Work Text:
Joseph Joestar was doing fine. Well, as fine as he could be when two idiots are arguing in front of him while his stomach yearns for even the smallest hint of food.
“Polnareff, that's not how you make a campfire!” Avdol sighed as the Frenchman in question kicked at the logs of wood.
“Well how would you do it, monsieur tout savoir?” Polnareff said with a scowl, looking away.
“The two things you need for an average campfire are tinder and kindling. Tinder is more of a fluffy material, and kindling is dry twigs that help the fire-” Avdol glared at Polnareff, who cut him off with a yawn.
The two men continued to fight, lost in their own world.
They were so focused on their argument that they didn't notice a certain Joestar with gray hair watching them.
Joseph rolled his eyes, tapping his foot in slight annoyance. He shouldn't have trusted Avdol and Polnareff to cook together. His stomach growled almost angrily, clearly agreeing with him. But as he stared at the duo, he couldn't muster the courage to speak up.
It felt oddly… comforting, seeing them butt heads. It sparked a childish sense of arrogance in him, but he couldn't put his finger on the familiarity of their quarrel. Maybe he just wanted to feel young again, as Jotaro always wonderfully reminded him of his old age.
“I don't understand why you always have to bring up being French in every conversation.” Avdol commented with a roll of his eyes.
“French families have stronger bonds than others, okay?!”
That sentence...
He immediately thought of blond hair fluttering in the wind. Insults hurled at a 20 year old Joseph as one Caesar Zeppeli backed his heritage.
“We Italian families have stronger bonds than most people. Because we have that pride, we can carry on!"
Joseph wasn't aware of the tears that escaped until the pair finally noticed that he was here.
“Mr. Joestar…are you okay?”
Okay.
Was Joseph ever truly okay?
He had a family. A wonderful wife, a daughter bright as the sun, and a grandson (who wasn't the fondest of him but he ignored that).
He had his friends. A day with Avdol, Polnareff, and Kakyoin never felt dull.
Something was missing. Suzi was beautiful, cheery, the best wife he could've asked for. But she was never him. Could he truly love her fully when his heart was locked in the prison that was Caesar Zeppeli?
Joseph coughed and wiped away the water pooling around his eye, along with his emotions.
“I'm fine, just really hungry.” He shuffled back to the tent and sat down, his head feeling a little heavier than normal. Polnareff and Avdol gave each other looks, but didn’t question the older man.
Fine was all that he could be, wasn't it?