Dio pretended not to hear it.

"Look, as much as I disagree with it, I respect your decision, Mr. Joestar." Robert defensively crossed his arms over his chest. "However, I find these conditions intolerable! Must he be with us at all times, and so close to me at that?"

Jonathan sighed. It was the sigh of a man burdened by troubles far greater than these kinds of squabbles. Almost immediately, it made the upset man lower his gaze down to the ground. 

"I apologize. I'll keep him at a respectable noise level and allow you to get some rest..."

His brother nodded rather sluggishly. "Thank you, Speedwagon. I apologize on my brother's behalf for his lack of manners."

As soon as Jonathan laid his head back down, Dio threw the tophat on the ground and simmered in anger as he watched it roll about. All of a sudden the prospect of enduring this mission seemed rather slim. None of them were happy with it, yet they were expected to function well enough together that they would defeat a great evil in some miraculous team effort? It was optimistic, to say the least! 

"What happened to you?" 

The soft, quiet and fretful tone of voice, evidently meant to relieve the tension, only served to further aggravate him. Dio let out a bitter laugh. "

"What happened to you ? And what is it to you anyway, Speedwagon? Focus on what matters here, that being our differing allegiances. To think that I would find you here, assisting some wealthy brat…" 

Robert picked up the hat and quietly observed it for a moment, grim and pale. "And would you rather have me restricted by my old ways and treacherous lifestyle? It's hardly fair to criticize me for wanting out, is it?"

Dio didn't respond.

"Besides," He rather awkwardly continued. "I suspect this newfound madness and hierarchical climb of yours isn't so different from mine at its core."

"I thought you of all people would understand. Why are you working against me, Rob?"

Again with that involuntary winche. Why did it upset him so? Dio saw the internal turmoil it brought up and wanted to tear at it until he found the strands which belonged to shared, decade old memories, understanding their inherent value. But Robert's face steeled again, along with his shoulders. Defensive, withdrawn. "Look, we are not friendly anymore. Quit it with this vile attempt to make me sympathize with you. It won't happen."

"As if I need your friendship." Dio harshly retaliated. "A vampire has no need for such mortal trivialities. My ambitions know no end now, I look further into time than man could ever hope to comprehend and I see what matters. Unlimited strength, control and omnipotence refined by the drafts of history." 

"You seem awfully upset with me for someone that is beyond such mortal trivialities ." Something about that last bit amused Robert in some mysterious way.

"Naturally. Your foresightedness as mortal prevents you from seeing the futility in this endearing little rebellion against me." 

Dio remained untouched by the night, but Robert wore his coat open though his breath came out in a thin, white mist. He was warm and human. It was the barrier placed between them, indestructible and towering. At times, Dio could forget to breathe and find himself in a rush of panic that quickly dissipated once he remembered hours had passed. The passage of time happened to feel rather uninteresting these days, so he rarely noticed it.

"You must have gone mad if you believe it reasonable to ask us to step down." He muttered, peering out into the dark. "Mr. Joestar and I feel confident we are fighting for what is good, and nothing you say could steer our hearts toward depravity. It is the only hope of salvation."

It was difficult to keep the bitterness at bay. "So I've heard. And experienced, too, many times at that." 

Dio's hand unconsciously reached up to his forehead, searching for a gunshot wound which was no longer there. Evidently this subtle reminder of his new nature unsettled Robert, who made a point to look away and pretend to be otherwise occupied. 

"Oh, get over yourself." Dio scowled. "What sort of man cannot face the outcome of his own actions? To cower before the strange and supernatural in our modern times, as though we do not live in an era of enlightenment?"

"I struggle to see how surviving being shot in the head without injury is scientific progress…Besides, that's not why I feel uneasy."

Dio grinned again. "Well, you never had an aptitude for the academic arts, did you? I learned to read years before you were stuttering your way through the alphabet like some nitwit."

But the teasing tone of voice did not have the desired effect. Instead of retaliating by pointing out some perceived flaw, as was custom for boys of their upbringing in an environment where survival of the fittest always applied, his distant acquaintance only seemed beat down and burdened by the sadness of something which had been lost and could not be recovered. He looked like a struck dog.

"I no longer recognize you, Dio." Robert rather despondently said, only now daring to utter his name. "I don't think I recognize myself, either…"

And Dio was just in the process of saying something in response to such a targeting remark when his attention was drawn to the eroded coastal mountains looming far away by the horizon. Impossibly far for mortal eyes to observe, and just out of his very own range of full visibility, something had breached the moon's pale surface. A dark silhouette crept out of sight just as he discovered it, so conveniently timed it made Dio tense up with the inexplicable gut feeling of having been observed before. 

"What in the…"

As soon as he rose to investigate it further the overwhelmingly loud sound of something moving in haste through the foliage, so dangerously close, forced his heightened senses to switch targets. The intruder had been of a stature towering over the three of them with ease, and he, for Dio now picked up on that distinctive scent only men carried, kept a pace humans were incapable of. Yet again, Robert's keen ears picked up on the subtle noise and he too turned toward it.

The situation was a near echo of the not so distant past in which he himself had neared the campsite undetected. An alarming intuition suggested to Dio this mysterious figure wanted to be seen and heard, again eerily mirroring his own thought process. Whirling around, the distant figure could no longer be spotted where it once stood so quietly. 

It was a rare occurrence for Dio to be frightened, and responding accordingly he now felt his heartbeat for the first time since turning, and it was pounding at a sickening rhythm. How could they have escaped his notice? How in the world? It wasn't possible.

"Wake Jonathan." He told Robert, and immediately cursed himself inwardly for allowing a hint of anxiousness to slip out. "It seems our enemy decided to visit us first."

Chapter Text

And so they sat in total silence, each having chosen a spot away from the campfire to glare into as if to ward off the conflict coming from within. Jonathan carried a crushing kind of gloom to him, seated with his head lowered by the burdens he carried. Soft, yet shaky breaths escaped and betrayed the deep wounds beneath that calm and collected surface. Robert could not quite sit still, Dio's sensitive ears constantly picked up the sound of pebbles, dirt and gravel moving beneath restless boots as he adjusted himself in search of comfort. Evidently, it could not be found within this circle. Even now the heart beating so frantically within its chest refused to lay to rest.

Dio made no sound. His own heart was dead and cold again despite the hot, silent fury coursing through it. Having completely retreated into himself, he neglected to fill his lungs with air and bitterly thought of it as a poison dedicated to human beings.

It was all too predictable, yet they'd all naively hoped for a better outcome than this. The future hung by a thread, one which only Jonathan could control. 

"What is it now?" He had groggily muttered as Robert shook him awake moments earlier. "Speedwagon, you ought to get some rest too."

"Dio claims to have sensed two of the men we encountered. They were spying on us as we kept watch."

That certainly got rid of the remaining traces of lethargy. Jonathan immediately sat upright despite the agony it evidently caused him to move so quickly. Winching, he struggled to regain the lost composure before turning to Dio, who remained at a hostile distance. Something about the way his brother so easily found Robert's reassuring hand on his arm and squeezed it as a subtle acknowledgement made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Is this true?" He asked between sharp inhales. "Are you absolutely certain of it, Dio?"

"What benefits do I reap from lying?" 

How he hated them both. To think they would distrust his objectively superior judgment and so quickly discard it! The truth of it had not been spoken out loud, but Dio saw it in their eyes. It would not be so bad, had it been an actual lie they'd uncovered, this time it was something urgent and deeply worrying! 

"It would not be the first time you attempted to deceive me." Jonathan coldly stated. "Speedwagon, do you support this story?"

Dio immediately turned to burn his glare into the one person who would determine the outcome. He hoped it left marks on the skin beneath the layers of clothing, though it was rather childish to wish for such things. 

"Well…"

"It's alright, my friend. Take the time to recall what you experienced, no matter how insignificant it may seem."

Robert recoiled from being stared down in such a blunt manner, but found resolve in the soft tone of Jonathan's voice and straightened up again, taking a deep breath. His dark eyes flickered between the two taller and imposing men awaiting an answer. They were lit up halfway auburn by the light of the fire.

The tension in the air could have been touched.

"...I don't know. It was difficult to tell." He lied.

"You insolent bastard!" Dio was seeing red. "You're lying, I saw you turn toward the noise! Why, because you feel so morally superior to me? I'll show you who-"

In a display of that unwavering resilience, Jonathan had risen faster than he'd anticipated and gotten in the way. His chest heaved with the effort and sheer outrage at the threatening words Dio no longer cared to contain, yet he stood tall and strong as always. Something in his gaze made Dio flinch, if only for a moment.

"Be very careful with your next choice of words, Dio." He growled. " Very careful. "

"Or what? In this pathetic condition, I could easily take you on. Go on, hit me if you dare!"

His fists trembled with withheld rage, clenched together until the bone of the knuckles hinted through the pale skin. Dio's mind raced dangerously quick, tracing right back to the moment they first laid eyes on each other. Of hatred, jealousy, bitterness, sadness, grief, loss and a poignant, suffocating mixture he now fought to keep under control. A dark, putrid matter of unkempt emotions boiling to the surface in a matter of seconds. 

Then his eyes were drawn to Robert and the dark flood came to a sudden halt. How his eyes widened as he placed himself slightly behind Jonathan's massive frame...Protecting himself, from him . 

They stood quietly, neither daring to move as much as an inch. After a while Jonathan's darkened eyes gave out into a worn out expression highlighting the dark spots beneath them. 

"Dio…Is your ambition to have this end in bloodshed? Why then, would you show up to join our cause, knowing you have yet to redeem your horrible actions and earn your place?"

"Mr. Joestar, it's quite alright." Reassured Robert, drawing a hesitant hand up. "Let this be the end of it."

Yet he would not let Dio go with his steeled, undeterred gaze. "I will not have you resume the role of aggressor and torment those who are weaker than yourself. If this is going to be an issue, then feel free to tell me so."

Somewhere amidst the red fog, Dio tasted the metallic, cold taste of blood. It was not until this sensation pulled at his monstrous hunger that he realized he had bit down on his tongue, and hard. Wiping the side of his mouth and pretending not to notice the flash of concern moving across Jonathan's face upon seeing the sudden and quick stream of blood break out and run dry just as quickly, it was becoming all the more insufferable to listen to these words. 

"I am perfectly capable of controlling myself." Dio growled. "And I know what I saw and heard, even if the two of you would prefer to work against me for something as childish as earthly attachments." 

Robert clutched the tophat tighter to his chest as if by instinct. Right beneath it that sweet, inviting and strong pulse called out with each rapid beat of the heart. Were it not for Jonathan, they'd be joined together in the most intimate of exchanges, and neither of them without concern until his strength waned and survival instincts kicked in, too late and futile from the very beginning. For a moment Robert seemed drawn to him as well, quietly and mesmerizingly staring at the trail of blood running down his jaw. Then he snapped out of it and immediately looked away. 

"Dio."

"What!?" He snapped, all but baring his teeth at the disturbance. "Have we not argued enough, or do you wish to have another go at me? If so, save it for someone who cares!"

And there it was, that wildly infuriating, piercing sympathy he loathed . How Jonathan, despite all attempts to reshape and beat the goodness out of him, still could not resist viewing him like some mistreated animal to rescue. He appeared wounded by words more than by physical wounds, and always wanted to be the one to set things right, could never quite resist reaching a hand out so selflessly and without concern for his own wellbeing... 

"Dio, we should-"

"Shut up. Shut up, the both of you! I did not come here to mend what cannot be repaired."

Dio chose to seat himself as far away from the campfire one could be whilst still remaining in its light, deliberately turning his back on his brother and Robert, who hesitantly lingered in place. No doubt had those words resonated with the darker parts of their souls they would not admit to possessing, unlike himself. No one spoke a word in disagreement.

And here the three of them were, facing an enemy that could tear them apart without making as much as a sound. Dio was beginning to wonder whether he'd have to lift a finger to rid himself of these last human remnants. In fact, deep down where he would not acknowledge it, he'd begun to doubt he would make it out of this unscathed. 

Or at all. 

Chapter Text

Having found a decently sized cavern with a narrow opening which ought to keep their residence secret from prying eyes, with the additional benefit of providing shelter from the sunlight, Dio laid to rest. His two disgruntled companions ventured out in search of the enemy, though he'd already offered insight on the matter advising against it. These men they were looking for were anything but men, and they would also be evading the deadly rays of the sun at some secure, well protected location.

After all, Dio sensed such things. He was not unlike them, and it was a possibility these four strangers were vampires of some other family tree. His new self felt inexplicably drawn to them, as if by instinct. That silhouette quietly watching them from high above…The leader, it simply had to be him. But why, then, had this strange man chosen to reveal himself only to Dio? Whatever the intent, he suspected it to be malicious to some degree. 

No matter. With the way things played out last night, he might as well have departed for the castle ruins to rethink strategy. Vampiric sleep kept Dio partially awake anyway, with no escape from contemplation had it already nestled within his heart. Any disturbance, no matter how insignificant, brought him back up from the promise of relaxation, from the dripping of the stalactites in the ceiling to his own thoughts. And though it was his imagination playing tricks on him, a lingering trace of iron atop the tongue served as an additional disturbance. 

Eventually Dio grew sick of it and resigned to staying awake awaiting Jonathan and Robert's return. The only downside to being a vampire became rather evident as he tried to keep himself occupied, discovering most activities such as eating or attending to other needs to be unappealing and pointless. As the temperatures dropped, he gathered the available blankets without a concern for whom they belonged to and pulled them around himself as if to escape from the cold.

It made no difference. In fact, being surrounded by the scents of the others caused Dio distress. It ended with him angrily shoving them into the furthest corner, having realized he'd unwittingly chosen to collect Robert's blankets first. They had a strong scent reminiscent yet more vivid than a dog's. And there they remained in a sad pile, still reeking of people and animals he'd rather forget about altogether. 

"Whatever it is you are doing, Jojo," He muttered to himself. "you best hurry before I bash my head open on these rocks."

The sun traveled across the celestial plane, enveloping the landscape within a soft, orange light sparing only crevices and hiding spots such as this particular cavern from its deadly light. Dio could only experience it from a distance, watching for hours as the slim entrance allowed for a natural clock to appear upon the dusty floor and, just like the hands of a clock, move from one corner to the next. Shadows danced in mesmerizing, tranquil patterns which piqued his interest now that their vivid shades of gray, black and purple were fully visible. Then the sudden disappearance of the reddening sliver brought Dio back out of his near trance-like state with a shock. Jonathan entered first, covered in soot and ashes and holding something close to his chest. Right behind him followed Robert, who looked as though he'd been through the same dusty ordeal.

"Here. Catch!" 

Dio's reflexes allowed him to catch the mysterious item with ease, but it did nothing to lessen his confusion. "What's this about? Did the two of you apply to become chimney sweepers?"

Jonathan brushed himself off as well as one could. "Take a look. It's something which once belonged to you."

"What do you mean by-"

The stone mask's leering face stared back at him with empty, cold eyes which somehow still felt like they pierced his soul. Dio had no memories of the moment it pierced his skull, yet felt a strange, dizzying sensation along his temples looking at it now. Of his own ecstasy overwhelming any traces of pain up until the very end, and…

Overcome by its presence, he hastily threw it to the ground. "What is the meaning of this?" Dio demanded. "Have the two of you gone mad?"

This time it was Robert who took it upon himself to face his outrage, albeit with less confidence than Jonathan possessed. "We cannot have such dangerous items lying around for untrustworthy foes to find, can we now? You see, Mr. Joestar hypothesized those four men to be drawn to its power, that their objective is to retrieve it for their yet revealed ambitions."

"And you are handing it over to me, why exactly?"

To his surprise, Jonathan hardly paid any mind to the reckless intrusion wrought upon their belongings, acknowledging it only with a sigh. After a brief moment of contemplation he walked over to Dio, who recoiled out of habit expecting this encounter to end in bloodshed. After all, why wouldn't it?

"It's alright, Dio." He said. "I have no intent to harm you. Let us speak face to face, alright? It is of utmost importance that we do, for I have something to tell you."

Robert quietly excused himself and went back outside. To say it was difficult to settle down with his brother now leaned down right in front of him, as if to block any opportunities to escape, it would hardly do any justice to the urgency Dio felt. His eyes flickered all over the place, anywhere but directly at Jonathan. 

"Dio. Will you look me in the eyes, for the sake of the adolescence we shared as brothers?" 

"Why? This is some absurd kind of intimidation tactic, isn't it?"

But when there was no response, Dio felt compelled to reluctantly lift his head and meet a rather uncharacteristic serious feeling unbecoming of the carefree and naive person he'd always assumed Jonathan to be. 

"Dio." Dio flinched as he put a hand on his shoulder, and for a moment Jonathan seemed to suffer with him in a strange display of guilt. "I will not banish you. The truth of what happened last night is irrelevant to me, we need you on our side. I need you on my side. Speedwagon…"

He trailed off, and Dio bitterly laughed. "Oh, I know what he thinks of me. If you were any brighter than that mutt of yours, you'd heed his gut instinct and rid yourself of me immediately." 

"Nevermind." He shook his head as if to expel a thought. "Dio, I cannot judge the true nature of our foes, I suspect I do not have the ability to sense it, but you seemed confident when claiming this is no ordinary enemy. Are they vampires?"

"Might be. I cannot be sure. Whatever the case, I do not recognize their presence as human…"

Jonathan nodded. "As I suspected. This is why I entrust the stone mask to you, Dio. You, better than anyone else, understand what it can do. This will be your chance to prove yourself worthy of my trust. And with some luck, you might win Rob over."

Dio flushed red without understanding why. "Speedwagon is a ridiculous name. I cannot call him that."

"Of course." Despite it all, his brother smiled mysteriously. What did he know, exactly? "Promise me to watch over the stone mask with your life. We have no way of knowing what foul things it may be used for in the future, and I have no intention of finding out. Will you do this for me?" 

"Yeah, yeah. I'll look after it, no problem."

"...And be somewhat courteous and tolerable for everyone's sake from now on, alright?"

Dio scoffed. "What, did I hurt some feelings last night?"

But as Jonathan sighed, patted his shoulder and ventured out to join Robert outside. Only half satisfied with his answers, Dio found himself smiling triumphantly anyway. 

They'd accepted him. 

Chapter Text

"Halt! Who goes there!"

The other boy fell over as Dio began to laugh at his panicked and pale expression. He was quite scrawny and held his head low as if to avoid detection, which is why Dio initially determined the situation safe enough to make a dramatic appearance like the figures in old fairy tales. 

"That wasn't funny!" He whined, coughing as the dust flew around them. "I mean no harm, I was only-"

"Only what, exactly? This is my domain, and unknowns like you ought to stay clear of it!" Dio jeered.

But he immediately regretted teasing him, for the other boy looked so terribly disappointed as he slowly gathered the scraps of metal from the ground where they'd fallen. "Alright, alright. I'll just leave…Could I please just bring the items I found?"

"And why would you bring rubbish home with you? Those scraps are not worth any money, I have already checked. Take something else, will you?"

The boy stared hopefully at him with his soft, brown eyes. "You know where to find valuable things? Please, help me gather some!"

Since he seemed harmless enough and Dio felt awfully isolated digging through the enormous mountains of landfill by his lonesome, the idea of working together did not seem so terrible as it usually did. After some brief contemplation he stretched out a hand covered by soot and dust. The other boy eyed it with habitual uncertainty and suspicion, but took it nonetheless and allowed Dio to help him up on the pile. 

"You seem new around here. What's your name? I'm Dio." 

"Robert." He shyly spoke, flushed as if embarrassed by the sudden attention. "I usually don't go here, Mother says it is too dangerous for me…"

That made Dio smirk. "And yet here you are. I hope we can be good friends, Robert. Your mother was right to warn you of these areas."

As they scavenged the piles of rubbish together and grew accustomed to each other's presence, a kind of careless excitement began to grow. Soon they hardly bothered to dig around, instead busying themselves questioning the other and comparing their livelihoods. Robert prided himself on being older, of course, and made sure to tutor his sole student in all sorts of wisdom. In return Dio taught him a trick to win a game of poker, which people to look out for and how to tell whether someone had money to steal. They delighted in dreams of the carnival fare some well-off peers had spoken of, where one could buy sweets such as roasted almonds and plums and then witness knife wielders do dangerous tricks that caused the faint of heart to leave the tent. 

Most of all, they delighted in each other. 

"How about this?" Robert asked, holding up a pocket watch that seemed relatively intact. 

"Here. Let me see that."

The gears were turning inside Dio's head, but evidently not within this watch. Examining it closely and eventually discovering how to open its backside, he found it was only in need of a dusting and one minor wheel replacement. Having accomplished only one of these things he attempted to wind it up again, choosing to manually turn the arms to ten to represent his own age, but they stood frozen in time.

It was no use. Dio sighed in frustration and handed it back to Robert. "Hang on to it. If we find another watch with the same type of cogwheels, we might be able to fix it. It only needs one final repair."

"Well, at least we found marbles." Replied Robert, who was yet to appreciate the value of slightly broken things despite being four and ten. He was rather naive. "The other boys trade them, I've seen it. If you win a game, you might exchange them for money or useful items."

"One of the older boys said to always pick money, because you can trade it for women. What did he mean by that?"

"Beats me." Robert shrugged. "Why would you want to spend time with girls? They aren't allowed to play in the streets, or else their mothers scold them for getting their clothes and hair messy."

"Exactly! You just get in trouble, they're no fun!" 

It would seem the two boys agreed on everything worth bringing up. Before they knew it, the sun stood low and red at the horizon and signaled the end of yet another day. This one hadn't been so bad, Dio thought. As they bid their farewells, they both felt reluctant to leave, almost drawn together by some stranger, deeper force difficult to explain. To make it less final, they agreed this would be a good meeting spot. Though neither of them went to school like the wealthier boys did, Dio thought Robert was worth spending time with. He loved the mysterious world of academia, virtually pleading with them each time to show and explain to him the latest schoolwork they'd gotten, but even he understood that they only bothered with it because they felt sorry for him. Robert was like them, but quiet, modest and forgetful of his status as the oldest. He was never mean.

"Sometimes, Mother asks me to accompany her to work at the filature over there, do you see it?" Dio said, pointing toward a smaller factory further down by the river. "Usually they only need my help to carry things or mend the machinery if it breaks, so most of the time I have nothing to do. Would you like to visit it?"

Robert's eyes lit up at the invitation. "Of course! I've never seen machinery up close."

"Really? I assumed you would. Everyone here has to pitch in and help, even the younger children who haven't started going to school."

"I've seen machinery before." Robert rather defensively claimed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just not the kind of modern, industrial giants they got inside the factories. Our district hardly has access to a telegraph…"

And now it was Dio's turn to excitedly turn toward him with expectations running wild and free at the mention of such a rare item. "A telegraph ? You are not lying to me, are you? I've only seen the factory owner use one, and he said I wasn't allowed near it! We must go and draft our own telegraph message! Oh, but to who? Do you have any ideas?"

The unfortunate reality made itself known; Neither of them really understood what it meant to write a telegram, and, to be honest, neither felt particularly confident in their spelling abilities. Such a luxurious letter ought to be spelled correctly like how they taught it in the schools, or else people would not take the contents of it seriously and discard it. 

More importantly, they could not, despite thinking really hard, think of good reasons to write to anyone, or what secrets this letter would hold. It had to be of utmost importance , just like grown ups would say of things that were urgent and serious in nature.

No matter. They agreed to come up with an idea before they met again, then compare and see which would be most thrilling to try out. 

"Oh, I'm late for supper!" Robert exclaimed seeing how the city darkened around them. "I really need to get going, Dio. But I'll visit tomorrow, I promise! If not here, then we'll meet by the filature building. Thank you for helping me!" He proudly held up the backpack filled to the brim with various treasures found amongst the rubbish.

"I should go home, too. Mother and Father must have started without me, and they'll scold me for being late." Dio mumbled, forcing a smile. 

In reality, he would rather remain in the junkyard and never again set foot home. As Robert's small figure disappeared behind the ragged old houses, it was as if his aching legs would not obey. They remained fixed to the spot, trembling. With a terrible, heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach that felt like iron, Dio forced himself to move only so Mother would not worry. 

There would be no supper or loving, gentle and happy parents asking about his day, setting out a put aside bowl for him and then beam with pride hearing their son finally made a friend.

Now that Mother was ill, his father…

Chapter Text

It was a still night, only disturbed by the intrusive brightness of the half moon. If not for its light, the landscape would be a soft, black velvet desert with towering heights distincting themselves against a sky serenely glimmering with distant stars. Dio ventured out as the others slept, driven out toward that mysterious steep mountainside by the horizon. He of course made the journey with ease, being freed from the chains of mortal constitution and aches. Yet each second without knowing, and knowing only for a certain they knew, that they saw everything…Indeed, they had no time to slack off waiting for the enemy to come for them. There could be some clues remaining waiting to be uncovered by his keen eyes, some hint as to their intentions and ambitions. Quietly as he could be, he crept closer to the spot atop the cliffside where the silhouette had once stood watching their campfire burn in the distance, perhaps with the enhanced vision of a vampire.

Perhaps with the enhanced vision of something else entirely.

Dio climbed up to find a rather flattened stone surface stretching out for miles before meeting with a deep ravine, presumably making way for a river traveling down from the mountains which it originated from. A weak scent and some disturbed gravel and dust was all remaining traces of the enemy, and he knelt down to investigate further-

"Do you wish to meet with him?"

Moving faster than human eyes could see, Dio stood upright and spun around, pulse quickening to a sickening pace. "You're one of them, aren't you?" 

A tall and broad man watched him with no signs of discomfort next to a formation of rocks which he, until now, had hidden behind. Had he been waiting here? For how long? Soon thereafter Dio noted his clothing…or lack thereof. It was freezing, yet he wore only a loincloth, short cut top and simple sandals. It appeared almost Roman in its simplicity, perhaps older than. The association came from how strongly built and disciplined he was, holding himself upright with the mannerisms of a soldier. 

Most strange, however, was the horn protruding from his forehead. 

"I believe you already know what I am, vampire." He said. "We are not so different, you and I."

Such a strange accent. The words were spoken confidently, yet with the uncertainty of someone not familiar with the language. As if he understood their meaning but had yet to abandon his mother tongue entirely. Dio was tense all over from his sudden appearance, unable to lay much focus on such trivial details. "And do tell, who are you people that have frightened my enemies into reluctant allies? And what is it you want with me?"

