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Evenings in the apartment were usually quite cold. Jonathan would spend most nights curled up on the sofa, draped in woolen blankets, watching the flames twirl and sway in the fireplace. He’d take in everything, the crackling of the wood, the way the ash spit. It all brought back many unpleasant memories. Memories he had spent the last year attempting to ignore.
It had been long since his victory at Windknights Lot, and even longer since the destruction of the Joestar manor. The sight of fire still made him flinch, but he’d forced himself to expose himself to it, little by little. It had been hard to adjust to life after the events of the last year, but he wasn't alone. He had Erina, his fiancée, and Speedwagon, his closest friend- and current roomate.
As Jonathan and Erina made plans for their upcoming wedding, Jonathan stayed in an apartment in London. Jonathan insisted on Speedwagon staying with him, rather than returning to Ogre Street, and he gratefully obliged. For now, life was simple. It was domestic. The two spent most of their days apart. Jonathan continued his archeology degree, while Speedwagon picked up odd jobs around the city. But every evening, like clockwork, the two would sit in front of the fire together, talk about their days, and relax within the presence of each other.
“My god, it's like the bloody arctic out there!” A familiar voice called from the apartment’s entrance, accompanied by the sound of the creaking door, and Speedwagon's boots against the wood floor.
Jonathan lifted his head up and turned to face him, his lips curved up into a smile as he took in the sight of his friend, covered in snow. “Oh, Robert, let me help you!” He laughed and stood up from the sofa, letting his blanket fall into a heap on the floor.
Jonathan lifted his friend’s hat off his head, placing it on the hat stand across from the door. “My goodness! You even managed to get snow clumped in your hair!” He giggled, helping him pluck the snow from his curly blond strands.
“You try going out there! The snow looks all pretty from afar, but when you have to be all up in it, it's a pain in the ass to deal with.” Speedwagon grumbled, throwing his coat on the hat stand without a second thought, and heading straight toward the living room. He sat cross legged in front of the fire, extending his frozen hands towards the inviting flames.
“So, kind of like you then?” Jonathan laughed at his own joke, sitting back down at his place on the couch.
“Now what’s that supposed to mean then?” Asked Speedwagon, furrowing his brow, attempting to act serious despite the smile fighting at his lips.
“Nothing, I just wanted to see your reaction.” Joanthan shrugged, a playful smile plastered on his face. “Come sit” he encouraged, patting the space on the cushion beside him.
Speedwagon wasted no time in taking his place next to Jonathan, wrapping himself up in the blanket, and leaning back against the cushions. His eyes fluttered close and he let out a long, exasperated sigh.
Jonathan, concerned at how tired he appeared, placed a hand on his shoulder “are you alright?” He asked, with the soft, intuitive voice he saved for his closest loved ones.
Speedwagon smiled softly and nodded in response, while his eyes remained closed. “Yeah, i'm alright Jojo, just finally relaxing now that i'm home with you”
Somehow, Speedwagon knew exactly how to unintentionally pull on Jonathan’s heartstrings and make him feel loved. Something he’d been severely lacking before he’d met Speedwagon, and before he had rekindled with Erina. Without really realizing it, Jonathan pulled Speedwagon into a hug, his arms gently wrapped around his waist, face pressed into the shorter man’s shoulder.
“Jonathan?” Speedwagon asked, returning the embrace. “Are…are you scared of the fire? Or is this something else?” Jonathan wasn't one to shy away from physical affection, but needless to say even after months of living with him, it still caught Speedwagon off guard.
Jonathan hummed softly as he thought of an answer, still holding him gently in his arms. As if Speedwagon was something he was scared to break, instead of a man hardened by the realities of life in a place like Ogre Street. “For once, I don't really feel afraid of the fire” he responded “I think what you said, it just made me happy” he spoke honestly. “I love that you feel at home here, with me. Because I feel the exact same way.” He backed away from the hug slightly, to look at him face to face as he spoke. “For the first time in my life, I'm excited to come home, because I know I'll never have to be scared again.” He started “I mean, there will always be things that frighten me, I don't think I'll ever feel quite comfortable around fire ever again. I certainly am still terrified of, you…you know who…”
He paused, and circled back to his point “but, what I really mean to say is, even though I'm still scared after what happened, you make me feel like a little bit of fear is worth living through. It's worth sitting by the fire, because I get to sit by the fire with you everyday, and you make me feel understood, relaxed, loved…all those feelings I've never been able to openly feel before” He explained. The sound of his voice, almost a whisper, was practically drowned out by the crackling of the firewood. “Oh! Robert, are you okay?” His voice returned to its natural volume as he noticed the tears welling in his friends eyes.
He nodded and laughed, interrupted by his attempts to sniff his tears back. “You're a complete sap.” He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, before returning it to the waist of the man beside him, pulling him in for yet another tight embrace. “You mean so much to me.” Speedwagon whispered.
“as do you, to me.” Jonathan replied. “Are you still cold?”
Speedwagon shook his head, gently tucking them both under the blanket “Not anymore, not when I have you.”