The man's eyes glimmered as if having received some useful information. It bothered Dio more than he could withstand. "I see. So he was right to assume your alliance was born out of urgency. Humans and vampires get along as well as we do with vampires. Out of reckless ideas of commonhood our people meet in peace, but how often must it not end in terrible tragedy?"

"I believe I asked you a question."

"You're impatient." He chuckled. "You must be a newborn, then. Humanity's hot and flashing temper has not quite left your cold veins. I imagine you still possess the stone mask that transformed you…?"

"I have a name. It's Dio." He muttered. "What use do you have of the mask? If I were after it, I'd simply kill its guardians and quit bothering with these charades."

"I am Wammu, harnesser of the wind." He responded, albeit with some reluctance. "Careful with what you wish for, Dio…The others have no qualms with shedding blood for our cause, and neither do I if it must come to it. But isn't it wasteful to put your life on the line when our leader would offer you sanctuary?"

"Sanctuary…?"

"We have no use for humans. But vampires seem a rare commodity, and a highly useful one."

A highly useful commodity…Those words rung quite impersonal and blunt in his ears. Nonetheless, an important piece of information had been revealed by these almost purposely detached words. These strange men that were not quite vampires needed him , and they had just extended him an invite of sorts. One personally made by their leader, who had yet to be revealed even by name.

Dio smirked. This was suddenly very interesting. "So, your leader wishes for me to step back and betray my human companions, and in exchange I'll receive…What exactly? Surely you can do better than insult me by offering sanctuary. As if I need your protection."

Wammu didn't seem entertained by this at all. In fact, he looked rather disappointed. "So you really do not know what we are…It would seem our existence was all but erased in the milleniums that passed us by in our sleep. I hoped you would understand the futility of challenging us."

"Archaeology was never my field of expertise." Dio taunted him. "Whatever secrets your history holds might lie within one of the minds you intend to kill, for all I know. Shouldn't I protect all sources of insight in my possession, then?"

"You could obtain whatever information you desire from us directly. You seem clever enough to realize your own significance and leverage."

It was ridiculously tempting. Though Dio suspected these words were not his own, but rather a message relayed yet again from the mind behind their mysterious mission, they certainly spoke to that egotistical and vain monster within that only desired more with each word. It was important to feign reluctance and draw out more information whilst still given the opportunity to do so, to figure out whether this treaty would be worth the risks. No doubt did they harbor some kind of disdain toward the idea of relying on an unpredictable factor such as himself. Dio took it that interests aligned well enough to let go of pride. A certain self destructive and thrill addicted side of him took great interest in this particular leap of faith. Oh, how tempting wasn't it to succumb to recklessness! 

"Tell me, Wammu…What is it you hope to achieve? What is your end goal, so to speak?" 

"If I told you this, you would immediately relay it back to your friends." 

"So what? You said it yourself, humans play no significant part in our games."

Wammu looked away for a moment, seemingly contemplating his options. What Dio said made sense, and it would potentially sway him to join their cause if it served his interests. If not…

When it was taking too long for his comfort Dio took a step closer, emboldened by his hesitation. "The stone mask. You want it from me, yet have no interest in turning like I did. There is more to it than I first assumed, isn't there?" 

The silence was revealing enough. Jonathan had only begun to appreciate its worth before Dio stole it away. They knew jarringly little of its potential.

"...There is one question you must answer truthfully. Will you do it?" The strange man finally asked.

"Go on."

"Does the stone mask you possess have a large, carved indent in its forehead?" 

"It does." His cold, dead heart nearly came alive with the rush of adrenaline. Dio had lied straight to his face and the repercussions of such a lie were impossible to estimate. This thrill was unlike any other.

Wammu contained himself well. His face revealed as much as the surface of boulders. "That is where our interests align, vampire. You used it to turn into a creature of the night, but we know how to conquer daylight. All we are missing is the mask."

Dio hardly dared to breathe. "I need to hear it directly from your leader. I must know more."

"And you will."

Wammu left, leaving him obsessively enamored by the promise of unlimited power. Of beating his only true enemy. Sunlight.

Chapter Text

The two newly woken, still groggy men had quite the rough wake-up upon hearing what urgent news Dio came to share.

"Did this happen just now?!" Jonathan frantically began to free himself from his blankets. "We have to get there before he disappears again!" 

"Calm down." Muttered Dio, not feeling up to a ghost hunt. "You two missed the action, so deal with it. It's best we all remain here anyway, in case they have an additional trick up their sleeve."

"I suppose you're right about that…"

But although his brother was quick to sit back down by the fire in an orderly fashion rather contradictory of his muscular and imposing build, thoughtfully staring off into the glowing embers as if to recollect his thoughts, Robert was not so easily consoled. He stood by the entrance of the cave, half illuminated by the moonlight and the warm, orange glow from within. For whatever reason it caught Dio's attention, and he became rather intrigued by the way the two light sources played across his solemn face. They made him look more fierce, presenting a wilder glimmer in his eyes.  

"So, what did he want with you ?" Robert said, making no attempt to conceal his doubts. "It sure is a coincidence to cross paths with the only other vampire around…"

That he out of all people would be the one to openly express such defiance... "I was getting to that part, before someone rather impolitely interrupted…" Dio scowled. "Do you wish to hear what I have to say, or should I leave it a mystery?"

To his right, Jonathan adjusted himself in reaction to an increased, anxious heartbeat rushing through his veins. "We really can't afford to bicker amongst ourselves, you two. Dio, be as kind as to tell us what you learned, please."

"I may have picked a fight with the wrong person. You have plenty of flaws, Jojo, but manners were never an issue for you."

Robert only scoffed in response, still refusing to meet his gaze.

And so Dio told them a version of events that were true to reality, having memorized how the story went long before stepping back into the cavern. Of how he'd gone out in search of clues like a good, trustworthy companion would, then discovered one of the men nearby waiting for the right opportunity to approach him. Of their desire to obtain the stone mask, and that they were not vampires but something else entirely, just like Dio had suspected for a while. Of course, he rather carelessly allowed incriminating parts of their conversation to slip out of mind. It wasn't like they'd be able to catch him omitting details, anyway. 

"I don't get it." Jonathan mumbled, scratching his head in confusion. "Though I suppose I should cast aside my rationality and scientific approach and let go of skepticism entirely…You said he hinted at their people heralding from ancient times, perhaps stretching as far back as thousands of years?"

"Something like that." Dio sneered. "Whatever the case, he seemed awfully confident even in my presence, as if it didn't alarm him whatsoever…"

"It's a good lead. We would do best in heading back to London by first light-"

Jonathan stopped mid sentence as Dio cleared his throat, first perplexed but then blushing fiercely with shame as his eyes widened with realization.

"Right…Tomorrow by sunset, then. Sorry...I believe I could find archeological documents at the academy, maybe figure out what they are. This would require great effort from the three of us. I'll need your help to sort through the files."

Dio couldn't help but groan. "Paperwork…To think you had to choose such a dull profession…"

"Now, on how to bring us back to London..."

Robert kept quiet and remained by the entrance sunk in thought. It kept distracting Dio, who originally intended to criticize whatever optimistic and naive plans his brother kept laying out. Eventually he let Jonathan plan the journey entirely by himself, quietly excusing himself to the man deeply engrossed in a mind library of archaeology. Jonathan only hummed in acknowledgement, his gaze unfocused.

Following Robert outside where he now stood leaned against the cliffside, breath coming out in pale clouds as it met the freezing air, Dio gracefully ignored the displeased look cast his way as he decided to lean back against the same spot. 

"What?" Robert muttered, glaring up at the moon.

"It's a bit cold to be outside avoiding me, don't you think?"

That made him smile, albeit with a hint of bitterness. "I'll be just alright. Lately, I've come to grow more resilient to the cold."

"Maybe so." Dio admitted. "But what would happen if our enemy decided to show up whilst you stood here, all alone and defenseless? I won't let stupidity be your downfall." 

"I don't need your protection. I've managed on my own for ten years."

"So did I. But our circumstances are different now."

At last Robert met his gaze and overcame hesitation. They seemed darker than usual at night, as if containing another depth of great worry. This was further accented by his rich eyebrows furrowing with concern. "Dio…" He said. "I greatly appreciate the person you were back then, I really do. But just like you said, we're not the same anymore. That past is behind us, far beyond our reach. You changed. Hell, I changed..."

Frustration boiled up from within. "Of course I did! It was what I had to do in order to survive. I grew stronger, while you chose to adopt convoluted ideas such as kindness, morality and righteousness. Can't you see what a prison they are?"

"And is your prison not the same as mine?" Robert retaliated with a confidence Dio before now would not have expected from him. "How many centuries do you plan to fight this uphill battle against yourself? One, two hundred, a thousand? Or will you choose to set your grievances aside, and stop inflicting unjust damage upon yourself and others?"

Dio scoffed. "Is this an attempt to plead to my conscience? Please. I rid myself of it the day my mother passed. It was buried alongside her in some unremarkable grave at an old, neglected and overgrown cemetery nobody bothers to visit."

"I visited it."

"What…?"

"Dio, I went there searching for your name." Robert stepped closer and forgot to keep his sulking distance, now upset by emotions difficult to read that tore at Dio unexpectedly. "It was a few years ago, right after I had been…Let's say I was in a dark place, and feeling more lost than ever. Nobody had seen you in a year, and your home was abandoned. I feared the worst and went to the newly dug graves expecting to see three tombstones, but all I could find were your mother and father's. Why didn't you tell me you were alive? Maybe if you did, you wouldn't have-"

"Enough." Dio snapped. "Stop this."

But it didn't end there. Dio twitched in surprise as Robert suddenly took hold of his hands despite their deathly paleness and how they lacked warmth, placing them into his own that were so full of life. Now Dio stepped closer, driven by a sinister impulse he could barely contain being this agitatedly close to him…

Meeting that pleading gaze, Dio stopped and regained control of himself. But only barely. His head was filled by an abysmal hunger he'd neglected to take care of, and it could hardly hear anything over the sweet, warm pulse running through those veins…Why was it so much stronger than the pulse of others?

"Dio, it's not too late." Robert begged. "You can still make things right, so please…Whatever they told you, swear to me you'll be on our side." 

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Just trust me! Swear it to me!"

"Alright, fine! I swear it. Now let go of me!" 

Dio felt lightheaded with hunger, and now that Robert stepped back as if wounded by his harsh tone of voice and urgently withdrawn hand, it was adjoined by something dark and heavy within his chest. Feeling naseous, he immediately escaped out into the wilderness, and whatever Robert said to him then fell on deaf ears. 

It did not matter what he killed that night. Nothing seemed enough to absolve him of those tainted, burdensome feelings clouding his heart. That vile, putrid poison known as tenderness forced upon him...

How? How could someone like himself ever hope to change?

Chapter Text

Fortune shone on Dio that month, as if God wished to offer an apology for his mother's agonizing, worsening ailment. On a day just like any other he and Robert were digging through the junkyard together, chatting and making jokes, when his friend all of a sudden had shouted with surprise.

"Dio! You have to see this, over here! Come! Hurry!"

"What? Did you find something valuable?" He rather sarcastically replied, expecting there to be nothing of the sort. They'd searched the piles for months without much success. He was a year older than he'd been when their journey began. They found treasures, yes, but few worth selling.

"I'm being serious. Come on, hurry!" Robert insisted anyway.

Dio relented of course, now curious to see whatever he had discovered amongst the piles of rubbish that excited him so. It was infectious, of course, by the time he had climbed over his heart was racing with the thrill of discovery. There Robert stood, carefully holding a small gear in the palm of his hand as if afraid to lose it. 

"Remember the pocket watch we found?" He breathed, voice filled with wonder. "All it was missing was a cogwheel, right?"

They sat down together in bated silence as Robert picked it out of his coat pocket, neither daring to disturb such a pivotal moment with words. He handed it over to Dio, whose hands trembled as he put the new gear into place, closed the backside and wound it up. Time seemed to come to a halt as they waited, each passing second without any ticking only feeling increasingly agonizing. Doubt began to creep up on them…

And then it ticked into motion.

"It worked!" Dio laughed. "Look, Rob, it's working! I knew it would, it's like I said!"

Robert's eyes shone with delight. "I never doubted your genius for a second, Dio!"

Near ecstatic from this major achievement they decided to celebrate, despite having little money to spare for it. Together, their saved up funds were just enough to purchase a handful of caramels, though it hardly mattered how few they were to two boys who hardly got to taste sugar once in the span of a year. Full of energy, neither felt like going home and they settled on exploring an abandoned smallfolk church. It stood monument from before the factories moved into the cities. Being so close to the noise and overshadowed by the large buildings, it simply relocated and left a vacant property ideal for exploration. 

"Are you sure it's safe?" Asked Robert, anxiously peering at the ghostlike, overgrown ruin. "What if the police come by?"

Dio bitterly laughed. "As if they would bother with us. Last night someone was found beaten to death by the pub, and I saw no uniforms running about investigating it. He was a nobody, and nobodies like ourselves are not worth paying any mind to." 

"I suppose you're right about that. Still…"

"Come on. I'll lead the way."

Taking his hand, Dio led Robert through the gates and into the thick foliage waiting behind it. Thorny weeds and overgrowth stood in their way, but he attempted to wade through it best he could without being hurt. By the time they'd made it to the top of the church tower and looked out at the worn down districts surrounding it he and Robert both had legs and arms covered in scratches. Nothing seemed to break their spirit. Being so high above the ground, climbing a potentially dangerous ladder and braving thick cobwebs was all part of the exhilirating experience. 

"Look!" Robert pointed. "The street lights are about to be lit up."

Outside, a distant silhouette climbed up to each gas lamp. Within seconds they produced a lim light against the slowly darkening skies, though the sun still desperately clung to the horizon with its last dying red shades like blood splattered across the skies. It was beautiful, more breathtaking than Dio ever imagined his foul city could be.

"Woah…"

"I want to be in charge of the streetlights when I grow up." His dark brown eyes glimmered orange in the sunset. "What do you want to be, Dio?"

"Well…I guess I haven't thought that far ahead…"

"You could choose to be anything, even the lord of a castle. It doesn't have to be realistic. Surely you have some dreams!"

Of course he did. And how those dreams tore at Dio like daggers, like rough patches of hay sticking out of holes in a mattress nobody could afford nor care to replace. He wanted many things, and all of them could only be achieved if he were magically transported away from this district and recognized for his talents by someone with influence and wealth. A foolish fairytale. It meant leaving Mother behind to be the victim of his drunken father, despite her being a woman and defenseless against him.

"I can't say I have any." He said, ashamed of his pathetically frail voice. "None that will ever come true, anyway."

"Dio…I did not mean to upset you, I'm sorry." 

Somehow those gentle words only helped form a lump in his throat he'd been fighting off, creating angry, despairing tears in the corners of his eyes that Dio hastily wiped away. "We shouldn't have bought these." He said, handing the paper bag now containing only two caramels to Robert. "It would have been better to save the money, or buy something useful. We should sell the pocket watch and make good use of it."

"Do not say things like that!" Robert blurted out. "If all we do is about surviving, then life is not worth living at all. I refuse to become like the adults around us!"

Guilt was eating Dio up from the inside, acidic like a poison. He felt so ashamed he could hardly meet Robert's gaze. He numbly sat down on the dusty wooden floor and drew his legs close in a futile attempt to protect himself from the horrible turmoil. 

"Mother's medicine…" His voice cracked. "She's only growing worse by the day, and we have nothing left of it. No money to pay for it, Father made sure of that. Rob, she's going to die. I'll be all alone…"

"I didn't know. I'm sorry, Dio. I really am." 

Sitting down right next to him and taking hold of his hand, Robert squeezed it to say he would not be going anywhere. Dio couldn't continue to keep his composure. He wept, and as those bitter tears of resignation fell Rob held onto him without saying a word, so warm and kind as if he were an angel heralding from another world. 

He was the only other person Dio cared about.

"Rob…" He eventually spoke in a quiet voice as the tears dried up.

"What is it?"

Dio had been burying his face against his chest, but now he gazed up into the soft and compassionate eyes of someone he had grown to cherish so passionately over time."When two people are forbidden to marry but cannot betray their hearts, they do something called eloping. Obviously I don't mean it in that way, but…" Dio flushed red as he spoke of it in those terms, but he did not let go of Rob's hand. "I want us to run away together when she dies. There will be nothing left for me here, anyway."

"Dio…" Though he had specified the intent behind the words, Robert also grew flustered hearing them. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course. I would not lie to you about such a thing. I need to know, will you do this together with me, as my one and only friend in the entire world?"

Rob…He was so beautiful in the light of the dying sun. Emotional tears glimmered bright red like gemstones as they framed his eyes. 

"Yes." He whispered. "Of course I will, Dio. I'd do anything to keep you happy."

Hearts racing together, terrified of their bold feelings yet renewed by them, they shared a first, trembling and hesitant kiss and a wordless confession that no one else could ever find out about. 

It was an unrevokable promise for the future.

Chapter Text

Using Jonathan's status and family name to gain favors, they ended up hiring a decent driver and carriage drawn by four horses. The man was rather uncooperative at first, but gold persuaded even those who felt inconvenienced by strangers of the night with lordship titles. The ride to London would last 'til morning and his brother added an extra coin for the troubles nightfall entailed, expressing regret for asking such a favor in the first place. They ventured out immediately, concerned by the possibility of reaching London as the sun rose and thereby putting Dio at risk.

"Speedwagon. Would you check the time, please?" Said Jonathan as they set into motion. 

Robert began to dig into his coat pocket, pulling out a pocket watch. "Exactly four in the afternoon, Mr. Joestar, and we have a third quarter moon illuminating the path. We ought to arrive in the late hours of the new day, but not to worry. It will be a cloudy and dark December morning when we reach the city."

Dio feigned disinterest by looking out the window as the all too familiar relic of the past was brought up into his field of vision. He hadn't expected Robert would keep it, and for some inexplicable reason it caused him discomfort to be proven wrong. To think he was surrounded by such naïve and nostalgic fools…

Jonathan pulled out a notepad and pen to record and organize his thoughts, a habit Dio recognized from their time studying for examinations. "Dio, was there anything else that stood out to you when meeting this 'Wammu'?"

"You mean, aside from his moral resemblance to you?"

"In what way did he resemble me?" As usual, Jonathan was not quick to recognize when someone was being sarcastic.

"Must I really explain it to you?" Dio muttered. "You've written every detail down and cross-checked it five times already, I'm sure you can figure it out."

Bringing the notepad closer as if it would somehow improve his reading comprehension, Jonathan studied it with a look of concentration on his face that was only interrupted once his slow mind caught up to Dio's intent. "I'm not like that at all!" He whined, face growing red. "Fine, I try to prevent conflict when I can, but that does not mean I am naïve !"

Dio grinned. "No, of course not. My mistake." 

"I believe Dio is attempting to get a rise out of you, Mr. Joestar." Robert chimed in. "You should not let his childish behavior be rewarded. It is a desperate plea for attention."

"Watch your tongue." He hissed. "I will not be patronized by the likes of you!"

"My apologies. I guess I struck a nerve."

"Really? Well, I'll-"

"Both of you, settle down!" Jonathan pleaded, ironically enough assuming the role of mediator. "Speedwagon, my feelings were not hurt at all. In fact, I've grown rather used to Dio's sharp wits over the years, they no longer bother me. I appreciate the concern, but I'll be alright. That being said, Dio, you really ought to take our current situation more seriously."

"Fine." Dio dryly said, leaning back into his seat.

Robert did the same on the opposite side. "Fine."

"Admit it. I am right, though."

Jonathan could only sigh. "Let's say that you are, if only to keep you quiet about it."

He then returned to the notepad, sorting through it and writing on a new page details that could be relevant to their search. That left Dio and Speedwagon more or less forced to acknowledge each other without the familiarity of conflict. Dio crossed his arms over his chest and glared out the window again, desperate to avoid the dreadful silence filled with unspoken thoughts.

"So…" Robert began. "What were you doing out in the forest last night?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? I was hunting, if that was not obvious already. A strange inklination tells me the two of you prefer I keep myself on a strict vegetarian diet, and so I gracefully obliged."

But the words only served to further mystify his actions. "Vegetarian..?" 

Dio waved a dismissive hand. "Call it whatever you like, I'm not too strict on technicalities when it comes to my recent transformation. Come up with another term for it, if you must."

"Alright. I'll do my best..." 

Robert didn't sound too convinced in that particular moment, having yet to move past the absurdness of their conversation. And of course, there existed a lingering tension created by their conversation prior to Dio storming off. Even now, the memory of it quickened his faint pulse to a pace more akin to that of a human's, particularly when recalling how invitingly warm Robert had been to touch. 

 "Have you given what I said any further thought?" 

Dio adjusted himself, still refusing eye contact. "I promised, didn't I? Is that not enough?" 

Though of course, he had little intent on staying true to his word. Once this ordeal with the four men came to a close…Yes, he already decided long ago this partnership would come to a brutal end.

"Not that." Robert shook his head. "I meant what I said regarding…well, you."

The plan was not without flaw. Dio originally intended on remaining unaffected and detached from both Jonathan and Robert to ensure his mind was clean of any doubt, miniscule as it may be. Almost as if aware of this, however, they had no qualms with directly challenging him and questioning his way of thinking. To draw nearer. Seeing the pocket watch immediately brought back memories from a distant mortal life that clouded his judgment. It was becoming increasingly difficult to remain neutral.

"Oh, you mean that nonsense. I have better things to do than contemplate such mortal tediousness." He responded, overtly dismissive of the notion as he picked dried blood out from under his nails. 

But as Dio glanced back up to see if Robert believed him, he was met by an unconvinced, scrutinizing face. 

"If you say so…" 

Dio's gaze was for a moment drawn down to his lips, and he immediately leaned back and averted it. "Seriously…" He grumbled. "I cannot believe I've willingly chosen this company, knowing damn well how outrageously heroic the lot of you are. I'm only here to make sure that optimism doesn't wind up killing us all."

"And to protect the stone mask." Jonathan added, still focused on his writing but evidently listening in on their conversation.

"And to protect the stone mask, yes." Dio repeated. "Nevermind that it is worthless to our adversaries and a false lead I planted."

"It was a clever move." Robert said. "It may buy us time to find the real mask and destroy it, before they realize they've been duped. I believe it would be wise to continue to protect it as it it were the one they're after."

"Precisely so. See, now? My contribution to this team effort is invaluable. I'd reckon they would have figured it all out by now, were it not for me. Aren't you glad you came to my doorstep begging for help?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Always a delight to have you around."

"Hey!" Dio protested. "Who taught you sarcasm? Who are you and what did you do to my absentminded, knucklehead brother?"

To his surprise, Robert couldn't quite resist an amused smile and did his best to hide it from them both. It had been so long since Dio had seen him this relaxed and entertained, and knowing he managed to accomplish this felt like a great victory. Despite his best efforts, such lighthearted and easy emotions of companionship and a shared understanding threatened to undermine the hard work of establishing himself above them.Driven on by this sudden embarassment, Dio reached out and pulled Jonathan's foxhunter hat over his eyes. 

"What was that for!" He complained. "You are such a menace, you know that, right?"

But Dio wasn't paying much attention to his complaints. He was occupied by the sight of Robert still smiling to himself, face colored and brightened by happiness.

Chapter Text

They hurried to the nearest inn or hotel, urged on by a terrible blizzard, as the black skies brightened into a pale blue, cold hue above their heads. London was forever in motion and expanding, meaning roads were occupied even in these early hours by workers or shopkeepers preparing for the new day. Carts and wagons drove by and the large wheels creaked darkly against the cobblestone roads as they drove on. Dio noted with some amusement that bypassing horses were unsettled by their presence, rearing the heads and making noise as they caught his scent. The sleepy driver above urged them on with the whip, oblivious to whatever bothered them in the first place. Robert quietly distanced himself from the road looking somewhat pale.

"There!" Jonathan said, pointing toward one of the older, multiple stories buildings at the end of the street. "I believe Father and I visited this hotel during one of his business trips to London. They might even recognize me."

At the mention of George Joestar, their group fell into a tense silence. Dio decided not to break it with any sort of apology or display of remorse, though it might have meant a lot for Jonathan to hear it. Returning to London brought back some of his darker memories, and with them came the practiced habit of fending for yourself only. Social customs of condolences for the sake of having done it belonged to the elite. He'd never identified himself with such insincerity.

They let Jonathan handle negotiations and business. He was surprisingly skilled, too, given his cheerful, warm mannerisms and wealthy appearance. He and Robert both had been taking turns resting during their outdrawn and agonizingly dull journey, but human as they were their uncomfortable naps had not accomplished much. It was a grievance, but Dio realized a day they could not afford to waste may pass them by.

He glanced outside for the twelth time since arriving. "He better hurry. Dawn is approaching…"

Robert yawned. "I agree. I'm so exhausted I might pass out as soon as I lay down…"

"That's not what I meant, you dimwit." Dio sharply said. "Are you drifting off already? Pay attention."

"Oh, right." Robert flushed red. "That may have slipped my mind…Strange as it may sound, I hardly ever think about your...condition."

Faithful as always Jonathan at last approached with three keys as they finished speaking, but the pale look on his face meant unexpected trouble. 

"There's something we need to discuss…"

They were graced by luck; The hotel offered rooms with the provided option to barricade the windows, due to the unending, cacophonic barrage of traffic outside on the streets. However, the only available rooms were one single-bed room directly facing east, and the dark room was one originally intended for a newlywed pair who'd canceled last minute.

"It is not a death sentence." Dio sighed, quickly setting up his side of the bed and attempting to do so in the most relaxed way possible. "Besides, I will be taking this opportunity to rest alongside you. It may no longer be required of me to sleep, but lately I've grown rather uncomfortable staying awake after sunset. It's a vampire thing."

"Is there no way to pull the bed apart?" Ever since they were told of the situation, Robert had begun to act awfully jittery. He lingered close to the door as if hoping to escape through it at any signs of trouble.

"I could split the frame in the middle using brute strength, but only if you have spare supports lying around."

"Well, they ought to have a storage downstairs in case-"

"Oh, come on, be serious for a moment." Dio groaned. "Keep at it and you'll be sleeping on the cold, hard wooden floor. Rob, come over here already, you're getting on my nerves standing over there like you're on death row..."

Behind the tightly drawn curtains and shutters he sensed the sun would cast its first deadly rays within five minutes. Physical safety from it did very little to ease the instinctual fear of being exposed to harm, and so Dio felt he had little time to lament their situation or to reassure his companion. Without further ado he changed out of his usual clothes and into a dressed down, more appropriate attire of a simple, white linen shirt. Dio caught Robert glancing at him more than once, but since they both were guilty of this, neither dared mention it.

"I'm just thankful I don't have to share with Jojo." Dio said to break the silence. "We attended a summer camp together once, and that idiot can be virtually comatose. If you ever find yourself being pushed over the edge of the bed by him turning in his sleep, be ready to sprain a muscle or two trying to move him back. Comatose, I tell you!"

Robert had plenty of scars both old and new all over his body, a feature Dio was ridden off by regenerative abilities. "You weren't asleep?"

"I rarely got a full night's rest." Seeing the pale, thin and uneven lines and bruises abruptly awoke a strange sense of having lost something important. "Never have. Ironically enough, casting humanity aside has allowed me to reap its benefits more than I ever did as human."

They laid down, both opting to stay as close to the edge as comfort allowed. Now that the lights were off Robert's shy and uncertain gaze no longer held any color but black, but the room brightened enough to allow Dio to see even the most miniscule of details. He wondered then how much he was able to make out of Dio in the darkness, if he knew they were both looking directly at each other. This sort of vulnerability was delightfully sweet to witness, something you could almost taste like the warm, metallic richness of blood. And how that still living heart was racing, only protected by a thin shirt, a layer of skin and muscle. 

"Now I know you wouldn't have had the courage." He said in a playful, teasing tone of voice. "When we promised to run away together, did you ever consider how closely intertwined our lives would be, that we'd need to share things and stay close during cold winter storms with nothing but our bodies to provide warmth?"

"I'm not scared of you." Robert insisted, almost a bit too forcefully. "I could have done it, if not for…"

It was a subject neither of them had dared bring up until now. His voice faltered, fearful of treading unfamiliar territory. Was it worth taking such a risk and breathing life into things they'd rather forget? Would it lead to anything but breathing fire into old aches? Dio's gaze unintentionally became drawn on the jagged scar running across the bridge of his nose and the center of his face. Marked for life, doomed to forever draw the gazes of people who couldn't understand what it meant, that would find it repulsive and unattractive to look at.

And how could they know?

"...Well, goodnight, then." 

"Isn't it morning?"

Robert sighed. "You know what I meant."

"Of course I did. Goodmorning."

Smirking to himself, Dio felt successful in chasing off that ugly, heavy shared experience weighing their spirits down for a moment. Indeed, contemplating it any further could not possibly lead to anything good, and their main priority at the moment was to regain focus. If their heads were not clear and ready to take on the unfathomably tiring task of sorting through old documents and notes the next evening, they would be better off not committing to it in the first place. 

He remained awake for a moment, listening intently to the slowing heartbeat beside him and watching as Robert relaxed and began to drift off, eyes closed and the previous tension fading from his face. Having lost most of his natural body heat, Dio felt unusually warm in such close proximity to someone else. Had Rob always been this warm? It was not a fever, was it? Should he reach a hand out and feel his forehead? Would he shiver in response to it?

Dio had forgotten what it felt like to be mortal. Now, he was as close to normality as he could ever hope to be. 

Satisfied with this conclusion, he too shut his eyes.

Chapter Text

Paper files and folders laid strewn out all over the floor, some beginning to gather and form a smaller hill as they were discarded without further consideration. It was well past midnight, the moon outside stood low and sank only closer to the horizon as the tedious work progressed into the late hours. 

"Found anything remotely useful yet, or shall we head back?" Dio asked, if only to voice his dismay. 

Jonathan barely acknowledged anyone, deeply engrossed in the field of study he'd grown to love as much as life. Even now as they faced setbacks, he glowed with quiet enthusiasm. "Not really, I'm afraid. Some of these studies, particularly ones from Southern Europe or Mexico, do seem to lead us in that direction. They seem unrelated, yet connected in some profound way…"

"Is it about them?"

He shook his head. "That is the problem. These documents describe the folklore and mythology regarding what we would call vampires, of supposed sightings and rituals to keep them at bay. I can't help but think they're connected somehow, but there is no evidence for it."

"Wammu mentioned vampires as if speaking of a larger population." Robert had been quiet thus far, so Dio turned to him. "Where there is smoke, there is fire. What do you say, Rob?"

"I can't say…I trust Mr. Joestar's opinion of it, of course."

Unbeckomst to his brother, their brief exchange carried more significance than he could begin to suspect. Robert averted his eyes at first as if aware of how his heartbeat quickened and spread blood up to his face, then brought himself to look up at Dio's unrevealing expression expecting to find an answer to the silent questions he'd asked. 

Are we agreeing to pretend nothing happened between us? Is that why you have yet to mention it? Should we discuss this and make sure there are no lingering doubts?

Not now , would have been Dio's answer. Not ever. I wish to be separated from the remnants of my human past, and yet you keep bringing me closer to it. 

It was not the fault of anyone that they shared that brief but intimate bond in what seemed another lifetime. It served its purpose well enough. Perhaps it had been fated to be just that; One step toward the future in which Dio learned the hard way to rid himself of such excess and took the final, irreversible plunge into the unknown. What neither of them expected, however, was to wake up and find they'd been drawn to each other in their subconscious state of sleep. That Dio, who startled at any movement, allowed Rob to lay his head against his partly exposed chest and even drew a protective arm around him as if to keep him close. 

Speaking of it meant to lay down all the cards and keep no secrets. It would force them both to decide what they wanted, with the only possible outcome being a conflict of interest. Dio could not pretend to be any better than the hurt he caused and intended to extend. He relished in what it meant to be in control, and all other things who threatened to clash with his interests would then have to be removed like one pulls away an infectious parasite. 

No, not ever. That would force Dio to enact his plan sooner and kill them both, before it was too late. 

"If you believe it is of value, then keep it." He replied, turning back to Jonathan. "It's not like we have much to show for the grueling effort put into this search."

Taking a deep breath, his brother attempted to fight off the exhaustion visible beneath his eyes. "I must admit I hoped to find more. We only just started, yet I feel we're fighting an uphill battle against time..."

They needn't respond to his observation, knowing exactly what he meant by it. A corrosive, slowly brewing fear permeated their disjointed and unorganized efforts, causing the light to shine only on flaws which they refused to acknowledge. If not encouraged by new findings, it would brew into a fully fledged storm casting fatal bolts of lightning on their loosely tied bonds. The thought struck Dio that this may have been why they had not encountered nor heard of the strange men since departing for London. Their mysterious leader may have predicted this outcome, choosing just like Dio to let the problems take care of themselves before making a move.

"Tomorrow, then." He shut the folder he'd been skimming through with enough force to send a small cloud of dust floating into the air.

"Yes, tomorrow. We'd be unwise to neglect our needs."

"So you say." Robert appeared rather downcast, with his gaze regretfully lowered to the piles of paperwork in front of him. "Yet I wonder if I could bring myself to eat or sleep when I'm tormented by this dreadful uncertainty."

His hand subconsciously trailed to the scar across his face. It was a habit of nerves, one which Dio could not help but take notice of and then feel angered by. It made no sense to feel that way, yet it was as invasive as waking up with him in his embrace. A reminder of what once was, ironically enough illustrating just how the past refused to let go with its painful claws and only wounded them if they struggled against it. Dio was beginning to suspect that doing nothing would not be feasible much longer.

"Speedwagon, please go ahead without us. There is something I must discuss with Dio in private, if you don't mind." 

"Of course not. I'll wait outside." Robert cast a doubtful glance at them both before shutting the door behind him, hesitant to intrude yet unable to keep curiosity at bay. 

If he felt disoriented, Dio was losing his mind going through the myriads of possible outcomes this sudden request could bring. In fact, they'd hardly addressed any of their previous grievances, many which a reasonable person would have retaliated with blood. As Jonathan calmly and neatly put away the file he'd been studying into a new spot where they'd easily find it the next evening, Dio sat still as a statue watching his every move intently.

"How is Speedwagon doing?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Jonathan was quiet for a moment before finally turning to face him. "Dio, I understand you consider me an airheaded and unreceptive fool, which I might be to some degree, but I am not blind. Did something happen last night?"

And there it was; the conversation he so desperately needed to avoid. Discussing that stupid mutt Danny and his untimely demise would have been preferable to this. Dio felt familiar with anger and pain.

"I didn't harm him." Dio hissed. "If that is what you're accusing me of."

"I know you didn't." Strangely enough, this seemed to be an honest statement. 

"Then what?"

Jonathan looked at him then in a way which made him steel up, in a frenzy searching for ways he may have revealed some sort of vulnerability and locking it all away from prying eyes behind closed doors. Dio wasn't used to this perceptiveness coming from him in that moment, he loathed and feared it like it was the sun for daring to disrupt his ambiguity and casting aside comforting shadows. 

"He seems...troubled by your presence. I catch him zoning out and falling into deep contemplation when you're not around to see it." 

"Of course he does. He's afraid of me, just like he ought to be." Despite himself, Dio felt a rush of accomplishment knowing he mattered to such an extent to Rob.

But Jonathan shook his head. "See, this is where I cannot make sense of it. Usually you'd be right to assume it, but you're wrong. He's fascinated and intrigued by you, Dio. And if that is your doing…"

Jonathan stepped forward and laid a warning hand on Dio's shoulder, meeting his gaze undeterred. "Then you'd do well to remember I am watching you."

But before he could answer Robert rushed through the door, slightly out of breath. 

"Both of you, you need to come with me!" He urged. "It's one of them!"

Chapter Text

They rushed out on the street together in close formation expecting worse than the worst. Robert scanned the area around them frantically with wide eyes, visibly spooked by whatever he had seen before.

"There!" He suddenly shouted, pointing toward a rooftop just barely in sight between the houses. 

And sure enough, a tall, broad man stood there quietly observing them. He was poorly dressed for the December drafts drawing up whirlwinds of snow over the cobblestone streets. Just like Dio, these entities seemed resistant, and therefore indifferent, to the elements. As they spotted him, he turned around in no particular hurry and ventured out of sight.

"I recognize him." Said Jonathan in a lower voice. "He was one of the two men we encountered earlier. Let's hurry."

"Wait."

As a vampire, Dio possessed many enhanced and refined abilities and traits humans only possessed in rare moments of brilliance. One of these traits was a heightened intuition which now alerted him to the true nature of the situation.

"What is it?" Robert demanded. "We can't stay here much longer, or we will lose sight of him!"

"Isn't it rather strange how this man waited for us all to spot him before leaving in such a relaxed pace?" Dio dryly spoke. "As if he wants us to follow blindly and carelessly…I don't trust this one bit."

Time was running out, indeed. They needed to make a decision now . Jonathan's thoughts raced behind his eyes and furrowed brows, agitation written all over his mannerisms as he was hurried to a conclusion. How many possible outcomes had not been necessary to consider before making it, yet were forced to the side in desperate urgency? 

"We have no choice." He decided. "What if he intends on harming innocent bystanders?"

"Jojo, I mean it-"

"We have to go. That is final."

Dio couldn't hide his resentment. "You two better get going, then." 

He watched with narrowed eyes as they ran into the narrow alleyways between the houses, then turned and opened the heavy Royal Academy doors to venture back upstairs. His first impression of this building rich in history, wealth and prestige had been one of great appreciation, but now it only earned foul curses for being such an enormous thing to navigate. Though they were permitted inside after closing hours through his brother's social status, he made it a point to avoid being seen by the weary guards waiting impatiently for their shift to end. This was no time to conduct any official business. To his great relief the room stood untouched since they left it, yellowing, thin paper files and black leather folders still strewn all over the place and only neatly arranged where Jonathan had placed his potential leads. Dio was not put at ease by it, however, rather the contrary. Something was off.

Quietly wandering over to the window, seeing an ever brightening early morning fog dissolve the dark velvet of the night into a desaturated blue with hints of pale yellow by the horizon, Dio only grew more agitated. Time was running out. He couldn't remain much longer. Why on Earth had they chosen such a dangerous time of day to appear? Jonathan and Robert would be the only two survivors of the sunrise, and the risk of burning alive was hardly worth some measly documents. Unless they really were onto something-

Dio froze. Someone stood in the doorway behind him. Whirling around, he came face to face with the one he'd spoken to at the cliffs, head and neck lowered as his impressive height proved to be an issue in manmade structures. 

"You again!" A strange, unsettling sense of déjà vu crept through him.

"Humans are such predictable creatures." A faint smile formed on Wammu's lips. "Only you saw through the bluff, and we made no effort to conceal it. Because of their unfortunate nature of reacting on impulse, hurrying like death beckons them, you are the sole protector of this room. All alone…" 

"It's not as clever as you believe it to be. The sun will rise before we're finished fighting over it."

Wammu did not seem the type to be provocative. Dio still felt a hot flame of anger burn through him after being pitied, as if he were some stray cat abandoned and unloved on the streets. It was demeaning.To make matters worse, Wammu seemed unfazed upon hearing time was running out, something which reasonably ought to have alarmed him as much as it alarmed Dio. They had everything to lose and nothing to gain from a drawn out confrontation.

Wammu instead regarded him with steely, unrevealing eyes. "And what, I wonder, makes you so sure we're equally matched in strength? You are clever, Dio, and it is a fine trait to possess, but your intellect will do little to defend you when cornered inside an enclosed space."

"From my perspective, it is you who suffers most from enclosed spaces." He rather bluntly pointed out. "If I am restrained by these walls, then so are you. It seems to me a waste of time to find out which of us is at a worse disadvantage."

"I agree." Wammu stepped into the room, careful as to not disrupt anything. "That is not why I came here, anyway. I have no intent on interfering with your research."

Dio watched his every move without blinking. "And why did you come here, Wammu? It must be of great importance, we have not crossed paths since we decided to travel to London. How long have you been following us?"

"I already told you, Dio." Wammu calmly said. "He wishes to see you, and in turn you expressed the same wish. That time has come."

"And how do I know I can trust him ?"

That made him laugh. "Lord Kars? I could never guarantee your safety around him. He does as he wishes, and I know better than to interfere."

Dio wasn't nearly as amused by this revelation. Despite it, he was greatly intrigued by the chance to meet with their leader, this elusive figure that had yet to appear in person but undoubtedly controlled most of the chess pieces on the board. The mystery was irresistible to him, he had no choice but to investigate it or else be driven mad by speculating and theorizing. 

"I suppose you do not intend on returning empty-handed." Dio guessed. "And to guarantee my cooperation, you appeared before the break of dawn offering to bring me to safety. Well played."

"Good. Then there is nothing else left for us to discuss." 

Before Dio had the chance to react, Wammu grabbed his arm with such immense strength it felt as if it were surrounded by iron, forcing him out of the room. "Let go of me!" He insisted. "I already agreed to follow you on my own accord, didn't I?"

Wammu gave him a brief glance in the same manner one might indifferently acknowledge a bypassing person on the street. "Kars' orders."

Luckily Dio was able to keep up the pace, though he by no means felt in control of the situation. As they came out through the dark, heavy entrance doors, having encountered no guards despite Dio counting them to three only minutes before, he stared down the alleyway Jonathan and Robert so confidently disappeared into. There were no signs of them as far as his keen eyes could tell. Dio truly was on his own, just like he had grown so used to over the years.

Jonathan's cold, accusatory glare. Robert's reluctance to meet his gaze, and the fear flickering to life in his eyes as Dio lost his temper. He began to wonder whether they would bother to search for him, or if he would be branded a traitor with no opportunity to defend his cause.

All alone…A dark, heavy mass located in the middle of the chest like a sickness began to fester, poisoning his mind. It was jealousy. He hated them for getting along so seamlessly, for how Robert always looked at Jonathan with such admiration. 

Dio held his head higher. He was suddenly very interested in hearing what Lord Kars had to say.

Chapter Text

Hours passed by in what simultaneously felt like a minute and several weeks as Dio paced the dark room he'd been commanded to wait inside. Commanded. To think they had the nerve to order him around!

Blatant disrespect or not, he found he had little choice but to obey and play the cooperative prisoner. One that pulled each handle in search of an unlocked door and thoroughly searched the room the minute Wammu disappeared, that is. Dio ultimately found nothing of use, nor any alternative routes in or out of the room. It was an old structure constructed as the French Revolution reached its final, gory culmination with the execution of Marie Antoinette and King Louis, a heritage displayed by its elegance and sophisticated decor much in agreement with the French bourgeoisie style preferences of the time. Usually he'd be mesmerized by such living history, having always been fond of the old empires and life before the technological revolution. It had been the golden age of pirates, bloody revolutionary wars and a world yet to be fully explored by man. A certain sense of mystique lingered in such a world, where only the imagination set the limits for what could be. This time, however, the unknown unsettled as much as it allured him. This Lord Kars…Whatever would he hope to gain from their meeting? And in return, how could Dio hope to use it to his advantage?  

It was at that very moment the doorknob turned and startled him back to reality. Unsure of what was to come, Dio preemptively backed a few steps toward the inner wall to have his back shielded. Despite the glaring lack of light sources, he was able to see quite well in the dark thanks to his supernatural nature. And what he saw…

Lord Kars was remarkably tall just like his companions, thinner than Wammu but just as strong if the protruding, defined muscles on his arms and legs told anything of it. His long, dark and wavy hair moved almost like water with the movement of his body, a mesmerizing detail that made it seem almost alive. Bright red, intense eyes caught Dio's almost immediately and he could not quite look away. They held such an entrancing depth. Just like the others, Kars wore only what was necessary to protect his modesty. Dio could not help but to let his eyes travel over his body, though he shouldn't let his guard down in such a pivotal moment. 

"So we finally meet." Kars said, following his shameless glance with amusement. "I have heard a lot of interesting things about you, vampire."

He scowled. "I have a name, you already know it. Wammu told you everything there is to know about me."

"Indeed. But everything isn't quite enough, is it?"

Closing the door behind him, Kars ensured they were truly alone. In some sense, it was rather thrilling to be put in such a situation, not knowing whether he intended to let this end in bloodshed or in mutual agreement. Dio imagined Kars hadn't decided just yet. Quickly growing bothered by being watched in silence, he decided to find out more.

"You had me brought here for the stone mask, didn't you? What makes you think I'd give up such a sentimental item without the right incentive to do so?"

Kars chuckled. "You mean the stone mask you so boldly lied about? Oh no, I have no need for it. You see, Dio, I already have the right one stored within this building, guarded at all times."

He froze. Within seconds, their greatest advantage had been disintegrated into dust and scattered in the wind. Very little remained to bargain without it.

"No need to look so pale, now." He mused. "I'm not hurt by your treachery, I had no high expectations to begin with. Let us discuss what is truly valuable instead…" 

Dio glared at him. "You expect some favor from me, I presume? That I go run your errands like those obedient henchmen of yours? It's quite optimistic of you to assume that would ever happen."

"My apologies. I didn't mean to offend you." For a moment Kars pretended to pay attention to a goblet standing on a nearby table, but Dio knew where his true focus laid. "Who could have predicted a vampire would care so much for his human pets? I wonder what you have in mind for those two. It must be something special to have you playing the role of misunderstood, tragic anti-hero for so long. But that isn't you, we both know it."

"I'm not too fond of having others encroaching on my territory." Dio said in a low voice. "Although your end goal does interest me…Who is to say I won't remain with my human pets, kill you all and then unlock true immortality by myself?"

Kars smirked. "You certainly aren't afraid to speak your mind. I like that about you. It makes me look forward to a future where you fully belong to me, heart and soul. I wonder if you'll always be this entertaining to keep around."

The way in which he said it and then locked eyes with Dio made him forget for a moment what a horribly disguised degradation it was. Despite their cold exchanges thus far, he was only growing more obsessed with Kars as time went on. This undivided attention, and from someone of such great importance nonetheless…The selfish desires he'd so meticulously kept buried around Robert and Jonathan came floating back to the surface of the pitch black lake containing his undesirable traits. Dio was falling back into old habits of drowning himself in it, letting the foul, inky water taint the inside of his lungs over and over again.

"And what do you mean by that?" 

"What do you imagine it to be? I'm sure I could arrange it so that you have whatever you desire. Mortal possessions mean very little to us."

Kars ventured closer until he was right in front of Dio, pleased to see he wasn't intimidated or put off by his presence. They were both taking an enormous risk trusting the other not to put a brutal end to their conflict right then and there, but it was precisely that risk they enjoyed to take. 

"That man with the scar on his face…" Kars murmured, reaching a hand up to take hold of Dio's chin and trace his fingertips over his jawline. "You want more from him than his demise, don't you?"

Dio shivered in a mixture of shock and excitement as the other hand used the cover of darkness to reach under his clothes and take hold of his waist. The direct contact was beyond inappropriate, and it was having its intended effect on him. "Of course I don't." Even his denial was revealing in its faintness.

"No, of course you don't." Kars repeated in a low voice. His eyes were hungrily drawn to Dio's lips. "You belong with someone like yourself, who won't let you down with mortal limitations and vague ideas of morality. If you betray him for me and cast aside what little remains of your mortality, I will grant you a place amongst us for the rest of eternity."

But as Dio leaned in closer, he drew back and grinned at his evident frustration. "Find the Stone of Aja for me, Dio. When we gather for our final confrontation, I want you to give it to me and watch your companion's hopes be crushed in vicious betrayal."

"Why don't you find it yourself?" Dio couldn't quite hide his annoyance. "Why bother with including me and taking such a risk?"

Kars eyes glimmered in the dark. "To prove to you what you already know; That they would not offer you the recognition you deserve, even if you bled for it. Don't you have greater ambitions than heroism?"

He turned and went to the door, so confident in Dio's complicity he grew red with indignation. 

"Tell your human friends you were forced to hide from the sun. They'll never trust you, but they must play along to protect their own, dark secret."

With that he left Dio alone with a racing, previously dead heart that would not lay to rest.

Chapter Text

"Did you miss me?"

"Dio!" Robert was first to notice him as always, as if gifted by some sixth sense or exceptional perception of his surroundings. "My God, where were you? We returned to find the office empty, with you nowhere to be found. Did something happen?"

He and Jonathan were right outside the Academy gates as Dio caught up with them, heads lowered against the blizzard storm blowing forcefully through the wider streets. Jonathan looked rather miserable with a coat tightly drawn around his large frame, shivering despite the preparations. Robert, however, seemed largely unaffected by the icy winds, though he held his tophat in his hands to prevent it from being snatched away. 

"Could we discuss this indoors, if you two don't mind?" His brother pleaded.

"Of course. My apologies." Robert flushed red and immediately went to help him get the locked gates open. He still cast some glances Dio's way as if struggling to keep the questions inside.

Despite the weather, Dio was feeling exhilarated. Having departed from his secret, electrified meeting and gotten away unscathed left him with a gloating sense of achievement, feeling as if he were of great importance. And despite his denial of the accusation Kars had so softly uttered, Rob quickly became the object of his unsatisfied desires. Seeing him almost delighted to have him back, to share those glances just between the two of them and together being nearly envirogated by the lively afternoon fading into night…Dio had make grueling effort to focus on something else but the memory of a warm body nestled so close to his own.

But how could he forget after knowing how it felt to indulge in forbidden desires?

"Do I truly need to explain myself?" Dio wondered as they stepped into the grand hall's welcoming warmth. "Keep in my mind my rare condition, and how the sun surely had risen above the horizon once you made it back. I had no intention to stay behind and suffer the consequences for it."

"Naturally. But where, then, did you go? We checked the hotel and found your shared room to be empty."

Jonathan did not seem too bothered, occupied with heating his hands up by brushing them against each other and blowing on the red fingertips as he spoke.

Dio kept a close watch, in case an ounce of suspicion was planted and allowed to grow into an incessant weed. 

"There is an abandoned house not too far from here." Dio claimed. It would be difficult to dispute, seeing how many traditional industries had fallen into bankruptcy after the industrial takeover. "I know London like the palm of hand, and it was closer than the hotel."

"Fair enough. Just let us know where you are, alright?" It was a satisfactory explanation for Jonathan, who began to head upstairs eager to continue rummaging through the paperwork. 

Robert, however, seemed unconvinced. "And there was no one else with you?" He asked. "You smell…different."

That made Dio chuckle. "And how could you possibly tell?"

Pointing out the absurdity of it kept any further troublesome questions from arising. Still, he wondered whether the festering silence from Robert as they headed upstairs meant something. That he somehow had detected a change, but only expressed it poorly and now questioned his judgment. Dio thought of Kars' words of caution before leaving. That Jonathan, Robert or the both of them may be keeping a secret. Was this true? If so, then what kind of secret was it? 

But soon enough they were buried in research and his mind occupied by the tediousness of the task. There had to be hundreds of files brought out of the archives related to the past few thousand years, of which they sorely lacked a more precise date. Dio quickly grew sick of it and opted to only read what might interest him, settling on Roman history and particularly that of the emperors. 

"So," He sighed, already bored with his task. "how did the confrontation with that mysterious man culminate? Was there a fight, or did you allow him to slip away?"

Jonathan immediately brightened up. "Oh, that I forgot to tell you! Dio, we have one fewer enemy to concern ourselves with!"

"Really?" He raised a brow. "How did that happen?"

"Let us say you did the right thing taking cover when you did, Dio." Robert said. He, too, was excited to share the news. "Mr. Joestar caught up to him-"

"You're too polite, Speedwagon." Jonathan interjected. "After what we went through together, you should not hesitate to call me by first name only."

"Right. Jonathan caught up to the devil and managed to block his way out of the alleyway we stood in." Robert continued. "I must admit it wasn't going too well at first with such a tall and powerful man fighting for his life against the two of us, unprepared for battle and exhausted as we were. Monstrous as he was, he was capable of using his own ribs as weapons! And that was not all!"

He stopped for a moment, evidently concerned with what he'd seen. "Then, just when it appeared a hopeless struggle, the first morning rays hit us and we watched him turn to stone then crumble to dust. God knows what would befall us if we do not fight on the brink of day! Jonathan truly had to excert himself to his limits just to keep this lone foe in one place…"

Having listened only to the part of the story where they'd evidently grown closer, Dio felt his mood sour. "See? This is why you need me to be there. I can do more than merely keep them at bay. How long will it take before they decide to draw you out in the open again and finish the job?"

Neither of them could come up with any objections or reassurances. It was a glaring weakness, and this lucky encounter only proved what they had already been thinking but not daring to say out loud; These opponents were something far beyond their grounded expectations, an ancient evil likely to offer them some nasty surprises along the way. In utmost secret, Dio contemplated abandoning the fight altogether and choose the winning side. Kars promised him no limitations but his imagination, and it was so much more than tempting to consider.

"Really, we ought to be doing something else than sitting there reading some old, miserable files-" 

It was the irony of fate, that Dio should have chosen to pick up a file titled "The Stone of Aja", so reckless he hardly realized what the illustration depicted until his eyes caught the familiar words printed as its title. 

Robert peeked up. "What is it? Did you find something?"

Dio's eyes scoured the page, only becoming more enthralled as he kept reading. "You see…I might just have found the key to it all." He mumbled. 

"Wait, let me see that." 

He handed it over to Jonathan without protest, knowing already what significance it held and feeling the first spike of guilt since leaving the enemy hideout. It eased into joy soon enough seeing the reaction spreading on his brother's face as he read it at a considerably slower pace, only more delighted as he made it through the introductory page. 

"Dio…" He breathed in awe. "This is it! It's all in here, you brilliant man! To think I ever had any doubts!"

"And just as you were about to give up!" Robert laughed, beaming with relief. Some tears formed in the corners of his eyes, brought on by a convoluted mix of emotions they all felt but could not quite articulate. 

Then Dio found himself suddenly smothered by Jonathan's embrace. "What is this madness!" He hissed. "Let me go, you idiot!" To make matters worse, Jonathan only laughed. 

But when Robert joined in, he found himself easing into it, quieted by the overwhelming exposure to their appreciation and acceptance.

And sure enough, a smile formed on his own face.

Chapter Text

Dio could not recall ever earnestly partaking in any kind of social activity. Of course, plenty of people found his newfound status, appearance and surface-level, insincere politeness good enough to extend invites, many of which he did attend out of social obligation. But had he ever once enjoyed it? The answer was clear enough just by asking himself the question, then recalling what it had been like to know they all played the same repetitive games he long since learned the script of. Obligations. Everyone had been looking out for their own interests, and they had him sick with boredom.

This…It was different. When Robert and Jonathan first agreed to celebrate their first victory and breakthrough, he was quick to look for ways out, reasons not to go at all. That he despised beer and much preferred wine, how noisy pubs usually were at this hour…The list went on. Eventually it was Robert who took Dio's hand and practically pulled him along, insisting they all were required to go. Dio only let him do it, of course, having the strength to easily break free and be firm in his decision. It wasn't that they badgered him to the brink of his patience that did it. In fact, Dio wasn't sure why he let them win, or why he felt a spark of excitement doing something so unproductive and pointless together.

"Did either of you consider we might be targeted at any moment?" He sulked, watching Robert devour what must have been his first proper meal in days. "How humiliating wouldn't it be to have Kars find us fooling around?"

Jonathan patted his back with a strength he'd forgotten he possessed after the third glass. "Oh, indeed! Dio, I'm sure he will turn to you specifically and remark how obscene and distressing it is to see you having fun. How ashamed you ought to be of yourself!"

" You're the one who's distressing…" Dio whined.

Still, he'd graciously accepted his brother's offer to pay for everything they ordered at their table, thereby making himself an accomplice surrounded by five empty glasses that only now began to realize he wasn't able to drink his way out of it. If anything, it seemed to do quite the opposite. The three of them were caught up in the same faint yet entrancing hope of turning the tides, egged on by the prospect of outsmarting the enemy and having their hard labour rewarded. It was not impossible, and that was enough to ease their most urgent concerns.

But although Dio believed he shared the same sentiment, he slowly but surely was overcome by a deep sense of discomfort, and only grew more reserved as time went on. Eventually he quietly excused himself and ventured outside as it became too much to bear. There he quietly waited, equally agonized by leaving as staying. The moon stood at a third quarter still, though it would not be long before the full moon illuminated the night sky at full strength.

Soon enough Jonathan and Robert tracked him down and made some polite excuse to head back to the hotel, one which Dio immediately recognized as pity and felt scourged by. Their concern was genuine, and that made it all the worse. Dio said nothing as they made their way across the block. As if to punish them for speaking so freely and enthusiastically to each other, he did not bother to slow down to their pace and instead walked ahead. As if it mattered at all. He knew his actions only served to punish and restrict himself, that he caused an issue to arise and then, as always, chose to blame someone else for it if only to unload how horrible he so often felt around others.

"Are you alright?" Robert finally dared ask as they made it back to their room. He stood at the door peering into the darkness where Dio stood taking off his shoes. 

"Just splendid."

"Don't be like that with me, please." He sounded hurt. "Dio, you didn't mess anything up, I promise. Nobody's cross with you."

It wounded him to know Rob still knew him so well he could tell what was wrong. "I shouldn't have gone." He insisted, refusing to look at him. "I never belonged anywhere normal, and pretending like I do is ridiculous. This was a waste of time."

The door closed with a quiet creak and engulfed the room in a pitch black night not even Dio could make anything out of. "Fine." Robert huffed, moving to sit down on the edge of the bed next to him. "Then we can be abnormal together, sit in this darkness and hate everyone who isn't like us." 

"Are you mocking me?"

He laughed. "You've always been so dramatic, you know. It's difficult not to."

Dio sighed and drew an exasperated hand through his hair. "Alright, point taken. I suppose it wasn't miserable. You and Jojo are too noisy when drunk, though."

"I'm not drunk!" Robert insisted.

"You would not sit so close to me if you weren't." 

He was quiet for a moment. "...And what do you know of how I feel? Maybe I want to be close to you, like I've always been."

Unable to see, Dio's other senses took over and honed in on the heart beating next to him. How it sped up ever so slightly with those words, entrancing his already influenced mind to let go of what was "proper" and wander where it shouldn't. Before he knew it himself, Dio had turned toward Rob and taken hold of his hand, relieved to feel he didn't flinch or pull it away. 

It happened so naturally. They had no need for words, trying to explain something so abstract as what they felt for each other would only ruin it. It felt right to lean in further, drawing a second hand up to find his face and be in awe of how warm Rob felt beneath his touch. How his lips slightly trembled as Dio kissed them, and how gentle and soft of a sensation it was as it melted away his own internal protests. As soon as it was done, Dio realized what he'd felt the night before did not come even close to the electrifying thrill numbing his body, making him almost hold his breath in bated anticipation listening to Rob's quiet, shivering exhale as he drew back ever so slightly. 

That addictive moment lasted only a second. He waited through its torturous eternity, terribly anxious to have been mistaken. But when Rob was still there, squeezing his hand ever so subtly and making no effort to withdraw, Dio kissed him again and became near overwhelmed realizing he reciprocated it. It was as if his consciousness melted away in a pleasant, mystifying warmth of relief, of withheld desires and that intense, intense need to feel his warmth. He hardly realized his hands were trembling until he placed one on Rob's back and pulled him close, feeling his pulse even through the thick fabric of his coat.

They softly fell into the bed together, exchanging one sweet kiss after another having forgotten all else. It was not until he felt and heard Rob softly moan into one particular kiss, and the sensation of his sweaty palms against his chest that Dio went too far and did what Kars had done to him, forcing a hand underneath his shirt with intentions that suddenly brought Rob back to reality.

"No. No, we can't." He gasped, having suddenly pulled away. "I'm sorry, Dio. I shouldn't have-" 

They were still so close together, with Dio having all but pinned him down beneath him. He ached, tormented by the abrupt stop and the sudden shame upon hearing Rob's voice thicken with held back tears. "We can't, you already know that…"

"Rob-"

"I'm not what you believe I am." He whispered. "I- There's something deeply wrong with me…I'm sorry…"

"Then there's something deeply wrong with me, too." Dio flinched hearing how coldly his own voice cut the silence.

Somewhere in the darkness, he found his hand again and held it tightly as if to reassure himself.

The gesture did little to convince either of them things were alright. 

Chapter Text

"Dio!"

Dio turned around with delight upon hearing who it was, but his smile quickly faded. "Rob? What's the matter? You look like you ran into a ghost." 

"Worse…" Face pale, he sat down next to the pile of scrap metal Dio had been sorting through all afternoon, glancing nervously around himself. "They found out."

The reality of the situation dawned on him then. With a foreboding pit forming in his stomach, Dio dropped what he was holding and climbed up to Rob. Though the adults in their life sneered at them at any available opportunity, calling them naive like all other boys their age are, they were foresighted enough to have formed a plan, should their running away be discovered before preparations were complete. 

"So soon?" He asked in disbelief. "Someone must have betrayed us. We ought to teach this tattletale a lesson or two before we leave!"

But Robert wasn't at all humored by his vengefulness. "We can't." He shook his head. "It was my cousin who did it, he is almost a man grown and taller than us both."

"So?"

"...And he works at the blacksmith's."

Dio sank back down. No one picked trouble with the blacksmith apprentices, not even boys five years their senior. The last time he ventured too close to their goods, one of the slogging gangs had threatened to burn him with a hot iron to teach him not to steal. It was only when he began sobbing and struggling fiercely that they released him, fearful of some kindhearted soul intervening and bringing the police. He'd not set foot near their territory since.

"Then what should we do?" 

Rob had a rather grim, yet thoughtful expression on his face. "We should do it now. We should run away before anyone stops us, Dio. Father went over to your house already to speak to your father. Oh, imagine how severe the punishments will be!"

Dio hardly needed to use his imagination. 

"Indeed…" He mumbled, drawing his legs up against his chest. A more recent bruise caught his eye as it became visible with the movement, and it petrified him. It had turned to a dark blue, sickening shade.

Robert knew of course. He'd been raised similarly, albeit with less force and frequency. Tenderly, he rubbed Dio on the back in an attempt to ease the discomfort. "I won't let anything happen to you because of me. See, I brought my belongings already, all we need to do is wait until nightfall, sneak into your room and grab yours. They will be out looking for us elsewhere by then."

It wasn't very convincing to Dio, who just bitterly laughed. "As if Father would be out searching for me…"

"But we must at least try!" Insisted Robert, unsettled by his low spirits and subsequently growing uncertain. "If I am going, then so are you. We promised, didn't we?"

"Well, I suppose we did…It's not that I don't want to run away, but…"

Ever since they ventured out to the abandoned church ruin together and had that conversation which stung like being stabbed all over by a thousand knives, reality confronted them through the rapid progression of the illness that had all but erased the mother he once had and loved. She was wasting away and could no longer manage to rise out of bed, face like a pale death mask and her breathing so faint Dio often woke up in the middle of the night to make sure she had not passed on. Robert was all he had left, for soon that shell that resembled Mother would give out and she would go to Heaven. Nothing about it felt comforting, however. Dio desperately wanted her to stay and continue to be his only defense. Thinking of it caused the tears to burn in his eyes. He angrily wiped at them.

Robert took his hand, and he flushed red like always. It was all they dared do, and even that innocent touch felt inappropriate and riskful. "Let's say goodbye to her before we disappear. One last time, together." 

Dio tearfully nodded. "Alright…" 

Later that night they made it back to Dio's house using the cover of darkness, each and every flashing light or noise startling them both into taking cover and waiting for what felt like an eternity until it felt safe enough for Dio to peek out and confirm they were safe. 

"See?" He whispered, pointing to the window to his room. "It won't shut all the way, we could get it open if I balance on your shoulders."

"Are you sure it won't make any noise?"

"We can only pray. I'll lift you up when I'm inside, but we have to hurry!"

Their hearts were like panicked clumps in their throats as they went to work, terrified of what it would mean to make any errors in such a crucial stage of their plan. Trash littered the alleyway, Robert was at risk of stepping on something and falling over if they weren't careful. When Dio finally had the window opened and climbed inside, he was drenched in sweat from the exertion. Quickly wiping his hands, he reached out to pull Rob in, so afraid to drop him that he stopped breathing for a moment.  

It was dark and cold inside, and despite Dio trusting Robert not to be judgemental he felt embarrassed by the scarcity inside. A worn down mattress was laid in one corner furthest from the door, as far as he could pull it from the terrifying shouting that abruptly stopped with Mother's illness, and next to it stood a fallen over bookshelf that contained old schoolbooks from a time before things were bad. He'd hidden his savings and trinkets beneath some floorboards they carefully pried up. 

"You kept it!" Robert exclaimed as he noticed one of the particular items within.

"Not so loud!" Shushed Dio, convinced he had heard someone move downstairs. But as they waited tense and quiet as mice they were met by silence.

Blushing red and hoping he wouldn't see it in the darkness, Dio pressed the watch into his hands. "I want you to have this. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to repair it…"

"Are you sure? What if it's worth a fortune?"

"Just take it! What does it matter, we'll be traveling together!" He insisted. "You're the oldest, it will be safer with you."

"Alright…Thanks." 

"Don't mention it." Dio smiled.

They crept downstairs, realizing it would make too much noise to jump back down onto the streets. Each creaking of the worn stairs made him tense up and squeeze Robert's hand tighter, but the rooms below laid in near total stillness. All that remained was to navigate their way to his mother's room and say goodbye, then get the front door open without its hinges creaking too loudly. Dio was beginning to think they could do it, that his father was out drunk somewhere like he had a habit of doing…

But then a very familiar hand closed around his shoulder and the hairs on his neck stood on edge knowing what was to come.

"And where do you reckon you're going, huh?" 

"Rob, he's here! Get out!" Dio shouted, struggling with all his might to get free and run. "Let go of me!" He pleaded, begged even. "Please, Father! I won't ever bother you again, I'll disappear, just please-"

"Dio! Hands off, you bastard!" 

"Rob, no! Just go!"

The worst possible scenario was playing out right in front of his wide, terrified eyes. Dio was unable to do anything but cry out as Robert, blinded by the darkness, didn't see the broken bottle fly down and cut his face open. He stumbled back, blood pouring from behind his hands and onto the floor. 

"GO! ROB, PLEASE!" Dio shouted. For he was convinced his father was going to kill him, and Rob too.

With one final panicked, guilt-stricken look Robert stumbled out the door and ran off. Dio was shaking in dreadful anticipation and holding back tears. He knew exactly what was to come. 

But to his surprise, his father dropped him to the floor. "I'll deal with you tomorrow…" He slurred. "We have work to do, Dio."

"W-what…?" 

His father stumbled toward his mother's room. 

"The bitch finally died, that's what. Come. Let's go bury her. And if I see you cry, I'll be sure you regret it!"

Dio burst into tears. 

Chapter Text

It was a frighteningly chilly morning of the kind that seemed to travel indoors and taint the warm, confined spaces through invisible gaps in the walls and window frames. Dio felt the cold air brush against the tips of his ears and the upper half of his face, though he no longer was capable of freezing or getting chills. They laid as close as they could without touching. Somewhere in the darkness, Robert was starting to rise from the depths of sleep and into a lighter rest which allowed him more movement. Soon he would wake, meaning they would have no choice but to confront the other's invasive, demanding presence. 

Dio watched him for hours attempting to plan out his escape. Should he act normal? Calm and collected to the point of indifference? Quietly furious and brooding? Cast his pride aside and plead to the feelings he knew Rob held locked away from him? In one moment he was certain he would disappear and never come back, in the next he fought the urge to move closer, capture him in his arms and never let the warmth of mankind escape him again. And maybe, just maybe, Rob would relent and stay put in this tight embrace. Maybe their fingers would be quietly intertwined and a pair of soft, brown eyes would peer at him without a trace of doubt or hesitation.

It was easier when they still had the convenient excuse of being young and immature. Now Dio realized he had not grown out of it at all, and the indecipherable mixture of things he felt toward Rob were only going to grow heavier. His actions would no longer be innocent, they were adults bearing the burden of harboring more intimate, deep and long-term consequential needs. What they said and did suddenly mattered to a frightening degree.

Uncertainty eventually grew unbearable. Agitated and unable to decide on anything, Dio silently rose and made his way out to the hallway outside, taking extra care to not wake him. A late afternoon night sky glimmered peacefully outside indifferent to the smothering effect it had on anything below it. 

Having a natural talent for appearing when he least desired it, Jonathan met him in the stairs returning from a very late lunch. "Dio! I wasn't expecting to see you up before Robert." He joked. "He must be as exhausted as I am."

"Probably." Dio dryly responded, reverting to old habits of clamming up and being wary of giving out any signs of imbalance. He only needed to play a convincing performance to Jonathan, then venture downstairs, out through the doors and then…

It wasn't working. "Is everything alright? You seem tense."

"Of course. Now, if you don't mind-"

But whatever forced courtesy Dio was attempting to placate with died down as he saw Jonathan's expression. There was no way he could decieve someone who'd lived with him for eight long years. His brother didn't seem hostile but instead concerned. It somehow felt worse.

"Come." He quietly spoke, laying an assertive hand on Dio's shoulder as if to steer him. "We are all on the same team here, right? If something troubles you, it is only fair we discuss it before you try to run off."

"It was that obvious?" He said, dejected.

Jonathan faintly, almost sadly, smiled. "For all that has transpired between us, we're still brothers. I would be ashamed of myself if I didn't know you well enough to live up to that."

The room designated for Jonathan had an unbarricated window which allowed more light from the outside to find its way in. It was rather simple and likely meant for short term use with a bed, small desk and a nightstand with a desk lamp placed on top of it. Their most important findings laid atop the desk in what used to be a neat pile, but evidently had since been read through on plenty different occasions. Dio, not feeling too certain of himself or what was to come, placed himself by the door and decided not to sit down or get comfortable. 

"So, what's happening?" Jonathan seated himself by the desk, pulling out the chair to better face Dio. "And don't you say 'everything's fine', unless you truly mean it."

Dio looked away. "Jojo…"

"Please. I need you to trust me."

"But why on Earth would you trust me? " He snapped. "Jojo, you keep treating me as if I never hurt you and it's driving me to madness. Don't you feel any anger and betrayal consuming you, knowing I killed your father? That I intended to get rid of you the minute I had the opportunity to do so? Say you hate me, do something!"

Jonathan seemed pained by the reminder. "We can't afford to fight amongst ourselves." He insisted. "It's a discussion for another time, for now let us just-"

But Dio wasn't letting him get away so easily. "No. We need to have it now. What you're doing isn't helping me to feel at ease, if that is what you intended. I only feel like you follow a script you've adjusted and rehearsed to avoid bringing out my more unpleasant sides. It's cowardly, it's more insulting than a slap in the face."

"Dio…"

"Instead of discussing my feelings, couldn't you just this once let go of being the bigger person and be angry with me?" Dio demanded. "Quit protecting me! Aren't you livid, having to see my face knowing what I've done?"

"Of course I am!" 

Though he had provoked the reaction out of his brother, Dio was shocked hearing him raise his voice in that way. Jonathan was trembling but his anger was blurred by sudden tears of grief, of a deep, inescapable pain so closely woven into their relationship. All along, just as Dio suspected, he kept it all in and let it devour him from the inside and out. 

"Did you really think I forgot what happened between us?" Jonathan asked in a trembling voice. "I was consumed by anger when I first set out to confront you, so twisted by it I could no longer see how it was twisting the knife further into my heart. Yes, grief was tearing me into pieces…I would have lost myself in blind rage, were it not for Speedwagon."

"Rob…?" 

His brother nodded, wiping discreetly at his eyes and taking a deep breath. "He was the one who suggested we speak to you. I was outraged by the mere suggestion, and he and I argued fiercely that night. It was unthinkable to go to the man who ruined my life and plead for his help."

"What did he say?" Dio's head was in total disarray. That Rob, all along…He could hardly believe it.

"What he said changed the trajectory of my life." Jonathan met his eyes again with renewed, unwavering strength. "He begged me not lose myself to revenge like you yourself once did, that he was heartbroken seeing what had become of the one he once cherished so highly. He said you possessed the same heart I have, the same capability of good and of love, that you had lost it to the same despair tainting me."

Dio was too stunned to say anything. His breath was caught in his throat, and all he could think of was how quickly he contemplated abandoning Robert. An annoying flicker of guilt rose to the surface.

"This cycle of pain ends with me." Jonathan decided in a low voice. It evidently took effort for him to say it. "I may not ever truly forgive you, Dio, but I cannot dedicate my only life on this Earth destroying us both. Erina needs me, but so do you and Speedwagon. And…I need you."

He stretched a hand out, smiling tearfully and with a cautious hope present in his blue eyes. 

Dio recoiled at first. He was frightened to take it, to make promises he wasn't sure he could keep. "Do you trust me?" He quietly asked in disbelief. "Do you really trust me?"

Jonathan laughed, shaking his head. "No. Do you?"

No clever wits or jabs were coming to mind. Dio swallowed his doubts and took his hand, and it was only then he realized how tense he'd been. And then Jonathan brought him into an embrace that killed the last hesitation and made his shoulders drop down.

"Fine." He whispered. "I won't run…"

Chapter Text

"Well, I am pleased to announce we won't be dedicating the nights sifting through old documents." Jonathan said, gesturing to the piles yet to be touched. "With this extraordinary discovery, we have everything we could possibly need collected and chronologically arranged. Who knows? Perhaps someone went through the trouble of connecting the dots long before us, and put them all together into one file."

Dio certainly was relieved to hear it. If they had to spend another hour reading archeological and historical notes written a hundred years ago, he would start to tear the precious papers apart until they were fragments discarded across the floor. 

"So, about this Stone of Aja…" Robert cautiously asked, as if afraid the words would cement the urgency of their mission.

Dio pretended not to notice the subtle look thrown his way. Thinking about the events of last night only made him bitter and agitated.

Jonathan flipped through the pages to find his bookmark. "More specifically the super Aja. The Romans had it up until the collapse of the empire, and it has been traveling across Europe ever since. The last noted owner would have been the Lord Godalming, who erected the castle outside Windknight's Lot."

"And what makes you so certain?" Dio asked. "The stone is a valuable item, it could have been sold off or exchanged."

"Because," Jonathan's eyes shone with intrigue. "I happen to have some expertly insight on the matter. This summer, prospective archeologists with excellent grades were invited to participate in the excavation of the burial vaults, a process still ongoing, albeit halted by the weather. One of the students chosen for this trial happened to be me, you see." 

"You believe he was buried with it?" 

He shook his head. "I know he was. We were instructed to adhere to a list of items the previous team found in the funeral records, and they describe a precious, perfected stone just like the super Aja being laid to rest with the castle's last Lord. It caused some controversy, you see, and legal proceedings were raised by his remaining heirs who claimed they were entitled to keep it. Our duty was to hand it over to the proper authorities once the excavation was completed."

"Then we should depart London immediately!" Robert exclaimed. "If we get there before they do, then we might stand a chance."

Not too keen on the idea, Jonathan turned back to Dio. "So this Lord Kars…You were told he and his people intend to combine it with the mask and develop immunity to the sun?"

"That would be their end goal, yes."

His brows furrowed with deep concern, as if this confirmation came with a devastating realization. "I only wish we knew more. Something about it troubles me, and seeing how the earliest stone masks are nearly ten thousand years old I can't help but feel terribly outmatched…What happens after Kars succeeds? Surely his ambitions do not end there. Worse yet, they may be honed and sharpened by ten millennia of planning…"

Jonathan certainly wasn't the only one holding that opinion. Knowledge was power, and they had only come so far as to learn about and locate the Stone of Aja. Without understanding what the enemy had in mind, they could be walking into a trap or end up aiding Kars in his search. Dio became more withdrawn, caught up in the memory of their brief but intense encounter. 

Find the Stone of Aja for me, Dio.

Kars never properly answered his question when asked why he didn't locate it himself. Could it be that he intended for them to find it? But why gamble with such a key element, one he had sought and desired since the dawn of history…?

"Dio?"

"What is it?" He blurted out, startled by the sudden intrusion upon his inner dialogue. They couldn't tell, could they? What if his face had revealed the truth, that he knew more than they did?

But his suspicions were quickly laid to rest by their unwitting expressions. "I suggest we make preparations, but hold off on departing." Jonathan said. "There are three of them out there, we would be unwise to venture outside the safety of the city without proper preparations. Do you agree with this?"

"What is the point in asking me?" Dio questioned. "You and Robert are the only mortals with earthly needs here, right? I have no emergent need for sustenance, rest or shelter. Do as you see fit, Jojo."

"Then it's decided." His brother made eye contact with them both, affirming they were in agreement. "I can handle the arrangements-"

"Not to interfere, but…" Feeling under scrutiny having both Dio and Jonathan's glances fixed on him, Robert appeared to shrink back and forget his intentions. "When exactly do we intend to travel? This is only my opinion, but I feel we should not wait too long…"

Jonathan nodded with a strange, deeper understanding that caught Dio's attention. "Of course. Give me three days to arrange everything and read through our findings, and by then we ought to be ready. Is this acceptable to you, Speedwagon?"

He nodded. "Thank you, Jonathan. Words cannot begin to express my gratitude."

It was then Dio decided to step in, having had his curiosity and consequent paranoia tickled something awful by their conversation. "Is there something I should be aware of?" He looked directly at Robert for the first time since last night, and he suddenly seemed struck by guilt.

So it was true. They were keeping a secret from him, however inconsequential. 

"Well…I haven't been feeling- I mean…" He stammered. 

Jonathan quickly stepped in to salvage the situation. "Dio, don't be too harsh on him. He has some rather unfortunate obligations to attend to, and it could cause some serious complications down the road if we wait too long. Unfortunately this isn't the right time to discuss it. Once this ordeal is over there will be plenty of time to talk, I promise you."

"Really?" Dio scoffed. "Very well, I'll be sure to respect his privacy and tend to my own business, then."

The story was far too vague for his liking. What could possibly be more important than their current dilemma? To witness Robert fumbling his words only made it that more suspicious. But, feeling confident in their discoveries and consequent plan, Dio opted to not to make a scene and disrupt their shared confidence more than what felt necessary.

"Dio." As they were heading back outside, Robert caught up to him. "Could we talk for a moment just you and I, please?"

"About what?" He spoke coldly.

"Just allow me to explain as well as I can how I'm feeling. I don't want us to drift apart, please…" 

Dio turned to face him, fully intent on voicing his dislike of being too close to comfort, yet unable to express it as he wished. Jonathan might overhear it, but-

"Before you do that…"

They both turned to the source of the nasally, slow voice. Waiting for them on one of the rooftops stood a man Dio had yet to encounter, he too lightly dressed and with a turban of sorts which his unruly hair defied. 

At least he had the decency to wear trousers…

"And who might you be?" Dio said in a low voice.

He chuckled. "Nobody told you about me? Why, I'm hurt. To think you shall meet your demise not knowing Esidisi of the flame brought it upon you…"

Jonathan caught up to them, face pale. "Dio." He cautiously spoke. "We really could use your ice abilities for this one…His blood boils to scalding temperatures."

Dio smirked. "Oh, is that all? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Esidisi pointed at him. "For that arrogance alone I shall battle with you first, Dio! Let us see what your ice is worth when it's melted to steam."

He jumped down from the rooftoop…

Chapter Text

Suddenly face to face with the enemy, Dio glanced back at his two companions who, at this particular moment, possessed no assuring amount of confidence. Jonathan anxiously scanned the street and nearby houses with the dread one possessed interrupting a conversation by dropping a plate at dinner. Dio of all people knew exactly what face he made in such a situation, as he'd often delighted in it.

"The cemetery. You know where to find it, don't you?" He said to Robert who stood frozen in indecisiveness. "I'll lead him there, you two go ahead."

He nodded, then nudged Jonathan and led the way as they retreated.

In front of him Esidisi chuckled. "Concerned with disrupting the peace? I hardly imagined vampires could feel pity for their prey. How interesting."

"Be quiet!" Dio scowled. "I'm not doing this out of the kindness of my heart!"

"Why, given how reluctant you are to sacrifice your human friends, I do sometimes doubt your intentions…Should a double agent like yourself be trusted?"

They slowly moved in a circle, matching the other's pace and watching every single move for signs of an impending attack. Any mistake could mean the difference between life and death, Dio understood this after having met Kars. The strength and confidence in which their leader had neared him approached being reckless, if not completely self assured.

"If Lord Kars wishes to speak to me, he could bloody well show up himself. I have nothing to say to henchmen like yourself." 

"Aren't you a bold one?" Esidisi remarked, a faint smirk visible on his face. "I see what Kars meant now. But no matter. I disagree with the idea of welcoming a vampire into our midst."

Dio risked a glance behind him. Robert and Jonathan were nearly gone, having reached the end of the street and turning a right. As if by fate, Rob ended up turning to look at him at the very same time. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and it was as though any remainder of their troubles was absolved in mutual concern. 

Turning back to his enemy, Dio memorized the route in his mind that he once knew so well. It would be from a different direction, the slums were further south and many blocks away from the finer districts the prestigious Archeological Academy laid within, but it would lead to the same eternal resting place all the same.  

All he had to do was lead Esisidi down ten blocks, avoid drawing attention from law enforcement and pray Robert took the longer route and used the safety of the narrow streets and houses. All this whilst being chased down by a foe that clearly did not intend on keeping him alive.

"Dio, you must be wondering why I would oppose Kars and go after you." 

Dio gave him an insincere smile that he hoped looked murderous. "How gracious of you to share your thoughts. I was just about to ask."

He hardly seemed a serious man to begin with, but now Esidisi dropped what must have been a very well practiced act. "Your hubris will be the death of you and the rest of us, that is why I cannot allow Kars this lapse in judgment." He said. "We have lived immortal for twelve thousand years, and your very existence is but a tiny drop in an enormous sea of time. You have no experience or understanding of what it means, which is why you cling to your mortal life like a child. I'll take the mask, too, for you do not have the experience it takes to wield it."

"Oh, really?" Dio leered. "Then you best hope your clever brain is able to keep up with me."

For the mortal eye, it must have appeared as an incomprehensible flash of movement as Dio turned and took off so abruptly that he could feel the faint smell of burnt leather from his soles. Though this had been the plan all along, he couldn't help but to feel deliriously thrilled by doing such a reckless and seemingly cowardly thing. As expected Esidisi wasted no time following him as he crossed the distance of a block within seconds, turning at the very last minute before impact with the houses on the other end of the street and feeling the wind come to a halt between breaths before speeding up again. 

But as confident as he had been, Dio had not anticipated his enemy to be so calm and all but keep up with his inhuman pace. Esidisi was not far behind, too close for comfort in fact. If his quick calculations were correct, then Jonathan and Robert would need another minute or two to reach the cemetery.

Meaning Dio would immediately be flung into battle as soon as he slowed down, and alone at that.

Behind him, Esidisi laughed. "You look pale, vampire. What's the matter? Did you only just now realize your mistake?"

"As if I can't handle you on my own!"

But time was quickly running out. The cemetery was up next to his right, and it was closing in for each millisecond that passed. 

"It's an appropriate battle site. If you'd like, I could open up the crypts and bury you when our fight is over!"

"A great idea." Dio hissed. "I'll be sure to remember it."

With another agonizing screech from the dragging of leather across cobblestone he turned and leapt over the high walls, as the gate would be shut at this hour. In the urgency Dio lost control of his landing and knocked over some gravestones as he attempted to reduce the impact by rolling. It couldn't have been long, but the moment felt an eternity and as he staggered to his feet Esidisi stood only a yard away watching him with amusement. Neither of them felt physical exertion, but he'd taken some rough hits and instinctually took deeper breaths as if it had been knocked out of him. 

"How pathetic." Pretending to feel pity, Esidisi adopted a more taunting and dismissive voice. "You must be delusional to think Kars meant it when he told you how special you were. It's impressive that you were even able to keep ahead of me…for a vampire, that is."

Something reminiscent of veins protruded from his back, and Dio wasted no time dodging it as he recalled Jonathan's words of caution. And sure enough, a sizzling noise accompanied by smoke rose from the earth and stone touched by the blood dripping from them. Some of it flew dangerously close to his face, and he felt the heat like it was a meteorite coming into orbit. Maybe there had been pointless, bringing the fight to this secluded area. Surely people must notice the heavy rocks falling over and then erupting in thin, white pillars of smoke. If they hadn't woken already, then they would make a fuss about it the next day as the gatekeepers came to unlock the gates and found such a holy site torn to shreds.

No matter. Dio hardly had the time to contemplate consequences, seeing as even the most recent, uneroded of monuments only lasted for a brief moment before the boiling blood began to dig into it. He'd taken cover, but could not afford to remain still and be trapped in a corner and needed to make a move soon. 

"I expected more of you than this, Dio! Come out and face me like a man, and meet your demise with honor." 

Dio hadn't gotten much opportunity to test the limits of his abilities. He could freeze the human body and shatter it into pieces, but even so…It had been too long since he fed. What he intended to do would potentially exhaust his last reserves and escalate into an uncontrollable state of hunger.

Even so, he had no choice but to await Jonathan and Robert's arrival in order to attempt it.

"For the love of God, hurry up…!" He mumbled. "You can't afford to be so human, not now…"

Esidisi was nearing his hiding spot. He'd be trapped unless he went out into the open. Overhead, the blood was melting the monument and it began to fall.

With no particular plan in mind, Dio was forced to step out and charge at his enemy.

Chapter Text

Ice and fire met in a furious explosion of hot steam that both Dio and Esidisi were temporarily stunned by. It burnt his raised arm even through his vambrace and shirt, and he hissed from the unexpected pain. Having grown more resistant and durable after his transformation, Dio hardly felt pain in this immediate, urgent fashion, but something about their unnatural abilities created a perfect weapon. 

On the other side Esidisi also stumbled back a few steps with visible, reddening marks over his own arm. Their eyes met, and his glare unintentionally revealed some surprise before falling back into contempt.

"I see…" He scowled. "You'd be willing to risk your own safety to inflict damage on me. What an unlikable trait."

Dio smirked, though he was practically numbed by the hot, searing pain thudding from his arm. "It's your own fault for underestimating me. I have no pity for you. Now, how about you get a taste of your own medicine?"

He should have been saving his strength until the others finally arrived, but the fury burned deeper than the steam and awakened something he'd never attempted before this crucial moment. For a moment Dio was blinded, then a bright beam of pure light burning agonizingly hot like a cutting knife left his eyes and shot at Esidisi. Dio staggered from the immense force of it, and as he recovered from the blast he looked up in stunned silence to find it had not done the job.

Well, seeing him lose a hand so clumsily would have to do. Incapacited for the moment and distraught by the loss, Esidisi knelt down to pick it up and reattach it, providing Dio with an opening. 

"Moron!" He sneered. "I got you now!"

"Dio, wait!" 

Behind the gate stood Robert and Jonathan, both completely out of breath and struggling to regain it from what ought to have been the most grueling sprint of their lives. Rob specifically seemed as if he would fall over, the way he shakingly supported himself with the fence gate bars. 

"Glad you could make it." Dio smirked. "Get s move on, will you?"

"He's…He's not as injured as he seems!" 

Pointing to Esidisi with a shaking hand, it turned out to be more than just paranoia. The severed hand reattached itself just as Dio's remaining burns healed and left behind only the torn cloth as evidence of injury. Though he was relieved to see them, Dio would not be able to count on Jonathan just yet. Without controlled breathing, Hamon was utterly worthless and a waste of energy. It came as no surprise. But, how come Robert was able to tell what was happening so far away? And with plenty of tombstones obstructing his limited view, no less…

"You still haven't figured it out?" Esidisi leered, standing upright. "What allies you have, keeping such crucial secrets from you..."

If Dio hadn't been enraged already, he certainly was now. "You bastard. I'll be sure to bury you…If anything remains, that is." He growled.

To think he would ever be in urgent need of Hamon...The way the previous fight had been described taught Dio him they shared a weakness: sunlight. This could become alarmingly chaotic once Jonathan got involved.

Dodging another wave of veins burning so hot they shimmered in the minus temperatures and melted the snow around Esidisis feet, he realized with a twinge of panic that this was taking more of a toll than anticipated. Dio cursed himself for neglecting to feed on the civilians of the city, something he could easily have done without being found out. All the blood in the animal kingdom could not hope to compare to even a drop of human blood, and this was developing into a glaring disadvantage. Having no other choice, Dio attempted another strike using ice. His aim was abruptly disrupted and agony exploded from his left temple and face. Staggering backwards, he nearly fell over the destroyed gravestones and uneven terrain, only then discovering the heat was distorting the frozen ground. Holding one eye shut, he glared up to see another, more organized attack coming his way. There was no doubt about it, this would inflict some serious injury-

But Esidisi turned to fend off the crackling, explosive and hazardously glowing fist now coming his way. Jonathan had recovered, coming to the rescue like some glorified fairytale knight. Dio recoiled from the dangerous sparks, but he was incredibly relieved to have been granted a moment to recover. Running up shouting behind him was Robert, who showed admirable bravery and stupidity in picking up and throwing rocks to distract Esidisi. Something about it made Dio grin, visualizing a famished stray dog picking a fight with a lion.

"Jojo!" 

Having caught Jonathan's attention in the brief moment before he had to retreat from the blistering heat, they locked eyes long enough to agree to a vague plan of working together. Dio jumped right back in, but he didn't imagine Jonathan anticipated having his shoulders and back frozen with a layer of ice so cold it burned. 

"Make good use of it." Dio muttered. "You'll need it."

But they were interrupted by Esidisi taking advantage of Hamon disappearing in the seconds it took for Dio to make direct contact with Jonathan, and yet again he was forced to back out as the sparks flew in a violent clash. Their opponent was absurdly strong, but it was his agility that surprised Dio's earlier assumptions. His brother who was anything but a flexible or a moving target now struggled despite wielding an ability that could obliterate Esidisi if he touched it.

"Rob!" He shouted, dodging one of the rocks flying overhead with ease. "You may want to back away for this one!"

He beamed, thrilled to be participating. "You got it!"

Seeing what a dilemma Jonathan had stubbornly engaged himself in, with boiling blood eating away at his only source of armor and sending the vicious steam out in a cascade, Dio rushed behind Esidisi faster than he'd ever ran before. This was it. If he wasn't able to pull this off, then Jonathan would run out of time and be incapacitated. It wouldn't take much for him to die, frail and human as he was.

Narrowly dodging the last veins and reaching Esidisi just as he turned to face him, Dio took the greatest risk of them all and made contact. The strain of freezing him whilst in this state formed black spots in his vision, but he growled and kept going with no regard for anything else. If he was going to succumb to exhaustion, then Esidisi damn well better die alongside him!

He stumbled backward just in time to dodge a volatile explosion of Hamon delivered straight to his still stunned face. Esidisis features distorted, so quickly devoured by the raw power of the sun that he had no time to process what was happening before most of his head spread like dust across the cemetery. It continued to spread and a bright light erupted from the decaying body, glowing fiercely and unlike anything Dio had ever seen before.

And then he was...gone.

The ensuing stillness felt intrusive to his ears, so much so that he almost imagined a ringing noise. Jonathan was breathing heavily, and he did not escape unscathed either. The ice was all but melted and his arms were red beneath it. Steam rose from his back, bright against the blue, brightening night sky.

The three of them glanced at each other with uncertainty. Was it truly over? What if he came back from the dead, vengeful and stronger than ever before? But when it turned out no such thing would be happening, Robert erupted into laughter and ran to them, causing them all to join him as they gathered up in a bustling joy they weren't quite sure what to do with.

Dio's eyes sought Robert's. They looked at each other and laughed.

Chapter Text

Distant but encroaching shouts and movement could be heard as they rushed out of the cemetery. A run-in with law enforcement would only result in additional headaches. The three of them felt invincible in that moment anyway, and Dio's satisfaction must have edged on hubris. A situation which only hours before had felt like the weight of the world on their shoulders seemed a tad bit lighter, and it was enough to keep going.

However…

"Dio!" Robert quickly came in to support him as he stumbled. "My God, are you alright? You don't look well at all…"

Dio bared his teeth in a grimace and shoved his helpful arm aside. "Don't. You only expose yourself to danger, being this close to me."

In front to them, Jonathan slowed down and cast a concerned glance his way. "Is there anything we could do for you?"

"One thing; Get out of here before I lose control of myself."

His senses were overrun by the delirious hunger intensifying to the point it was aching as Rob had touched him. It was all it took, then he wad left fighting with all his might not to sink his teeth into the inviting rhythm resting just below his skin. It was all Dio could see and hear in that moment, and it was maddeningly sweet to his famished state of mind. It would be so easy to reach out, draw him into an embrace and brush the coat aside, then draw his lips to his neck and shiver with satisfaction as the hot blood spilled out and Rob relaxed in his arms as their heartbeats joined…

No. He was losing his composure, he could not allow himself to let that happen. It did not matter how much it agonized him to hold back, Dio would destroy all progress he'd made these two weeks and end up right back where it all began; with them all as sworn enemies holding not a trace of warmth for one another. It would make it all meaningless.

Robert and Jonathan exchanged anxious glances, only now realizing the severity of the situation. They stood in the biggest city in England, an epicenter of the modern world in which people lived and died within the city limits. The streets would soon be bustling with life, and before then this issue needed to be dealt with. The inevitable solution was blood, and they knew it as well as he did. The only remaining question was whose blood it would be.

"Come. Let's get you back to the hotel." Jonathan said, motioning forward. "You may go ahead of us, if that makes it easier."

"Sure…" 

Dio was caught up in a red fog where everything appeared distorted and distant, yet so feverishly close and within reach. He'd stopped breathing long ago in a desperate last attempt to endure, but as he walked past Jonathan he nearly blacked out. If he'd given in then, something else now a permanent, festering part of his soul would have appeared in his stead. What made it so excruciating for Dio was he could hardly tell the difference.

He could not recall making it back to the dark hotel room. Suddenly he stood in it, vaguely aware of its familiarity yet unable to remember where he recognized it from. 

"-putting yourself at risk, please don't…"

"We have to do something ! You saw how awful he looked back there, it won't just go away on its own."

The voices came from the other end of the hallway, but for Dio it was as if they stood in the same room. He needed to remain where he was and keep them safe.

He wanted to go out there.

"Jonathan, I understand and appreciate your concern, I really do. It has to be me though, I know he won't go too far."

"Can you be sure of that? The Dio you know might not be waiting for you in there, you know."

A brief moment of silence. "You both risked your lives tonight. It is only fair that I repay the favour."

The sound of soles moving on carpeted floors indicated he was on his way. Dio stood frozen listening to them, as if he wished to stay hidden.

So that he would have the advantage.

"Robert." To his great frustration, the footsteps came to a halt. "If…If any complications arise, I'll be right by the door. Don't hesitate to call out if you need my help."

"Thank you, Jonathan. I pray my life won't come to such a horrific end."

Dio backed further into the dark spots of the room, watching with intense anticipation as the door handle turned. All he could hear in that moment was the adrenaline fueled pulse of his own, undead blood calling out to the warmth behind the wooden frame he could easily have torn off its hinges to reach. Rob entered the room, his movements slower than usual. Dio breathed in his scent and shut his eyes for a moment, enthralled by every single detail he could discern from it. Particularly that familiar scent of fear. Yes, he spoke so bravely, but who wouldn't be unsettled walking into a vampire's den?

"Dio." He carefully spoke. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than ever." Dio responded. "I'm so glad you're here with me."

Without intending it, he began to draw closer. Everything about Rob felt so fascinating in this moment, from the shallow, nervous breaths he took to the contrastingly calm demeanor that must have demanded quite the disciple to maintain. He laid his coat and hat over a chair, quickly glancing over to where Dio was and yet again surprising him with his intuitive skill, then unbuttoned his shirt and put it down as well. 

To Dio this was so strange to watch he couldn't help but to chuckle to himself. Most would tremble in a corner and beg mercy, but he was preparing to be bitten! Making it easier!

Dio crossed the distance between them right as Rob finished and stood shirtless in the cold room, leaning in against him and bringing an arm around his waist. He was so warm, so invitingly alive and endearing as he was startled by the sudden touch and turned around to face him. His dark blonde, unruly hair laid over his neck and shoulders, but being this close all Dio could focus on was the heart. The heart, oh so close to his own! He wondered if they were beating at the same pace.

"You can control yourself, I know it." He whispered. It sounded like he was reassuring himself of that fact. "Don't forget who you are, Dio. I'm entrusting my life in your hands, alright?"

"Mhm. I'll try."

Dio pulled him closer, then leaned down and gently brushed the hair aside. But that was where his restraint ended. Rob shivered as he felt the touch of his lips against the vulnerable, thin skin of his neck, then cried out softly as Dio bit down and for a moment was hit by an indescribable wave of euphoria. It was so warm, rich and surging of energy that the bitter and metallic hint no longer felt repulsive but instead enrichening like wine. 

Yes, this was exactly how it was always meant to be. From the very moment they reunited to now, hadn't he always longed for this to happen? In his embrace he felt Rob relax and then grow weaker, until Dio somewhere in his trance realized he wasn't supporting himself any longer. A hand shivering with exhaustion came up to the back of his head, not to stop him but to be affectionate and loving. Only then did Dio with immense effort pull away, all of a sudden realizing he was beginning to drain the life away from him. Two streaks of blood instantly appeared and he drew his tongue over them with greed. The voice of reason told him this would save his life from spilling out and be wasted, but that wasn't how Dio saw it at that moment. 

Despite it all, Rob still weakly held onto him in what now resembled a lover's embrace. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but he peered up at Dio still blissful from the venom coursing in his veins. 

They agreed to stop before, but Dio leaned in and kissed him with blood still coating his lips.

Chapter Text

"Rob." Dio cautiously asked. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive." He managed to get out.

Completely spent, he was hardly clinging onto consciousness as he rested in bed. Jonathan insisted they keep him awake at least an hour to make sure he was out of the immediate danger zone. Whiskey was brought in to help restore the enormous amount of fluid Robert lost, but eventually their nerves got to them, too. Dio was the first to down a shot, followed by Jonathan's more composed, elegant imitation. They didn't speak of what had happened, afraid to touch on some sensitive aspect of it and be upset with one another. Naturally, Dio was most grateful for this gesture. It would only have been tedious and pointless to explain what now felt like a distant fever dream still giving him tremors as he recalled it. 

Checking the pocket watch in Robert's coat, Jonathan brightened up ever so subtly and rose from the chair. "I think I'll be taking my leave now. It would seem he made it gallantly on his own. I almost want to apologize for intruding."

"No need…" Robert's voice was faint, yet contained a glint of humour in it. "Thank you, Jonathan. I'll be alright, I said so before…"

Jonathan laughed. "Certainly seems like it. Be sure to get some rest, now. And Dio?"

Dio tensed up. "What is it?"

"Could you watch over him for me? If his breathing becomes strained, tell the hotel staff to come fetch me immediately."

"Me?" He couldn't quite believe it. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, with all my heart." Jonathan warmly smiled. "I susepect it wasn't easy for you to regain control in such a rough state of mind, but your restraint saved his life. I'm proud of the man you're becoming."

"Gross. Don't say things like that."

But Dio looked away as he said it, feeling strangely bashful and flattered by the unexpected praise. To think that only weeks before they'd been at each other's throats…He'd never admit it, but it meant a lot to regain his brother's trust. It meant he was fitting in, that he could  fit in. That idea had felt fictitious only weeks prior.

As Jonathan left the room, he was left to his own devices and forced to confront the sight of the weary, pale man practically sinking into bed. Rob had always been vulnerable in contrast with the unnatural splendor Dio possessed, and in certain ways they were doomed to always be unevenly matched. He had been the leader despite Robert being the older boy, constantly planning their activities and steering the conversations in whatever direction he desired. 

But seeing him like this…It touched a certain protected and frighteningly vulnerable part of his heart he thought himself to be ridden of.

The sun was about to rise. Dio quietly dressed down to his white shirt and ran a hand over the perfect pale skin where he'd been hit by steam. Not a trace remained, it was as if nothing had ever scorched it. How abaurd it felt to lie down next to him under the same covers after what happened...But if he felt troubled, he opted not to mention it. Driven by some strange feeling of connection, Dio shuffled closer and laid his head on Rob's chest. His eyes fluttered open in sleep drunken surprise, peering down at him with a face that was difficult to read.

"Do I make you nervous?" Dio couldn't help but ask. 

Robert shook his head. "No, not at all. I just…Well, I wasn't expecting you to be so...remorseful." 

"I am not. Jojo told me to keep watch over you, which is exactly what I'm doing. See, I'm monitoring your breathing and your pulse in order to detect anomalies."

It wasn't a convincing lie. Despite the effort, Rob just tiredly smiled at him and brought his hand to touch the back of Dio's head, fingers carefully intertwined in the locks of hair. He twitched, remembering how only an hour prior he'd done the same as the life drained from his body. 

" I don't make you nervous, do I?" Sending the question back over to Dio, Robert seemed amused and giddy. Delirious, maybe.

Dio scoffed. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous."

Resting against his chest, it was almost like being human again. It was warm, safe and grounded in reality as he had been before it all. Dio often forgot he once possessed a living body, one which unconsciously breathed and maintained an entire system within as one biological machinery. A familiar way of existing, yes, but it was fading by the distant horizon. While Dio at times disliked the unfamiliarity of his new self, he would not ever come to regret it. Before, he wouldn't have cared to notice these differences, and he would not have developed this silent appreciation of the humanity left behind. 

"Dio?"

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry," Robert's voice was quiet and frail. "that I keep things from you, and I don't even have the decency to explain myself. It's not something I can open up about. Not yet."

Dio lowered his gaze and took a deep breath. "I wish you could. For me, it's difficult to let go of such things. How come Jojo knows more about you than I do? It's absurd."

"It wasn't intentional." He said. "I didn't mean for him to find out, and neither did he. It…It wasn't easy to come to terms with."

Robert's weakened state made him ramble, but as soon as he was about to touch on the pressing topic he went quiet. It was evident by the quiver of his lips and the gleam in his eyes that this was an enormous struggle, that he felt torn in two directions and Dio directly contributed to this pain. That in itself wasn't new, but he felt ridiculously guilt stricken by it. T hat was uncharted territory, feeling guilt.

"You know…" More careful with his words than usual, Dio risked a glance up at him again. "This may sound strange coming from the man who nearly killed you tonight-"

"So dramatic." Robert interjected. "I lived, didn't I?"

"-but I do feel a great deal of things about you that I've yet to puzzle together." He continued. "Concern, mainly." 

It was challenging not to stumble over the words. They felt too revealing, too open and dangerous to lay out. It should've been the other way around; That Rob would recoil from the deceitful ethereal and pristine being Dio now was, something in between life and death that resembled a human being but had no ties holding him to it. He was limitless and overwhelming. Yet it was Dio who quietly held his breath with the sheer intensity of something he could not express in any satisfying way. 

"There's no need to worry about me, Dio." Quietly taking Dio's hand and brushing his fingertips over the intricate features, Rob shut his eyes for a moment with a strange melancholy. "I'm not going to die."

"Of course not." Dio said, squeezing the hand right back. "I'll make sure it won't happen, I'll protect you."

But though it was such an earnest vow, one one simply could not break or else betray something deeply fundamental within, Rob chuckled hearing the words then patted Dio on the head.

"I appreciate it."

"Are you laughing at me? What was so amusing about that?" 

"I didn't mean to." He was still smiling, and Dio thought he saw a faint hint of bitterness spoil the joy for him. "I only thought it to be a bit ironic hearing you say it…"

Right. It was so easy to let the events of the night slip out of mind when they were together like this, as if nothing ever happened and those nine years apart had been nothing more than a day.  

"It is extraordinarily rare for me to reach that stage of hunger." Dio defensively said. "It's only because I couldn't go out hunting like I usually do with Jojo watching me. My body haa grown used to killing." 

Robert had a more somber expression hearing him speak of death. "I hope we can help you adjust. Maybe we could make this work."

"Maybe." 

But as Rob finally began to drift off, Dio laid awake troubled by their conversation.

Chapter Text

The following evening they saw remarkable improvement of Robert's condition. It was far from ideal he was so weary, however, given their ambition to depart London as soon as everything was in order. As Jonathan braved the harsh weather holding most londoners captive indoors and ventured out to acquire everything they needed, Dio remained at the hotel with Rob who, evident by his many attempts to rise out of bed and nearly blacking out, had already grown impatient with being incapacitated. In the end, Dio had to practically force him back down and then grow more irate seeing how amused he was seeing his "more nurturing side". 

Despite the overhanging, looming threat of the remaining two enemies they had yet to encounter, the three of them were quite at ease and engulfed in a feeling of excitement quite reminiscent of old childhood adventures and escapades back when the world seemed less vast and imposing. Their success against Esidisi and the unnamed man Jonathan and Robert encountered fueled their spirits, motivating them to endure just a few more days. What awaited would be a trial of mythological proportions. Like David and Goliath, as Jonathan put it. 

Dio felt...strangely at peace with his two companions constantly being in his presence pestering him with questions, ideas and theories of what was to come, what strategy to rely on etc. He complained, of course, claiming they were getting on his nerves and that he'd picked the wrong side if this was the standard procedure. In secret he rejoiced over being such a natural part of the group. Jonathan entrusted him with information vital to their success, and Robert who at first had been standoffish and cold made sure to include him in everything he could think of. 

"I told you, it won't work!" Dio scowled as Jonathan returned with one particularly awful idea. "My God, what would you do without me here to remind you of the crucial details?"

He sheepishly laughed, putting a hand on the back of his neck. "Now I feel embarrassed. It's so easy to forget that you're  a vampire, you know…"

Dio stared at him in disbelief. "You're unbelievable. How did someone like you excel in archeology and historical research, but struggle with remembering my condition ?"

"Lesson learned, alright? I promise it won't happen again."

Robert scratched something off the notepad he'd borrowed off Jonathan. "Well, unless we find a way to make Dio immune to sunlight by tomorrow, that one's off the list. Sorry Jonathan…"

Despite being scolded and having the proposed plan rejected so harshly, he was smiling. Dio rolled his eyes and rose from bed to get another glass. Drinking at such a crucial meeting was probably the most dimwitted thing they could do, but they were in good spirits and collectively decided a posthumous celebration of their victory was in order. Jonathan had once again made use of his status and wealth to have dinner served in the room Dio and Robert had been staying at, making sure to mention the poor health of one of the gentlemen residing in it and how agonized he'd be to walk downstairs. It did entertain Dio how, despite being related only by law, he and Jonathan shared a natural talent of manipulating others into doing their bidding, though his brother rarely made use of it.

"To be honest, we cannot predict how, or when, it will happen." Acting again as the voice of reason, something Dio greatly enjoyed doing, he sat back down by the end of the bed where Robert had made room for him. "They could come after us tonight, for all we know. I propose that me and Jonathan work together like before and make good use of ice and Hamon combined. That is as far as I intend on planning ahead, though."

Jonathan nodded. "Fair enough. Like you said, we can only hope to plan for the future."

Without thinking about it, his brother's hand found the golden locket fastened around his neck. It was made of a thin, delicate chain and engraved with flowers, a trinket most young women of the upper class had taken a liking to wear. Realizing it, he flushed red and immediately stopped.

"No need to be so flustered!" Robert laughed. "How is she doing, Jonathan? Have you seen her yet?"

It belonged to Erina Pendleton, of course. If Dio had to guess, there would be a miniature portrait of her inside it, and maybe even a miniature note left for Jonathan to find when he first opened it. She would have written something brief but sickeningly lovestruck on it and then kissed it.

Reminded of his affection for her, Jonathan couldn't help but to beam with the same ridiculous fatuousness. "When I do see her, I don't think I will ever let go of her hand again. She's such a sweet and gentle soul...I hardly deserve a woman like her, but no man in the world does." 

Dio sighed. "Since when did you become such a romantic soul? How embarrassing, truly."

But he still glanced at Rob before he could stop himself, praying neither of them would notice it. To his great humiliation and almost as if by a trick from above, Rob did the same thing and went as far as to smile , brown eyes glittering from the warm lights placed in the room. Dio quickly turned back, but by then it was too late. 

"So you say Dio, but look how red your face turned." Jonathan teased. "Don't tell me you also suffer from such embarrassing mortal afflictions!"

"I'd rather drop dead." He hissed. "Shut your mouth, or I'll shut it for you."

Rob giggled, and Dio jabbed his leg with a well placed elbow. 

Jonathan suddenly went quiet, looking rather downcast and burdened. "I hope she is well…It was not right of me to keep her at a distance and strain her poor heart, but what else can I do? How horrible wouldn't it be to expose the woman you love to danger?"

"If it's of any relief, I believe she knows your intentions are to keep her safe." Robert reassured. "And though she may be a woman, we can all agree she is determined and resilient to a degree that puts us all to shame."

"I suppose you could phrase it that way." Dio dryly said, but now it was his turn to be kicked in the side for poor manners. "Alright, alright, I agree with you! Shouldn't you be resting, you huligan?"

Jonathan laughed. "It's alright, Robert. I don't mind."

Robert huffed. "It's especially important as a man to speak kindly of women, and he knows that. Particularly those that will be family."

That word made Jonathan turn red up to his ears. Suddenly agitated, he picked at the locket with his head bowed down and changed posture in his seat. "I-I know in my heart she will say yes, but the thought of the opposite frightens me more than anything…It's the only thing I could ever want in life, to be able to call her my wife."

Dio made a face. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Dio, you'll be courteous and apologize for what you did to her, won't you? You better do it, because I want you two to get along. You and Erina are all I have left."

"Fine." He made sure to sound annoyed and emotionally unaffected by the request, but hearing himself be valued so highly despite being the cause of Jonathan's recent losses…

"After all," Jonathan continued. "One day, you might have a woman of your own to love and cherish. Robert is right, we as men must step up and do our part for those we fall in love with."

"Who says I ever intend on getting married?" Dio quickly protested.

This time he could not bring himself to look to his right. Would Rob be looking at him with some kind of expectations, and if so, what would they be…? 

It was ironic. He transcended humanity in every way, but could not keep his cool discussing something so ridiculous as love.

Dio only wished he didn't also share Jonathan's trait of easily blushing.

Chapter Text

Dio felt disoriented. On one hand, he was a habitual person that felt most comfortable with familiarity. For someone like him, who had grown up in a place where vulnerabilities and trust were highly dangerous to possess, he resented taking the risks of leaving his fortified walls and becoming close with others. It was a risk that as far as experience had shown him mostly led to betrayal and deep pain. Being the horrible monster suited Dio well, because he already knew the premise of his existence. It offered a limitless freedom where he successfully rose to the top using all imaginable means.

On the other…Maybe it was an effect of being in the vicinity of the others for too long, but Dio felt at ease and had begun to make their honesty, trust and vulnerabilities his own. It was not easy, but so graciously, unimaginably rewarding. He had not been able to lay down and rest until Rob was next to him, or even better, in his arms. Jonathan telling him he was proud and smiling like he truly meant it felt like the warmth Dio lost to vampirism returning. Only weeks prior he would have laughed at the mere suggestion of kinship, but now he felt fiercely protective of their group of three and only feared it coming apart. 

And what was it he was feeling for Rob, exactly? He now more than ever wished for some divinely gifted clarity.

It was nearly time to go. Dio got ready before the sun could set, though he usually remained in bed waiting for Rob to wake up. Being this close to the last confrontation and not as much as a whisper from the other side…It couldn't be good. Nothing ever went according to plan, yet they were unscathed. Dio couldn't help but be agitated by this fact. 

Yet again Robert impressed with his quick recovery. He ought to have been bedridden another day or two, yet got up on unsteady legs that trembled for a moment before he regained his composure. Neither of them said anything, but it felt as if they were making conversation nonetheless.

"What?" Dio smiled. "You seem…giddy."

"You were resting your chest on my chest again, weren't you?" 

"As if."

As they walked out to meet with Jonathan, he came out of his room in a startling hurry. "Dio, Robert! I'm glad you're awake!" He hurriedly said. "Come, something unexpected has occurred."

Robert groaned. "Oh, please tell me this won't delay our journey…We do have our affairs in order, don't we?"

"It's nothing like that." He assured. "A book appeared in my room this morning, and it definitely does not belong to me. I need you to help me investigate it."

While they both seemed mildly inconvenienced at most  by the black leatherbound journal placed neatly atop the desk, Dio felt his stomach sinking with deep, unprecedented dread. He nearly lost his balance in the doorway, instinctively pulling back as if to leave. It was the most vicious, unexpected punch to the chest, and he hardly dared breathe.

"No. Not that book. Please."

"Dio, what's the matter?" Rob was quick to come to his side with concern written all over his face, placing a hand on Dio's hand as if to steady him.

He didn't respond, but instead broke free and strode into the room determined to tear it into pieces before they had the chance to read its contents. Alarmed, Jonathan stepped in and held his arms out.

"Out of my way." Dio growled. 

"Dio." His brother's voice took on a sharp, cautioning tone. "Do you happen to know what this is all about?"

"Don't do this. Jojo, please-" 

Before he could finish his sentence, Jonathan had reached behind himself and grabbed the journey, holding it out of reach as Dio instinctively moved after it. "I'm really sorry, but the way you're behaving right now is too strange for my liking. We have no choice but to read it."

"I've never begged you for anything, not once." Panic was rising to the surface now, infecting Dio's voice with a slight tremor. "I'm begging you now. Jonathan!"

"Should we really be doing this?" Robert nervously chimed in from his right. 

It was awful, thoroughly awful. How? How had that accursed journal ended up in this room? He'd made sure to keep it hidden away at all times, only writing in it once or twice before forgetting all about it as time went on and they grew to trust each other. Feeling as if the floor beneath him had turned into a ravine, Dio wordlessly and without blinking sat down on the edge of the bed, folding his hands together expecting them to be shaking. 

He couldn't bring himself to look at Jonathan.

"I'm sorry, Dio. I really am."

Worst of all was hearing how making the final decision agonized Jonathan, knowing that final, hardwon understanding they both fought so hard to retain would shatter and disappear into the dark chasm Dio envisioned himself being plunged into. He clenched his jaws until they hurt as the pages began to turn and the room feel into a smothering silence.

"...Did you write this?" 

His breath quivered. "I did."

"All of it?"

"Do I at least get to explain myself?"

Dio finally looked at Jonathan. He wished he hadn't. Tears burned in the corners of his blue eyes, and they were vividly inflicted by pain. Sorrow, hatred, disgust, betrayal…It was all present in one incoherent mixture of turmoil that now brewed out of control.

"I know how this looks." He insisted. "And I don't blame you for doubting my intentions, what, with all I've done. I meant every word when I wrote it."

" When you wrote it…" Robert mumbled. "How do you feel about it now?"

It was unbearable to look at him, weighed down by such a smothering feeling of shame Dio wasn't sure he would be able to get the words out. "That is no longer me. I- I didn't expect this to be the outcome, but please hear me when I say these past two weeks have fundamentally changed who I am. Rob, you believe me, don't you? You know how I feel…"

He thought for a moment but then nodded, eyes glimmering with emotion. "I know."

But Jonathan's shoulders were tense, and he suddenly threw the journal next to Dio as if revolted by it. By him. "What have you done?" His voice was quiet and weak, but Dio winced as if he were yelling. "Why does it always come down to this?"

"Jojo-"

"Get out." He growled. "I might have been able to forget about this had it only been your treachery against us, but Erina-" Overwhelmed with emotion, he stopped mid sentence. "Get out of my sight. You're out."

Dio rose to his feet. "You can't do this. Without me, you'll both be dead!"

The look Jonathan gave him felt like a knife being twisted into his heart. "It's a long way back to Windknight's Lot. You better hurry if you want to make it before the sun rises." He coldly said. 

There were so many things Dio wanted to say. He wanted to curse him, break down in tears and beg his forgiveness, yell at him or tell him about his secret meeting with Kars. Anything to hurt Jonathan, inflict wounds that would fester and devastate the man that was meant to be his brother and only living relative. He thought of the most vile, unreedamable and vicious things to say…

None of it came out. Dio found himself only wishing to crawl into some isolated space and wither until the end of time, until it no longer tore his chest into pieces to have his only remaining hope of finding happiness stolen away in one awful night. Numb to the core, he went for the door.

"Dio…" Robert tried to reach out for him again. 

Dio pushed past him and slammed the door behind him so hard it was torn in half. He was being burned alive by his anger, and it incinerated everything in its way. 

He prayed nothing would remain but ashes.

Chapter Text

The old castle ruin stood quiet as the grave. A few insects moved within rotten wood beams and cracks in the stone walls, their near inaudible movements scratching against the miniature tunnel walls. When Dio walked by, their shells and bodies froze into ice and burst. Whatever remained resembled a dark, crude dust. He stormed upstairs to his chambers without as much as a straying thought to his destructiveness. Reality existed only at a distance. 

They abandoned him. His mind was occupied by these words, he could not stop repeating it over and over accompanied by all those other, deeply cutting words. Jonathan abandoned him. Robert stood by the sidelines and watched, too weak to interject and argue his case. After all they'd endured together as a trio, defeating entities of immeasurable power and uncovering the truth of their origins, going out drinking as old friends and staying up late talking about the future…In the end, Dio had been sentenced for his prior crimes as he deep down always knew he would be.They would never see him as an equal or recognize his excruciating efforts. 

Dio began to pace in a circle, his breathing jagged and strained by anger. What was he to do now? No way in hell would he sit this one out and end up facing off against the remaining two men alone, knowing his so-called "allies" had sentenced them all to die a meaningless death. 

No. Something needed to be done, and it had to be soon. He knew where the Stone of Aja was located and had the advantage, with it he would be controlling the entire situation. Dio abruptly abandoned his circle and went for the door-

And that was when the subtle shift in the surroundings caught up to his senses. 

"I'm really not in the mood to speak to you, Kars." He darkly spoke. 

"Yet we have so much to discuss."

Turning around, Dio stood face to face with the man he'd been planning to kill for the last two weeks. Kars hadn't changed at all, watching him with quiet intrigue from the dark shadows cast in the room's corners. Upon being discovered he stepped out into visibility and Dio, despite the agitated state of mind he was suffering, could not help but to let his eyes wander again. Wearing only vambraces, sandals and a loincloth, he appeared to be flaunting his confidence and invulnerability.

"I told you this would happen." Kars said and began to slowly circle him. "Us immortal beings do not belong with inferiors. We are too advanced and complex for their puny little minds to handle."

The calm, silent rage deepened as Dio put two and two together. "It was you." 

Kars smirked. "I was growing impatient. Five thousand years of fortitude eventually wears your patience down. Besides, it was an inevitable outcome. all I did was speed up the progress."

"Everything was going well!" Dio shouted. "I was part of something! They wanted me there, and I was well on my way to make up for everything I put them through! Get out of my sight!"

The outburst only made Kars laugh. "Dio…You truly are naive."

"Tell me. Tell me how I've been naive."

Kars drew closer as he walked behind Dio, who tried to turn and keep a close eye on him but found that he truly was out of sight. "Who is the greater fool?" The soft, low voice wondered. "The fool himself, or the one who trusts him? You trusted their judgements as if humans are your equals, and this is a mistake. They're shortsighted, emotionally driven and always need a villain to unload their burdens on. What does an unreliable future matter to a mortal? All he remembers is how it felt when you wounded him and that he only has one life to live."

When Dio located him again, they were right next to each other. "Fine. It's true my brother's blinded by mortality. So what? Am I meant to believe you're telling me this to be nice? Without any ulterior motives?"

"Did I ever deny it?"

Kars brought a hand up to his face, softly stroking his cheek and playfully touching his hair. 

"Stop." Reminded of how Rob had done the same, Dio flinched and lowered his gaze. 

"It's a pity Esidisi felt he had to act alone." Kars said, unfazed by his meek protest. "I did warn him you're quite resourceful and cunning, but he was overcome with hubris. Tell me, which one of you landed the killing blow? Was it you?"

The hand trailed down the side of his neck and Dio involuntarily shivered from the light, yet treacherous touch. "Jonathan did it. He used Hamon, so I'd guess the pain was intolerable." 

The words which he would otherwise keep inside came out from the turmoil of hurt, betrayal and rage threatening to overwhelm him. Dio wanted to get revenge, and his furious and wounded self would not see clearly. 

Kars lack of reaction felt strangely inappropriate, considering he'd lost not one but two of his companions in the span of days. "I see. So this is why you had such faith in him. He has to die, of course. What about the one you desire? I could always let you keep him around as a pet if you'd rather see him alive."

Rob…"He wouldn't want that. I would only make him miserable."

"Then forget about him." Leaning in further until his breath brushed against Dio's neck and ear, Kars recreated the intimate moment he and Rob had shared only days prior. "You want to become truly immortal, don't you? Without any limitations and with me to guide you, who knows what greatness you would achieve, what hedonistic pleasures you'd partake in? it must have been driving you mad to be near him, yet have your efforts unrewarded…"

Despite his earlier protests and anger, Dio felt himself weakening to Kars, and the skill he so cleverly mastered. Before he knew it, he'd been trapped by one hand on the nape of his neck, and another traveling down his back. Sharply yet quietly inhaling, he tried to keep his composure. 

"Who's to say I won't tear your throat out instead?" He spoke in a low voice. "I could easily do it when you lean up against me."

"You won't do it." Kars murmured. 

"And how are you so certain?" 

"Because you are greedy and corrupt, just like me. Power is so treacherously alluring you'd do just about anything to get it…"

Dio shivered as he reached under his shirt a second time. It was different now, more bold and dominant. Kars had only held him by the waist, but now he felt him up and made no effort to hide what he wanted. Pleasure sparked like lightning as soft lips touched against his neck, then followed by the wetness of his tongue. 

Dio eagerly leaned in to kiss him, knowing it would be with passion and lust filled excitement they met.He knew he shouldn't, but he allowed this newly awoken warmth to cloud his judgment and leaned into it, trying but failing to hold back the soft moan of approval that would lead this further. What felt greatest was the retaliation. It was wrong, immoral and grossly indecent to let Kars do this to him and enjoy it, and that was precisely what thrilled him. Doing the most unforgivable, selfish deed…

But when Kars decided to take it further and his hand began to travel down past his groin with clear intent, Dio suddenly panicked and defied his body's desires by grabbing the invasive wrist. Despite not requiring air, he was out of breath when Kars broke their charged kiss in surprise.

"No. I can't." He eventually got out. "I want to, but I…Not now."

Kars stepped back. "What a tease."

"They'll be here tomorrow night." Dio said, wiping his mouth and straightening his clothes. "And they have the Stone of Aja. You best prepare yourself for recovering it, Lord Kars."

Once he left, rushed on by the false reveal, Dio sank down against the wall and sat there quietly.

Back when he was touched, he'd suddenly thought of Rob. 

Chapter Text

Sometime later Dio rose to his feet as his pulse weakened and resumed a near nonexistent rhythm. Tranquility, focus. It was what he needed, and his intense, electrically charged encounter with Kars robbed him of it. Dio had never gone so far with another man, and the excitement of breaking rules got to his head.

Now, however, he possessed a stillness which was almost frightening. 

Descending down the castle floors, all the way down from the private chambers located in the towers to the servant quarters and kitchens beneath ground levels, Dio understood with a strange serenity what he must do. Retrieve the Red Stone, and with it, the agency he lost along the way. Dio would no longer act in the interest of others, but by his own accord. Whatever he chose to do with it would determine the outcome of an eternity.

Truth be told, Dio had never felt so torn, so uncertain of his inner compass. When he believed to have found his will, it spun wildly and switched course only to do it again the next time he attempted to interpret it. 

Jonathan and Robert betrayed him. They made a decision tainted by who he used to be, not who they had gotten to know. They chose precaution over taking a gamble, and wouldn't you risk anything for the ones you love?

But Dio felt so awfully lonely it ached his soul. As he ventured down the never ending staircases, he forgot that they weren't with him and thought of something to say, only to stop mid thought with the smothering awareness of isolation. Of empty spaces where there ought to be two men he'd spent day and night together with. Most of all he felt the absence of Rob. His witty remarks, kindness, understanding and various quirks like touching his scar when troubled and rarely being seen without the tophat belonging to Baron Zeppeli. How he carried a distinct and comforting scent, and how warm his body was compared to Dio's. 

Kars was ambitious and arrogant. He liked to treat Dio as an inferior, someone who had yet to prove his worth. It was infuriating to be put to the test in his presence, and despite indulging in the secrets of ancient evil heralding thousands of years into the past, Dio couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something crucial. Kars knew something he didn't.

But what did it compare to the promise of conquering the sun? To think he would no longer be vulnerable to sunlight and Hamon thrilled Dio with its potential. If he went with Kars, he would see the sun rise over the mountaintops, feel its warm rays touch his face and not once fear incineration. He would be free, would no longer need to crawl into darkness and hide like a wounded animal. And Kars…Dio could not deny he was excruciatingly tempted by him. It was not only his impressive, attractive physique, but the intrigue and mystery behind those red eyes. Kars had seen millenia pass by. How much knowledge and depth did such an entity possess? Dio felt helplessly drawn to him.

To be conqueror of eons or obtain something mystical he'd never earnestly possessed. Love.

Making a decision meant introspection. It meant to delve into himself and touch dark and repressed parts of his being. Dio stopped looking inward the moment he found out about his mother's death. Were he to do it, he would awaken feelings of regret, guilt and shame of not being there as she passed, failing to aid her recovery. Instead of being exposed to such draining and meaningless intensity, he chose to bury it and live untouched by human weakness.

Dio woke from his contemplations as he opened a door leading down into the crypts. The scent of dry death clung to the air, of corpses so old they hardly stood out from their surroundings after the tissues rotted and dried to dust. With a withheld anticipation almost like a pious awe, Dio walked down the narrow stone steps to the first valve marking the beginning of the burial site. Lighting the torches on the walls, he found himself within a large room in a building style similar to a church. A high ceiling allowed some breathing room, and the stone walls were decorated and made of finer quality bricks. The floor was engraved and painted with the looming figure of Death, a skeletal figure holding a scythe high above the bowing figures on the ground. At some point in its centuries of existence the chamber ceiling collapsed beneath the weight of the earth above, and a modern tarpaulin was set up to keep more of it from falling. Various metal supports helped keep the remaining vault upright. 

Dio crept further in, eyes searching for the name Goodalming. Further into the crypt he found out where the old Lord's tomb was located and why the Aja had yet to be recovered. The innermost part of the crypt was blocked by a collapsed pillar, which by the sight alone must have weighed tons. 

Virtually impossible for men to remove. For him, however, this would require little to no effort. 

Fortunately they'd had time to set up more supports before Dio arrived, otherwise there would have been a guaranteed collapse of the ceiling as he took hold of and pulled at the pillar. But although it looked safe, the sudden movement caused rocks and earth to fall from cracks in the ceiling, making him freeze up more than once to ensure the supports wouldn't give in. A few horror inducing close calls later, Dio was pleasantly surprised to find the cave in on the other side hadn't been as bad as it first appeared. Kicking the piles over and then stepping in, he now stood right before the most recently carved tomb with the name 'Godalming' discernible beneath the dirt and dust covering the nameplate. 

Doubt made its way into his mind for a moment. What if Jonathan had been mistaken, and the Stone of Aja had been removed from the grave? Someone could have robbed it before the ceiling collapsed, perhaps even during the burial ceremony. 

Dio dragged the lid aside and placed it on the floor. The tension he felt peering into the dark grave was impalpable, as if the slightest of sounds would startle him. Inside laid a skeletal figure with no traces of life remaining. The passage of time had eaten away at the fine clothes, who looked discolored and frail against the body.

Holding his breath, Dio reached for the silver chain fastened around the neck. "Pardon the intrusion." 

The vertebrates of the neck broke apart as he tugged at it, and Dio stumbled back with a large, bright red gemstone surrounded by smaller and polished decorative ones. It had a cross engraved into its center, but that was not what drew his attention. Almost immediately Dio felt the hairs on his neck rise from a buzzing, electric sensation of the supernatural, of the immense power he sensed from this necklace. It felt almost alive, as if he would be able to make out a heartbeat from it were he to hold it long enough. 

This was it. This was the Stone of Aja, and it belonged to him. 

At first Dio wasn't sure what to do with it. Then, inspired by the remains he'd just torn it from, he brought the chain over his neck with trembling hands and clicked it into place, allowing the Aja to fall against his chest. 

"You're mine now." He said to it. 

Walking back out to the steps leading upstairs, however, Dio hid it beneath his harness and shirt, then pulled the indigo purple scarf up to conceal the chain. 

Tomorrow night it would all be decided. The fate of mankind, of Kars and Wammu, Jonathan and Robert. And Dio.

And he alone held the key to the outcome. 

Chapter Text

Kars would wait for Jonathan and Robert to arrive at the castle, then pursue them. Knowing this would lead to a meaningless, uninteresting fight, Dio decided to amp up his theatrics and left a note for them at the door, ironically enough using a page from his journal. 

I have the Stone of Aja. If you want it, you must return to the very beginning of our story where millenias overlapped and fiction met reality. And when I say our story, I do mean all of us. 

Your one and only, 

Dio.

It was a great risk he took to entrust Jonathan with this riddle. Knowing his brother better than anyone else, Dio could only hope Robert aided him in solving it or they'd be stuck until sunrise. 

As he departed his lair and set course for the flattened cliff landscape where Wammu and Kars first appeared, the risk of running into them also increased. As they were both free to move and without a doubt watching him closely, Dio was at a glaring disadvantage if they decided to question him. The Aja kept many secrets. Would it be detectable? What if it began to glow as Kars neared it? With no answers at hand he braved the unknown and set up a meeting spot. As he made his way up the steep cliff sides using a narrow path leading up to the top of the summit, Dio still hadn't made a decision. Soon, perhaps, but not yet. And wasn't there always a hidden, third option that would reveal itself only in the moment? 

It was desolate. Relieved, he jumped up to a spot high off the plateau on a rock formation and seated himself to wait. Dio felt strangely calm yet again, as if such a determining moment only mattered in theory. So many things could go wrong, yet he watched over the nighttime landscape lit up by the bright full moon with ease. Acceptance, perhaps, was a better way to describe it.

First to appear was Wammu, stoic and unfazed as always. "We saw your message." He said. "It's not wise to be playing around with such a dangerous toy, Dio."

Dio smirked. "Our kind never knows true stability. Where is Lord Kars?"

"He'll be with us shortly. As will your human companions, they made it to the castle before we did."

A heavy silence fell over them. Dio hadn't seen him since he was brought to the abandoned mansion in London, and there hadn't been time to clear the air. It was strange, but he felt almost fond of Wammu and his withdrawn, yet unwavering personality. Sometimes he thought he could spot a glimt of melancholy in those deep blue eyes, like he did now.

"How do you feel about all this, Wammu?"

"It does not matter what I think." Wammu replied. "Kars is my master and I vowed to follow him and Esidisi to the ends of the world. It's as simple as that."

"Wammu, that isn't a satisfactory answer and you know that." Appearing from behind the rock formations, Kars went to stand by his side. "Dio is more interested in you as an individual."

But as soon as he said it, his glare fixed on Dio with evident dislike. "I'm not too fond of playing games with destiny, Dio. Is it true you have the Stone?"

Dio leisurely reached down his shirt and brought the gempiece out in plain sight, amused by the way Kars followed its every moment as it dangled there. Just out of reach. "No more lies or deceptions. I wanted to have some fun before we get back to business, you see."

Kars narrowed his eyes. "The Stone will be mine either way, as I'm sure you realize. If blood must be shed, then so be it."

"Threatening the keeper of the Aja is quite bold of you, Kars. I do appreciate the honesty, though." 

"I want to avoid bloodshed." Wammu quietly spoke up. "Dio, I hope you feel the same way. Humans have such brief lifespans that it would only be cruel to cut them short. Not to mention that they're your comrades." 

" Were my comrades." Dio hissed. 

Kars didn't say anything, but seemed approving of him alienating himself from them. Their conversation was cut short by a strange howl in the distance. It sounded agonized, as if the animal was in great pain.

"Strange. That doesn't sound like a wolf." Wammu remarked.

And then, as if by clockwork, Jonathan's scent reached them long before he was visible. It was only now that Dio tensed up, dreading standing face to face with his brother for the first time since their heated argument. All those fresh wounds seemed to open up and fester with searing hot anger and hurt. 

When Jonathan did appear by the horizon, his frame lit up by the full moon behind him, Dio was shocked to find he was alone. 

"Aren't you missing someone?" He couldn't help but ask. "When I said everyone, I meant it."

Jonathan's eyes held that same determined light Dio recognized from their own battles, but as they finally locked eyes it briefly shifted to…regret? Sadness? He couldn't quite tell. 

His brother took a deep breath and repressed whatever he was feeling. "Robert will be here eventually. It might take a while, so I suggest we get started."

"Very well." Dio rose. "I've already revealed to everyone present what recently fell into my possession. In fact, I ought to thank Jojo here for sending me away. Who knows where it would be without my intervening?"

Jonathan bit down on whatever protest rose to the surface. 

"You, of the Hamon tribe." Said Wammu, directly adressing Jonathan to his great surprise. "For your own sake, I ask you to stay out of this. If we get the Stone of Aja I promise no harm shall fall upon you. In my heart, I feel great grief and a desire for vengeance hearing what you did to Master Esidisi, but it shows what a great warrior you are. I would be displeased with the task of killing you."

"I'm sure it means a great deal for you to say this to your enemy." Jonathan responded. "But in order to protect this world from evil, I cannot allow the Stone to be used. I don't know what its powers entail, but they surely cannot lead to any good."

Kars scoffed. "And how exactly did you plan to defeat the three of us alone, mortal? I would hardly break a sweat facing off against you. We crushed your kind ten thousand years ago, what difference does one Hamon wielder hope to make?"

"I'm not alone." Jonathan defiantly said, looking at Dio and then behind himself at the dark, gloomy woods far below them. "Our future may seem gloomy and hopeless now, but the sun always rises after the long night. Dio, what do you intend to do?"

Dio pondered his decision for a moment. No amount of preparation could have helped him come to a satisfying conclusion, but Jonathan's carefully chosen words resonated with one choice he at first almost dismissed as irrational, senseless and rash. He looked him in the eyes again, searching for that hint of regret previously present. 

But Jonathan just smiled at him with confidence. 

"Enough of this." Kars snapped. "Dio, hand over the Aja and let us finish this once and for all. Eternity awaits for us to conquer."

The chain softly clinked as Dio removed the necklace and dangled it in his hand. He watched it for a moment, mesmerized by its reflective light and power. It was breathtakingly beautiful, irresistible and beyond even his wildest dreams. A shade of red holding magical property, chilling him to the core.

Dio turned to Kars and smiled. "You moron. We're already immortal. Have you by any chance heard of Icarus and the sun?"

His eyes widened. "No-"

But before Kars could do anything about it, Dio threw the necklace onto the ground, raised his right heel and stomped on it with all the force he could muster. The stone below it opened up a deep chasm, and the once so perfectly cut gem shattered from the biting cold ice.  

The Stone of Aja was destroyed beyond repair. A deep cut tarnished its polished surface. Nobody would be able to obtain its powers now. 

Dio laughed with relief. It was destroyed. Destroyed!

Chapter Text

Everyone stood frozen like statues in shock. Nobody dared move, speak or even breathe. Only falling pebbles broke the silence as they smattered and ricocheted against the newly formed chasm's walls. Laughing softly, Dio picked up the Aja to inspect his work. It looked like a knife had sliced through and split it into two perfectly symmetrical halves, only held together by the abused and bent silver frame.

"None of you suspected me capable of this, I take it." He mused, with a maniacal sense of amusement burning from within. "Then you haven't realized my driving motivation is spite. I live in spite of my past, I died in spite of human limitations, and I destroyed the Aja in spite of those who would seek to control me."

Dio turned to Kars, who up until this point had been caught up in the devastating punch of grief he'd dealt him. Now a cold fury unlike anything Dio had seen before began to form beneath the numb despair. 

"Kars, you nearly had me convinced to become a turncloak." He taunted. "If only you weren't such a manipulative, coldhearted bastard, surpassing even myself."

Kars didn't grace him with a response. Moving at lightning speed he scaled the rock formation, grabbed Dio by the throat with a smothering iron grip and threw him down with such force the stone surface broke beneath him. White, searing hot pain exploded from his head, but Dio still laughed as he struggled to catch his breath.

"You're going to die for this!" Kars had lost his temper. "And it will be the most slow, agonizing death I can give you. Ten thousand years of torture isn't enough to punish you for what you just did!"

Dio turned to look at Jonathan, who'd frozen up in horror watching the scene play out. "Jojo, quit standing there and do something ! Must I do everything by myself?"

Wammu stepped in and blocked the view. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, Dio. It's a waste of life." He sounded genuinely remorseful. "Kars, I'll take care of the Hamon warrior."

Jonathan was on his own. Dio knew he was facing off against horrible odds himself, that the hatred virtually radiating from Kars might just signal his final hour. He got back on his feet just in time for Kars to descend the slope, moving so fast in contrast to his injured target that there would be no way for Dio to dodge. He braced for impact, shielding his face with his arms-

But then something large collided with Kars in a flurry of pale blonde and teeth. It was growling deeply unlike any animal Dio had ever heard, shaking with anger as the force of impact sent them both hurling toward the deep chasm, sustaining some rough blows from the ground before the thing let go. Its claws screeched horribly against stone, coming to a halt dangeorusly close to the chasm.

Kars didn't quite make it and disappeared beyond the edge, but Dio was sure he would be back soon enough.

Now able to see this strange creature clearly, Dio watched in astonishment as the beast stood at full height, still growling with drool spilling over its jaw. It was…The animal it resembled most would be that of a wolf, yet it was easily taller and larger, towering over Dio easily. The front legs looked like elongated arms, and now that he looked closer, wasn't its paws awfully similar to human hands? With its unruly fur standing on edge, it turned to face Dio. Two brown eyes peered at him for a moment darkened with rage, until a spark of…recognition appeared? The two flattened ears turned upright as if delighted to see him.

"...Rob?" Dio stammered before he could stop himself. "Is…is that you?"

The wolf beast wagged its tail in response to the name.

"So this is what you've been hiding…"

But he hardly had time to digest it. Behind them, Jonathan was struggling with what was beginning to sound like a hurricane, groaning in pain as he was hit. The terrain around them came to life, with rocks the size of his head shooting through the strong winds in large circles that kept getting smaller as they were drawn to the eye of the storm.

They could not afford to wait. 

"We need to go! Now!" 

Dio gestured toward Jonathan, still unsure whether Robert understood speech in this form. Fortunately he seemed somewhat intelligent and dashed forward almost immediately. Dio cast one last, unconvinced glare at the chasm expecting to see Kars reemerge, but then turned on his heel and braved the mighty winds. If they did this quickly, they might be able to finish off at least one of their adversaries…

Wammu turned a moment too late, too occupied manipulating the storm to a cutting intensity tearing on the rock formations Jonathan must be recovering behind. Rob tackled him like he'd done with Kars, but cried out as his left flank was cut by a stray gust. The sound tore at Dio's heart. It was awful to endure, to see blood seep out and stain the bright fur as he recoiled. Rob retreated a few steps, panting with pain and exertion.

Thin smoke appeared where the dripping blood hit the ground.  Wammu's arm carried mild burn marks for a brief moment before his rapid healing kicked in, and he stared at his previously injured limb with surprise. 

"Jonathan, we need you out here!" Dio called out. "Rob is here!"

"...So he transforms into a werewolf." Wammu quietly muttered to himself. "I believed them to be extinct."

A werewolf. Dio felt almost embarrassed that he hadn't put two and two together. The strange scent on his belongings, the unnatural warmth, how Rob seemed to be anxious as the full moon neared…

"I'll extend the same offer to you, Wammu." He decided. "Surrender, and you won't end up like Esidisi. With the three of us present you're outnumbered."

But Wammu only staggered to his feet. "A warrior does not surrender. He prevails, or he dies with honor knowing he performed his duty."

Jonathan had rushed into view, making his way toward them clutching his arm. It must have been broken by the looks of it, hanging strangely by his side. 

Something strange was beginning to happen to Wammus hands. They almost appeared to rotate.

"Rob! Now!" 

Dio only knew he had to stop whatever this was from happening again. They rushed in together, taking a great risk that Dio soon paid for as Wammu kicked at him. The blow threatened to drop him to the ground, but he refused to let go. Ice rapidly began to freeze the right hand Dio caught, stopping it from moving. Rob bit down hard on the wrist of the other with a fierceness and bloodlust that forced Wammu to stop and divert his focus. As revenge he kicked at Rob, whose body shook with his growling. He snapped at him with his huge, sharp teeth now gleaming red in the moonlight. 

"This isn't over!" Wammu roared. "I can handle the two of you with ease!"

Dio went flying as he was hit by his own medicine; The packed ice coating the fist. But he grinned nonetheless as he rose, disoriented and with more than one broken, aching rib struggling to snap back into place. 

"There are three of us, actually." 

Jonathan leapt in with his still functioning arm surged by bright lightning, and Wammu was hit right in the chest. It sizzled and sparked with such intensity Dio was relieved to have been flung a few meters away. It must have been fatal. Wammu struggled to stay on his feet, staggering backward until Jonathan hit him again and it began to eat away at his chest with rapid intensity.

Wammu fell over. To think it would end so quickly…Dio almost felt guilty for not giving him a fair fight, but their lives were on the line and he'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

He glanced at Rob. "A bloody werewolf. This is unbelievable…."

Rob laid his ears back and lowered his head as if apologizing for his condition.

Dio couldn't help but laugh.

Chapter Text

Plumes of smoke rose from Wammu's chest as he attempted to rise, to no avail. It was rather miserable to watch and they all stood there quietly, unsure of what to do next. Jonathan evidently felt some pity for him and crouched down by his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You fought well, Wammu." He said. "I don't want to see you go in agony. Let me help you."

He shook his head. "No."

But his life energy was draining rapidly and he had to lay down again. Dio thought he spotted his eyes gleaming with held back tears, so he turned away. Killing Esidisi had felt justified, but Wammu…He'd been a more sympathetic person, stoic and somewhat naive in his dedication to Kars. Wammu believed he had done the right thing, and so his death feel more tragic. 

Jonathan stayed with him until the end. When he returned, he looked weary and sorrowful. 

"It's strange, but I didn't want him to die..." 

Dio bitterly nodded. "I understand what you mean."

Assessing the situation, he determined without much ado that they were all quite beat up. Dio would be healed soon enough, he could already feel the aching of his ribs fading, but Jonathan's right arm wasn't going to magically heal and Rob…Perhaps werewolves also recovered quickly, but as it was now, he limped about stained by blood looking rather disheveled. 

And they still hadn't faced Kars.

Rob suddenly tensed up and began to growl again. Alarmed, Dio saw what he all along anticipated would happen; Kars stood at level with them again by the edge of the ravine, unscathed and glaring directly at him. It was as if Jonathan and Robert didn't exist and they stood alone on another plane of existence.

Dio glanced at Jonathan to confirm they were thinking the same thing, then proceeded to crouch down by Rob to be at level with him. The werewolf had lowered himself closer to the ground as if to protect the vulnerable neck from any sudden attacks. When Dio placed a hand on it, the angry trembling stopped and he turned his large head with perplexion. 

"You're not in a good state to fight." Dio said in a hushed voice. "Go, get what you need to recover. Return to us when you've healed up, alright?"

Rob shook his fur and made a low noise that seemed like a complaint. 

"I don't want to lose you. Just do as I say, please? Um…Go, hunt!" 

He tried to make it into a command, pointing behind them to the trail leading down into the dark forests. Still reluctant to go, Rob brushed his head against him and produced that same deep pitch whine before he finally turned with his tail low and ran off, sending a cascade of pebbles in the momentum that followed.

"So your wolf decided to abandon you." Kars said in a cold voice. "Dio, you're not saving his life. I'll hunt him down and make you watch what I do to that filthy mutt. It will be a sample of what awaits in your eternity of Hell."

"We'll handle this together." Said Jonathan, impressively focused despite the pain he must have been in. 

"Of course. I'll need your Hamon."

Kars came at him frighteningly fast, and Dio didn't have much time to prepare as he saw his wrists tearing open, exposing bone shaped like huge daggers. In two seconds the enraged man had crossed the flattened landscape a mortal might take a minute to halve. Using ice as a shield, Dio formed it on his wrists in solid, heavy layers and raised to block the incoming strikes.

Millions of shards split off and exploded as they made contact. Dio felt his feet be dragged backward against the immense force behind the two blows which he'd only narrowly blocked. Kars grinned at him and was about to stab him in the side when Jonathan forcibly separated them using the fiery threat of Hamon. 

"Get out of my way, mortal. This isn't your fight!" Kars growled at him, outraged.

Jonathan refused to back down. "That's my brother you're attacking! This will always be my fight!"

He dodged the incoming strikes, but Dio felt a cold sliver of terror go through him as he saw how close Kars were to landing fatal blows. Mere millimeters and the shield of Hamon saved Jonathan's life. Seeing that his own armor sustained deep cuts he quickly replenished it, then rushed straight back in and took the risk of exposing himself to the sweltering, blistering solar energy. Kars responded by launching his right arm backward and slicing up a cut dangerously close to his eye, but Dio made it through and began to freeze him as he'd done with them all.

It turned out to be a grave error. Dio was suddenly grabbed by the neck and thrown straight down, the impact cracking the stone floor. Too disoriented to rise, he then received two kicks that definitely broke his left leg and ribs anew. Dio managed to block the next stomp which came directly at his head, and he heard the ice crack beneath the pressure. 

"What's the matter, Dio?" Kars mocked him. "I told you I wouldn't kill you, didn't I? Why don't you rise and make this more interesting?"

Dio spat out some blood. "Go to hell."

But it would seem Kars was only toying with him. Keeping Jonathan at bay using the sharp bone daggers, he continued to kick Dio wherever he reached. Black spots formed in his sight and the pain threatened to overwhelm his senses.

"Dio!" Jonathan yelled, fighting as desperately as he could with only one arm available. 

"That you have the nerve to still wear the Aja after what you did." Kars spat out as Dio attempted to rise. The necklace came out from his scarf and dangled in the air. "I should use its chain and take your head off with it. You'd survive it, wouldn't you?"

He grabbed the chain and pulled Dio up using it, but this time it worked to his advantage. In a surge of adrenaline Dio bit down hard on his hand and drained as much blood as he could before Kars yanked it free. It was rapidly healing his fractures and broken bones, but now he stood vulnerable to incoming attacks. 

Right as Kars was about to slice his throat open Rob came running. Using his brute strength he was able to bite down on his leg and pull Kars off his feet, mauling it with renewed strength. Dio sustained a cut, but it wasn't deep enough to be of concern. Instead he dropped in panic as one of the daggers were aimed directly at the werewolf's forehead. It would be a killing blow.

At the last minute Dio took Kars in a chokehold and forced his wrist back with all the strength he could muster, but then cried out in pain as Kars attempted to stab himself free. Unable to dodge without letting go, Dio had no choice but to take a full hit to his side and watch as the fabric darkened with blood. He realized quickly that Kars intended to weaken him and force him to let go, so he held on tighter. 

And then finally Jonathan was able to step in as Rob switched course and went to protect Dio, latching onto the wrist and stubbornly clinging onto it. Kars was now vulnerable for a final Hamon attack…

…But why? Why was he smiling and laughing?

Then Dio realized it. If they remained where this close together, then he too would be hit. They would both die together. Struck with terror he nearly lost his grip, but regained it as the bone dagger hovered mere inches from Rob's exposed side. Kars would stab him in the heart if he slipped again. 

"Jojo, wait-"

But it was too late. The bright cascade of light came hurling down like a fallen star, hitting Kars right in the face and spreading like wildfire before he could hope to react. It was bright, pure white, taking up Dio's field of vision as he helplessly watched. It tore straight through Kars, melting his skin like lava.

Dio tried to turn away-

Chapter Text

Unbearably warm. Something was burning all over, like a deadly fever. It seeped into the mind and permeated the stray conscious thoughts that attempted to make sense of it. Panic swelled up realizing the defenseless, disoriented state was indeed real…

Dio opened his eyes with terror and attempted to get up, only to be excruciatingly tortured by a thousand sharp bolts of mindnumbing pain exploding from his left side. He could hardly breathe, yet alone free himself from beneath the sheets dampened with sweat. His vision swam with agony.

"Wait, hold still! You're gonna end up hurting yourself if you panic." 

It was a woman's voice. Dio thought he recognized it, but he couldn't focus. "Who…Who are you?" He said in a hoarse voice, unable to turn his head. "Let me go."

She'd raised his right arm and attached something to it. "I'm going to transfer blood to you now. Please Dio, do not try to pull this needle out. Your condition couldn't be any worse."

"Condition? Who are you…?"

Then as she bent closer he thought himself to see a doll-like face with blue eyes deepened in concentration, brushing away long strands of blonde hair as she worked. "...Erina?"

"Try to get some rest." She implored. "I can see you're exhausted. Don't worry, I'll be here to make sure you pull through."

"No. I can't…" But she was right. Dio felt so exhausted he couldn't keep his eyes open, and the words of protest held no weight being so frail and weak that she must have strained to hear them. 

His consciousness slowly but surely retreated into the blissful darkness where the pain dissipated and his weary mind and body might recover. 

The next time Dio woke, he could tell by the smothering and heavy sensation keeping his brain foggy that a significant portion of time passed as he slept. Feeling as if his limbs were paralyzed, he moved very slowly and hissed as more pain rose in protest to merely adjusting himself to be more upright. Even this took a devastating amount of effort and he had to lay there festering in frustration and fear. This condition had taken his autonomy away, and Dio felt furiously helpless to it. Having little else he could muster up energy for, he let his gaze wander around the room. It had wooden walls and floors of a warm and rich colour, with a few well placed oil lamps burning quietly and providing a soft glow. It didn't appear like it was meant to function as a living quarter, though, since he could not spot any particularly personal items. The bed he was confined to belonged to a hospital, it had the railings to prevent patients from falling out. 

Most interesting was the strange, red bag held up via a simple metal structure and connected a tube to his right arm, where a needle had punctured it and been taped down. Was it blood?

A door creaked open and this time he was able to turn his head to look. It was Erina, this time dressed in a different gown and with her hair put up in a bun. She at first seemed surprised to see him awake, but then straightened her shoulders and behaved as was more befitting of her social class. Distant, proud and somewhat disdainful, though she hid it well.  

"How are you feeling, Dio?" She asked, and it was clear he was meant to report on his physical status only. 

"Horrible." He said, only then realizing how uncomfortable words felt in his mouth. "How- How long have I been here? What about Jojo and Rob- I mean Robert?"

Erina came to the left side of the bed and regarded him with extra care, as if she was assessing something else. A shy smile and blush did appear at the mention of her beloved, despite the cold tension between them. "Oh, they're quite alright. You, however…"

"...How bad is it?"

Her focused gaze remained on the left side of his face as she thought. "I believe it is healing, but at this point no one could tell how much, or how long it will take. You're lucky to be alive. Or, I mean…"

Dio tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a cough. "Please. No need to concern yourself with proper terminology."

"I…" She hesitated, and began to fidget with the hands that she had clasped together over her lower stomach. "I could bring you a mirror, but…I wouldn't recommend it."

Dio tensed, but nodded after some consideration. The way she said it troubled him greatly, but curiousity threatened to eat him alive. Erina went to a dressing cabinet and pulled out a drawer, bringing a handheld mirror up from its depths. With a respectable grace she returned to the bedside with a calm that nearly convinced Dio…until he saw how shallow her breaths were. 

"Are you able to hold it?"

"I could try." He mumbled.

But as soon as she handed it over, it slipped out of his grip and nearly fell to the floor before Erina caught it. Humiliated, Dio avoided her concerned gaze. He'd never been this weak before.

"Do you feel ready for this?" She asked yet again. "Like I said, it's-"

"Show me. I have to see it."

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Erina turned the mirror around and allowed him to see his face for the first time since awakening. 

Dio froze in shock.

Across his left cheek, neck and throat trailed a horrific burn mark that laid open as if someone had cut into it repeatedly. He felt sick as he realized he could see some of his jawbone peering out in a stark, white contrast to the burning red flesh. Since Dio wasn't wearing any shirt, he came to the horrific conclusion that it continued downward, too. Peering down below the cover with his breath held, there were red stained bandages laid all over the chest, left arm and upper body. He looked mutilated.

"I know this may be difficult to believe, but it looks better than before…I made sure to cut away any tissue infested with Hamon, and it was a lot."

Dio didn't respond. All he could take in was the sinking, sickening feeling in his stomach.

Erina sat down on the stool placed nearby, sighing with heavy burdens. "Dio, really. You were dead. I'm not sure how you're still here, or how you recovered. Jonathan told me the Stone of Aja saved your life, as if I'm meant to understand what he meant by it."

"You said it would heal, right?" He meekly asked.

"Possibly. I really can't say."

Closing his eyes, Dio tried to sort through and contain everything he felt. Thus far shock helped keep up a still and collected facade, but it could not last forever. When opening them again, he saw that Erina had been watching him with some sort of tense anticipation. As if she expected him to be angry with her, or do something rash. 

"Erina." Dio quietly spoke. "Why did you save my life?"

Her reply was nearly as quiet. "Jonathan told me you changed for the better. Have you, Dio?"

"I don't know." That insight unexpectedly made him feel sorrowful. "Maybe all those horrible aspects of me were burnt away by solar fire. This could be a second chance to redeem myself, but…I don't know."

Erina seemed to understand. "I pray it will be the case. They're both worried sick for you, Robert in particular. He wouldn't leave your side for weeks." 

She got up and headed for the door, but Dio called out to her again. "Erina, wait."

"What is it?"

It was stupid, really, that one drunken conversation would remind him to do something like this. But Dio knew it had to be done. He took as deep of a breath as he could muster without pain dimming his thoughts.

"I wanted to apologize for what I did to you all those years ago. I behaved unmanly and maliciously toward you, sullying your honor. I…I'm truly sorry for what I did, and I hope you may forgive me one day." 

To his surprise, she smiled a little. "Dio…You truly did change. Thank you."

As soon as she left, he broke down in tears of exhaustion.

Chapter Text

Time moved at a remarkably slow pace when all one did was lay stationery and rest. Certainly so, if one were to possess a heart burdened by heavy troubles. Dio had no way of telling how long he repeated the same cycle of waking, instantaneously growing weary and then falling back to sleep, with Erina's presence being the only difference to the surroundings. At times she attempted to speak to him, but Dio rarely had the energy to hold any conversation that required thinking. Neither of them minded the silence, so this silent agreement worked rather well. 

The blood, as Erina informed him was donated by Robert, began to restore the lost energy and tissue. Dio still hardly recognized himself in the reflection. He was weak, pale and had dark spots under his eyes that refused to fully disappear. Most of the time his hair clung to his sweaty forehead and only contributed to the image of a gravely ill man on the brink of death. But it turned out Erina wasn't telling him any comforting lies as he once sourly suggested. The awful wound began to close up and the blood began to win the seemingly hopeless battle. 

And finally, finally, his isolation could be lifted. As soon as Dio became healthy enough to stay awake more than an hour without being sick by flashes of pain, Erina determined he could have visitors. With a sheepish smile she said Robert was about to break in, were he made to wait any longer. Jonathan would visit at a later date, which wasn't all too surprising. Dio suspected his overly sensitive brother was plagued by guilt. Not that it really mattered. For someone usually quick to grow furious with others, Dio hardly cared who was at fault for his injuries. 

"Now remember," Erinas strict and lecturing voice sounded from behind the door. "Dio is not fully recovered yet, and the last thing he needs is to strain himself any further. I understand you're excited to see him, but for his sake…Keep yourself calm and be patient."

To think she would care so much about his well being. Dio hardly felt satisfied with his apology that one night, though Erina clearly thought it had been acceptable. Feeling somewhat indebted to her forgiving nature, he hoped to one day repay it. 

Those sporadic thoughts quickly faded, however, as the door opened. 

Robert stood right behind Erina looking over her shoulder in a mixture of unease and excitement that seemed constantly shifting. He held the tophat in his hands and his fingers anxiously tapped against the brim as she guided him inside. Foolishly, Dio thought he'd be prepared to see him again. Preparing the perfect sarcastic remark or witty joke felt easy in theory, but he grew oddly shy and withdrawn as they locked eyes. What was Rob thinking as his gaze wandered over that horrific, disfiguring scar despite trying not to? Would he be revolted?

But the minute Erina closed the door behind herself and left them by themselves he rushed to Dio's side and took hold of his available hand, sealing it inside his slightly trembling ones. 

"Oh, I don't know what to say!" Rob regretfully choked. "We thought you weren't going to make it. I thought-"

"That I would die? Please, you are all so dramatic." 

Dio scoffed, but he couldn't help but to be affected by the vivid emotions so closely bound to himself. When Rob expressed such strong relief with all his being, braving those feelings they kept at bay out of fear, all Dio could think about was how much he loved him. Because he did. Nobody could ever hope to enamour him like Rob did. Their hearts and souls truly were cut from the same cloth. So vastly different on a surface level, yet interchangeable at the core. Dio would have been willing to die for him all over again at the drop of a pin. He felt alive, breathing and whole again simply by being in his presence. Life and death as perfect, mirrored images unable to hinder the awe-struck fascination which pulled them together.

Afraid this highly intimate secret hinted in his eyes, Dio switched topic. "So you're a werewolf now. I'm relieved you don't smell like one."

Rob laughed, and what a divine, yet ordinary sound it was. Dio stopped breathing for a moment, stunned again by the flood of affection crashing through and breaking him all over again. 

This time, Dio didn't mind that it hurt to smile.

"Yes, a werewolf, not a dog!" He grinned. "Don't think I have forgotten that you tried to order me about, as if my human intelligence left my body the minute I transformed. I'm still in there, you know."

"Well, you weren't exactly reciting the Iliad at the time."

Something darker and heavier weakened Robert's joy soon thereafter. "Dio…" He began. "Truth is, I was so ashamed of what I became that it nearly crushed me. My life was spoiled by one night, one person and one idiotic mistake. All because I lost my temper in a bar with the wrong man, who knew where to find me afterward…I don't know how he kept it secret from me, but he had been a werewolf all along."

Dio frowned. "And who was he to you? Someone close?"

"I deluded myself into believing it." Rob sighed. "But you know how vile and resentful people in our old quarters eventually become. It's as if the air itself poisons the heart. Deep down I hadn't quite let go of you, and he could sense it."

"You have nothing to be embarrassed of, then." Dio muttered. "I let myself be led down the wrong path by Kars. I could have doomed us all. My destructive decisions always end up ricocheting and hurting others in the most gruesome ways, and I knew that perfecty well."

They sat quiet for a moment. Rob still held his hand, hadn't let go of it once since taking hold of it as if afraid Dio would slip away into some dark abyss where he could not follow. They'd nearly lost each other twice, and a third time might be too painful to handle. 

"...Do you believe we could ever rid ourselves of the past?" 

In a rare moment of introspection, Robert asked a question Dio wasn't sure he could answer. "I can only hope so. Somehow, I feel it isn't something we can do by ourselves."

Those soft, brown eyes met his own with an unexpected pensive, determined gleam. "It's relieving to hear you say it, because I'm sick of being on my own searching for what I already had. Do you still want to elope?"

Dio flushed red and looked down, suddenly very occupied by studying the texture of his blanket. "It was a naive delusion. I put us both at risk."

"Are you telling me that you, out of all the people I've known, fear taking risks?"

"No." Dio said in a quiet voice. "I'm afraid of what it means to be in love. It feels unfamiliar and overwhelming, yet so harrowingly fragile."

He shyly glanced up to evaluate Robert's reaction. Strangely enough, he didn't seem troubled at all by it. Quite the opposite, in fact. A hint of a smile formed on his lips despite the pained recognition present in his eyes. 

"Then share that burden with me." He softly asked.

Dio could feel his eyes and throat burning with tears and took a deep breath. "Is that really alright? After all we've been through, you'd still see yourself happy by my side? We're not imaginative young boys anymore. This is reality, Rob, and neither of us will ever be the same again." 

"Good." Robert said. "I never liked you for being ordinary and dull. Let's leave our old burdens behind and build something new together. A brighter future, one where our troubles aren't as great as they may seem."

"There is nothing else in this world I want more than that." Dio confessed. His heart was swelling with tenderness.

For the first time since they stayed at the hotel in that dark room, they shared a kiss. It was soft and careful as to not hurt him, hesitant and trembling like their first.

They couldn't be any happier.

Chapter Text

Robert remained a frequent visitor and inadvertently functioned as Dio's measurement of time. He knew a month had passed when Erina one day opened the door for a werewolf with bright fur. The beast barely squeezed past the doorframe, yet refused to give up and made it through with great effort. Erina seemed unsure of herself in this situation, having little to no experience with supernatural creatures or judging how dangerous they may be. 

Dio joked that the only thing to fear were the costs of eventual repairs. 

Spending time with Rob as a werewolf entertained him quite a bit. They no longer spoke, aside from the occasional noise Dio interpreted as a response to something he'd said or done, yet it felt as if someone truly was in the room with him, hidden behind familiar brown eyes. Although Rob earlier expressed some grievance with being treated as a dog, Dio discovered he could pet him as Rob laid his heavy head down on his chest. The only complaint ended up being a side eye glance, followed by a deep sigh.

Dio was the only exception.

By the end of the week, Robert excused himself and returned home looking rather pale and exhausted. Erina later told Dio the transformation process was unimaginably agonizing and straining on his human body, which was why he hadn't allowed them to witness it. Never before had Dio felt so frustrated by his slow recovery process. He wanted to follow Rob and ensure he was alright, he wanted it so badly it ached in his heart. Then Jonathan came to visit. As soon as he walked in and saw the slowly healing, yet still ghastly looking injury, he lowered his gaze with guilt written all over his face and restrained body language. Pulling out the stool to the right side, Jonathan attempted to create some distance between himself and the constant reminder of Dio's close encounter with death. 

"Jojo. I'm not upset with you, if that is what you believe." Dio sighed. "I chose to stay put, you had no other choice. We both wished to bring down Kars."

Jonathan still looked weighed down, but his tense shoulders softened and he finally dared exhale. "How much do you remember, Dio? You woke a few times, but you never seemed to be truly conscious, only delirious with pain."

"Did I say anything interesting?" 

"Well…" He thought for a moment, thick brows furrowing. "You kept asking if we were dead. Nothing we said helped settle you down since you never recognized anyone, so in a way it almost came as a relief that you fainted rather quickly."

He trailed off a bit, fidgeting anxiously and staring down into the floor. "You're terrible at hiding how you feel." Dio remarked. "Tell me what's bothering you. I didn't say something awful, did I?"

"No, thankfully you didn't." He shook his head. "But seeing you in that state…I could barely eat or sleep. I'm glad you don't remember it, Dio, because it was taking a huge toll on everyone present. I feared I had hurt you beyond recovery, that this was a condition you wouldn't ever wake up from. And it would have been my doing…"

Subsequently, some irritation flared up. "Jonathan, you cannot be crushed by guilt on my behalf ." Dio said. "I put you through way worse. If anything, we're even."

"I suppose we are." He laughed, but it was tinged with sadness. "But, isn't it strange how radically our relationship has changed? I hardly know what to feel about you these days. Sometimes I wake up devastated and hurting from what you did, other times I'm worried sick at the thought of losing my brother. Is that normal?"

"I don't imagine that any of our hardships could be defined as normal."

Jonathan nodded. "You're right. But what of the future? What does it look like for you?"

"Once I am up and walking on my own feet?" Dio asked, adjusting himself a bit. Movements no longer ached as intensively as they once did, and Erina suggested he might be able to try it soon enough. "I haven't thought that far ahead, if I'm being honest. And you?"

"The authorities know I'm alive, and so I've been busy filling out paperwork and handling the affairs and estate I inherited." Jonathan made a face of disapproval. He'd been raised all his life to do this, but never seemed to care much for it. "The only silver lining is that I won't ever struggle financially. Our family is absurdly wealthy."

" Our family?" Dio cautiously asked.

"You're part of it, aren't you?"

"I suppose…" 

"And there will be another addition soon enough." This time, he began to blush like he always did when it came to a certain woman. "When you're healthy again, Erina and I intend to get married. We both agreed we wanted you to be there for it."

Dio blinked. "You're inviting me?" He hadn't expected to still earn that place and felt strangely moved by the gesture.

Jonathan laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Dio, you're not just invited. You're going to be the best man! Speedwagon said he'd be there to help us, too. Erina suggested you two share the role, if that's alright with you."

His head was spinning. "Yeah, sure, that's fine…"

The lighthearted tone of their conversations shifted into a more serious one, though it was still rather joyous and serene. "I'm sure you could do it." Jonathan calmly reassured. "What, after the trials we've endured? Anything is possible."

"Speaking of, there is something I need to tell you…" Dio's voice grew quiet, more apprehensive. "I understand this might take time to process, and maybe you cannot accept it seeing as we're both men, but Rob and I, we…We're together."

Dio was terrified to see what his reaction would be. Memories of how people like themselves were treated back in the slums, often cursed at and told they would be going to Hell or even worse…That he was quiet and contemplative only made the suspense that much worse.

"Erina was right, as usual." He finally said. "We both suspected it, but I assumed the two of you developed a close friendship due to your past experiences."

"And how do you feel about it?" Dio impatiently asked. 

Jonathan gave him a little embarrassed smile, scratching the back of his head as if subconsciously trying to reach the source of his discomfort. "Had you asked me that question three months ago, I might have hesitated. My father used to call it a degeneracy and a crime against God. He wanted me to feel the same way, and it's hard not to believe something everyone around you agrees on. But…I've seen how earnestly the two of you care for and complement each other. What you and Robert feel is indisputably love, and I could never bring myself to destroy your happiness. I have no qualms with it, neither does Erina." 

Such immense relief washed over Dio he felt close to tears. "Thank you, Jojo." He said. "I could care less what others think, but without your support I would feel terribly lost."

He found Jonathan's hand and squeezed it tightly, almost like a handshake. Jonathan squeezed back. 

"Are things alright between us?" Dio then asked, meaning so much more than just the revelation.

Jonathan seemed to understand. "I don't believe I'll ever be able to give you a definite yes or no, Dio." He responded. "I won't ever forget what happened, but I won't ever intentionally hold it against you. No matter what, though, you'll always be my brother and part of my family. Nothing could ever hope to change that."

"Do I deserve to be?" 

"It's not about what you deserve." Jonathan pointed to his chest. "It's about who you are deep down. I think you've been hiding a good soul underneath years of darkness, but that this true self is finally breaking free from it."

"Jojo…" Despite the sharp bolt of pain, Dio sat up and pulled him into a long, tearful hug.

Chapter Text

"If this keeps up, I'm going to visit that stupid Foundation and abduct you the next time they call you in."

Robert's voice was muffled against his chest. "You're more than welcome to tag along, Dio. I could arrange for it."

Having waited for nearly a month, Dio could no longer hold back his frustration and cornered his husband before he'd hung up his coat, immediately drawing him into a sulking, tight embrace. That's right, his husband. Though the Speedwagon Foundation was a welcome source of income and supernatural research, the role of CEO demanded frequent trips to the American continent to deal with new discoveries and issue directives. Stuck with business in England, Dio hardly ever found the time to cross the Atlantic. This meant he harbored a certain resentment developed over time toward abstract concepts such as "work", which only served to keep them apart. At the end of a normal work day, brief as it was in the span of eternity, all Dio could focus on was how much he wanted to go home and be with Rob.

"As if." He muttered. "Last time they had the nerve to ask me for blood samples, then had the gall to be stunned by my so-called "aggressive refusal". I'm not a bloody lab rat..."

Robert couldn't help but smirk at his overplayed, countless times repeated dramatization of events. "And how many decades have passed since? You certainly know how to hold a grudge, Dio."

"Seen from an immortal's perspective, it might as well have happened a week ago."

Dio leaned in and kissed him, then buried his face in the nape of his neck to take in that familiar scent and warmth that only belonged to Robert, an identifier only the two of them were aware of. In a crowd of a hundred thousand, Dio would be able to locate him in seconds. They remained like that for a moment, arms wrapped around each other and quietly rejoicing in being reunited. Together, he and Rob could afford existing in whatever way they prefered and not need to conform to the comfort of others. The intimacy of this moment conveyed a vast universe rich with emotion words only hoped to apishly imitate.

"I missed you." Dio whispered anyway.

Rob held him tighter. "And I missed you." 

After a while he let go, but quite reluctantly so. Each moment felt precious, significant in that intricate and deeply personal way nothing else ever neared. It was the kind of katharsis that lasted lifetimes without a sign of fading. They could keep this up for thousands of years, or until the world ended in manmade disaster. Maybe they'd be the only survivors, walking a deserted, soot covered planet that resembled something from science fiction. 

Brushing off the snow and then shaking his coat somewhat dry, Robert hung it up and stepped out of the hall into the living room. He immediately sank down into an armchair, sighing with exhaustion naturally brought on by a long, stressful day of catching flights. 

"Do you need anything?" Dio asked. He'd kept a close watch on the moon cycles. This trip had been scheduled right after a full moon. 

"Thank you, but I'm alright." He wearily responded. "It's the strange times we live in that drains me of my energy. You'd think humanity would evolve as a species as time went on…"

Dio sat down adjacent to him, an amused smile unconsciously forming on his lips. "To think our slogging gangs would eventually be replaced by neo-nazis…To me, it feels like last Tuesday we were huddled up in a bomb shelter together with the would-be parents of this new generation. It's laughable how narrow and short-term the human memory is." 

"Not to mention Jonathan's hard work advocating for worldwide nuclear disarmament…"

At the mention of his brother, the pale scar stretching out like lightning across the left side of his body began to ache. It was phantom pain, it hadn't actually hurt in nearly twenty years, but Dio subconsciously traced his fingers across his face feeling the barely noticeable, uneven dent. 

Noticing this, Robert was struck with guilt. "You still feel it?"

"No, not really." Melancholia creeped into his voice, despite efforts to keep it contained. "You know, as strange as it sounds, I wasn't prepared for his passing. Some part of me naively believed he'd live forever, treated him as if he were like us. I still don't understand why Jojo and Erina rejected my offer…"

They rarely spoke of it, though it had happened two decades ago. That awful day, which would have inevitably come, Dio felt as if a part of him was torn out without a chance of recovery, that this part had been laid to rest six feet beneath the earth and would not return until the dead accompanying it rose from their graves. Dio had spent six months near catatonic from pain, when he wasn't sobbing until there were no more tears to shed. Without Rob…The undying love Dio felt for him, remembering his patience and comfort during those dark times, easily overwhelmed the temptation to fall back into grief. 

"I believe it was the very same reason we lament over the slow progression of society today." Robert thoughtfully said. "He and Erina led meaningful and rich lives, but by the end of it they were tired. We couldn't possibly hope to understand why someone would choose death for themselves, because we no longer recognize the finite end as a viable option. Human as they both were, death no longer seemed endless and frightening."

"If I turned them, they would have been restored to their youth…" Dio mumbled, fidgeting with a loose thread on the armrest. "An old man on the brink of death would rise anew at his prime."

"Perhaps they both felt they'd accomplished everything in life. A wonderful married life, children and working tirelessly to make the world a better place than they left it…If anyone has earned their rest, it would be Jonathan and Erina."

"I suppose." But understanding the reasoning behind it made the loss in no way more manageable. "Not a day goes by where I don't miss him. Jojo and I were the same age, and watching him age as I remained the same always felt...wrong. Our fates were intertwined, yet his was so breathtakingly rushed. It was over before I could finish my first breath."

Robert solemnly nodded. "I understand better than anyone how you feel. Immortality does come at a horrible cost."

The absurdity of their situation caused Dio to scoff. "Even Joseph, young as he was when they passed, has turned into an old man lately. He called while you were gone and told me his grandson Jotaro was born only days ago, among some other, less interesting, nonsense. It's an endless cycle of birth and death we stand outside and witness, without any hope of stopping the wheel. Not as long as Jonathan's descendants decide to remain human."

Finally, a smile hinted at his lover's face. "Be careful what you wish for, Dio. Imagine being accompanied by Joseph for an eternity."

Dio made a face. "No, you're right. I would be driven up the wall by his incessant nonsense. How about Caesar Zeppeli? Are those two still friends?"

"Well, friends…I suspect there is more to it than that."

Of course they were thinking of the same event, giddy as they were reminiscing about it. That New Year's Eve 1950 when everyone had gathered, friends and family alike. It had been two months before Jonathan and Erina passed within hours of each other, but despite their age they seemed particularly lively that night. Joseph was nothing like his two mellow, virtuous grandparents and sat drunk pitying himself over his failed marriage and consequent separation from Suzie Q that by all means seemed to be his own undoing. By the end of this gathering, Dio and Rob had stumbled into what surely must have been part of the reason why they divorced; Joseph alone with his friend Caesar he'd met and befriended during the second World War, conversing at a low volume standing rather inappropriately close with their gazes locked together by a passion Dio and Robert immediately recognized as something different from their usual squabbles.

They quickly changed course, hoping not to disturb a long awaited moment of confession so remarkably alike their own all those years ago. Since then, Caesar had moved to New York. Joseph's daughter Holly seemed hilariously oblivious as to why. When she called, she often wondered how someone could leave the stunning, historical city of Rome behind for the gray concrete jungle of the American continent. It hadn't been about a change of scenery as they both flusteredly claimed.

"Those two are something else…" Dio complained. "It's not like anyone would mind them being together, the family grew up with the two of us and never once voiced any complaints."

Robert giggled. "Young love…I suspect those two will always be immortalized as reckless teenagers. Even Caesar has a lot of growing up to do, mature as he may seem."

"Those are bold words coming from you, you know."

"You are one to talk!." Pretending to be outraged Robert threw a pillow at him, which Dio caught with ease and sent right back in his face. 

"What, me?"

"Just now in the hall you were condemning the Foundation with eternal resentment for drawing my attention elsewhere. It's as if you don't realize how many hundreds of years we are promised." He insisted.

But Dio had already forgotten all about whatever they bantered over. Being separated for so long, only one thing really occupied his mind those agonizingly long days when he went to bed alone. 

"A thousand years isn't enough to express what I feel for you." He said in a lower voice. "Emotionally or physically."

"I should have figured…Dio, you're totally hopeless."

Robert's face flushed red, but Dio suspected he looked the same way and opted not to poke fun at him for it. Instead he rose from his seat and offered his hand as if to a dance, something which always made Rob laugh. 90 years ago, these courtesies were crucial to each and every interaction between bachelors and unmarried young women of their own status that may be a suitable match for marriage. Given that Dio was taught them by a man who'd condemn him and Rob to hell, he took immense joy in breaking tradition and repurposing it for something more sincere. Taking his hand and allowing himself to be pulled up, Robert's eyes glimmered with that adoration Dio just couldn't get enough of. They hardly needed to do anything to prove their love, simple moments such as these were enough. It began by him leading them both upstairs, but in a flash of impulsivity Dio instead picked Rob up in his arms.

"Dio!" He gasped. "Warn me next time the ground disappears, will you?"

Dio smiled mischievously at him. "Like how you warn me when I'm about to wake up being drenched in werewolf kisses?"

"That is hardly fair! I'm different as a werewolf…"

"Oh, you only change appearance."

Pushing the door open to the dark bedroom completely sheltered from sunlight, they fell into bed together and by now Dio couldn't quite resist laughing along with him. It wasn't that anything was particularly amusing, but rather that they were overcome with an almost childish rush of joy behaving like this. It brought back a different version of themselves in a brief moment, of two boys laughing together as they shared a bag of caramels that were so sweet Dio nearly spat them out at first. How strange wasn't it, that one of his happiest memories came from such a bleak and harrowing past? But as the laughter faded out, they came back to reality and another sort of joy. Dio was nearly overwhelmed with the appearance of the man he loved as he always was; How his longer, always untamed hair laid uneven, some strands charged by static electricity still falling in slow motion to the bedsheets to join the rest. How his kind and subtly shaped face was flushed and those lovely brown eyes shone almost with their own light as Rob looked at him like nothing else existed. Even the unsightly scars, they both had one now, held a certain beauty in this light, told a story of commitment and bravery in the face of hardships only told in fairytales. 

Dio loved Rob more than his racing heart could contain.

Carefully brushing aside some stray locks, Dio leaned in and kissed him. It was slow, more purposeful and meaningful than what was to come. It was a way of saying "I love you" and meaning it from the depths of his soul without uttering those frighteningly powerful words. 

Rob wrapped his arms around his neck and reciprocated. It was an answer to the unspoken words, and for a moment Dio forgot to breathe. That barrier of two different individuals faltered and melted away, so did the mannerisms he subconsciously always wore as some kind of defense against the outer world. It was here Dio truly felt at ease, like he had nothing to hide away in dark, shameful corners of his inner landscape no one else gained access to. 

When Rob unbuttoned his shirt, his hands immediately traced the long, white collection of scars running down all the way to the left side of his hips. In response Dio planted a soft kiss on the bridge of his nose then brought his hand to gently stroke and caress his cheek. Those first restrained breaths and sighs now turned into soft moans as feverish kisses moved down to his throat and previously shy hands became more explorative…

Sometime later basking in the after glory, pleasantly tired and warm, Dio laid with his head on Robert's near steaming chest to listen to the rapid pulse sink down to a normal rate. Rob was running his fingers through Dio's hair, trying to untangle it where it had stuck together by sweat. No matter how many times they made love it never quite lost its intensity, and by now he'd lost count to the near century passed since that first time they nervously embraced, worried about repercussions but too infatuated to let it stop them. One of the benefits of immortality was that an afterlife in which one was judged for his actions might as well be fictional.

"I think you should visit the Foundation with me." Rob mumbled. "What we're currently researching is something extraordinary, I tell you."

Dio groaned. "Don't bring work into our intimacy."

"I'm being serious. If my theory holds up, there are individuals all over the world born or inflicted with various supernatural abilities much unlike lycanthropy or vampirism. It would seem this ability depends on the strengths and proficiencies of its user, and they all take drastically differing forms. We're calling them Stands since they only share one common denominator; They will always protect the host from immediate danger."

He glanced at Rob. "This is beginning to sound like a proposition aimed at me."

"Well…" His breaking of eye contact spoke volumes. "I can't help but wonder what would happen if we were to harness this power. Would it even work? And if it did, how would it differentiate from mortal limitations?"

"This household is watching an unhealthy amount of science fiction movies. I'm bringing them down to the basement first thing tomorrow."

Dio was of course only poking fun at him, but at the unbearable, mortifying idea he may have caused upset he immediately changed his mind. "Of course, if this is something you really need me to do…" Finding Rob's hand beneath the covers, he lightly took hold of it as a final reassurance.

"I couldn't begin to express how grateful I am. Thank you, Dio." He leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead. "If this is approved by the Board, I'll be right by your side undergoing the same experiment. They've been arguing rather fiercely since I insisted upon it, but not a soul could hope to change my mind. We are meant to be together for this, my heart knows it." 

Dio hummed. "So if something were to fail, we would die together. It's a rather dark romance, but I prefer it that way."

"Don't even joke about such things!" Rob tensed just enough for him to sense it. "I'm confident we'll endure this trial with the expertise and skill of my employees. The chances of accidents occuring are diminishingly slim."

"I trust you, alright." Dio chuckled. "If anything, it is you who seem most fearful of catastrophes. We'll be alright."

Sighing and readjusting himself, Rob stared into the ceiling with deep contemplation. His doubts manifested in a hand unconsciously trailing the edge of the prominent scar he'd carried for a century. Even as that otherwise so carefree and content face hardened with worry, Dio couldn't stop himself from thinking he was beautiful. It certainly was ironic to see the greatly anticipated answer ultimately causing more stress than ease of mind. It was a researcher's cautious, perfectionist mind at work, burdened by how high of a standard he held himself to. As if the universe would be watching and making judgements of any and all miniscule errors.

"Well, what about you?" He asked Dio. "It's only fair if you ask something of me in return. Anything I could do for you, Dio? Should we travel somewhere?"

Huddling up closer, he thought about it for a moment. At first, if only to see that endearing and subtly teasing smile, Dio thought he should demand Robert quit his job and commit to an eternity of nonsensical, hedonistic experiences. Managing to resist the impulse, however, he decided to make an effort and suggest something more meaningful.

"Cairo, maybe. Jojo left behind a copious amount of archaeology related books and research, many which revolved around ancient Egypt. Do you remember how excitedly talkative he was when he and Erina returned home from Cairo that summer? Poor Erina must have had the patience of a saint." 

Robert laughed. "Oh, I do remember it. Poor Jonathan was genuinely devastated telling us he wasn't allowed to bring anything back home from the sites."

"And…"

"Yes, what else?"

Dio wavered for a moment, hesitant and reluctant to express any deeply personal desires. Particularly those who, without question, would be life changing. 

"How…How do you feel about children? Of our own, I mean. I never thought I'd say this, or feel capable of raising and caring for someone, but lately I've felt more confident my old habits and issues are within my control and-"

"In a heartbeat." 

"Really?" 

The confident answer felt too good to be true. Internally, Dio had prepared to meet some kind of hesitation or rejection. When Robert so casually said yes, as though nothing about the request was strange or poorly thought out, his mind struggled to keep up.

"Yes, really." Robert smiled. "Why do you look so astonished?"

"It's no insignificant commitment to make." Dio pointed out, searching for counterarguments in a strange bout of insecurity. "That child would eventually be turned by one of us. I couldn't bear witnessing the passage of time take away a loved one directly related to us, watching him or her grow older than ourselves and then pass of old age…It wouldn't be right. Not to mention neither of us are women, meaning we'd have to do surrogacy…"

"Dio…It's alright, I promise." Sitting up Robert held him closer, sensing these troubles had been gnawing away at him for a while. "I've already thought of it myself, and all the problems you just mentioned. Truth be told, they fade in contrast to the long term happiness I think it would bring us both."

"But isn't it selfish to place our own desires above the autonomy of an individual?" Dio insisted. "What if this person doesn't want to become immortal? We'd need to do it by force, or helplessly watch on as our own child died…Neither of those two options lead anywhere but to heartbreak."

Robert shushed him. "You're allowing your doubts to decide the future for you, Dio. Nothing in the future is ever set in stone, that is true in both scenarios. Remember how twisted and dark your own path nearly ended up being? But it didn't happen, you are here today as a changed person that changed the trajectory of fate, despite the hardships and uncertainty that came with it. Do you understand what I'm hinting at?" 

"Well…"

"If we wish to move forward," He softly continued, stroking his hair. "we must be willing to take a risk. If we raised a child in a loving household, then that risk diminishes. If that child is taught not to fear the unnatural but instead embrace it, then it further diminishes. You see, we cannot control fate, but our actions aren't entirely meaningless, either."

"So then…You still want to do this?" Moved by his dedication, Dio blinked away some tears and was grateful his face wasn't showing at the moment. "I wasn't thinking immediately, of course, I still need some time. Even so, you'd willingly commit to such a future?"

A bit tearful himself, Rob only smiled at him. "Idiot. I chose eternity by your side, didn't I?"

Overcome by emotion, Dio kissed him, held him closer and then remained like that. In the arms of one another, braving yet another unknown and exhilarating decision only God would know the outcome of. But as he listened to the comforting heartbeat in Rob's chest so close to his own faint pulse, Dio felt his tense shoulders drop and with it, some of the burdens. Without intending for it, his hand sought out the ring finger to trace the cold, metallic surface of it.

Dio closed his eyes. "I love you."

Rob trembled. He'd never said it out loud. "I love you, too."

Come to think of it, hadn't the petrifying idea of loving someone ultimately led Dio to make the wisest, most rewarding decision of his unending life when he said yes at the altar?

Dio looked forward to seeing where their destiny led them.