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If it wasn't for the fact that it was weirdly still he wouldn't have noticed. Tugging at it like if it was his soft pajamas and snuggling his head close like if it was the crook of his neck.
They've spent so much time together, Noriaki knew exactly how to place the large pillow to make it resemble his usual position in bed. Jotaro raised his head, one side flat and dry drool on the corner of his mouth, he looked down to be met by their long, grey pillow that they usually kept in the closet. He sat up, looking around for his husband. Noriaki usually wouldn't do this, well, he does...but just because he goes to get something to eat in the kitchen or watch tv in the living room when he didn't feel like sleeping. But this time he couldn't hear the constant shuffling around outside of their room.
Then he heard a silent sob, shifting his gaze around to catch the light of their bathroom door peeking from underneath. It's unusual for him to keep the door closed at this point, so it threw jotaro off a little more. Was he...crying? Of course, he's obviously crying. Jotaro got up and stayed still for a moment, his vision blurring slightly from the dizziness of getting up, he squinted and closed his eyes for a bit since they felt very dry and stung softly when he blinked. He rubbed his eyes after, then made his way to the bathroom door, knocking gently once.
"Noriaki?" He whispered, "N- Noriaki? Are you okay in there?" Jotaro glanced at the doorknob, grabbing it and slowly twisting it, at least it was unlocked. He opened it slowly, averting his gaze in case Kakyoin was up to something private, he gave a quick look.
"I'm okay Jotaro— go back to bed..." Jotaro fully looked at him, Noriaki was slouched over the toilet seat with his face facing the floor, he didn't look okay.
"What's wrong?" Kakyoin slowly glanced at him, his eyes were puffy, he wasn't tricking anyone. "Jotaro, I'm okay. Please, go back to bed dear–"
"No, Noriaki, what's wrong? You're looking all skittish."
"It's nothing, Jotaro, don't worry about me- I just got up to go to the bathroom..."
"Noriaki don't try to lie to me, your cheeks are all red and you look sick. What happened? Are you okay?" Jotaro's expression shifted to a softer one, his usually stern face turning quickly but noticeably of concern. Jotaro had only seen Noriaki cry very few times, most of the time he did it when out of sight. It was a bad habit Jotaro had tried to get him out of but it didn't seem to do it.
The redhead stayed silent, and he knew what was up immediately. Back in Morioh he would do this thing where he just sat in bed wide eyed until Jotaro noticed, it was unnerving but Kakyoin was pretty unnerved himself, even if Morioh wasn't an especifically bad time for both of them, there was always an unease when it came to the town that his husband always pinpointed when Jotaro told him to go to sleep, he was convinced of it and in his conviction he wondered if Kakyoin triggering the mere thought made it all actually happen. Jotaro walked in, grabbing Noriaki's arm and gently pulling him up. Pressing his head carefully against his chest, his husband took a breath, a very shaky breath. Then relaxed when he fell right into Jotaro's embrace. "Tell me."
"I'm sorry– Jotaro–" he gently tried to hold in a sob. "I've been- I've been having so many dr- nightmares about 1988 recently. I always wake up just..." he paused, Jotaro brushed some hair behind his ear, muttering that name...his name, and he almost wished he couldn't even remember it. Kakyoin clutched his shirt when hearing it. "Just so- so scared. Like if I was reliving that moment, I didn't wanna worry you. I'm so sorry."
Jotaro kept him close, his hand digging through the familiar red curls he saw messy every morning. Kissing the top of his head gently. "It's okay..." he muttered "You don't have to be sorry, Noriaki." Jotaro felt Kakyoin's breath hitch under his chin. Rubbing his back in circles in an attempt to calm him back down, it always did the trick. "Let's go back to bed."
Kakyoin simply nodded while sniffling, and let go of Jotaro's shirt which he was clutching very hard before, he had a really strong grip as it is. The redhead tiredly trudged his way into the bed, Jotaro followed suit. Each getting on their respective sides of the bed. Both of them wriggled around a little before properly placing themselves in the same way they would when sleeping alone, but they couldn't keep it up for that long and not too many minutes in, they were assorting each other into the others form, cuddling close.
Kakyoin got under Jotaro, pretty much positioned opposite as they were before, Jotaro laid his head on top of Kakyoin's soft, long hair that was starting to gray from its roots, his soft but ragged breath came out in a way that made Jotaro know the redhead was still awake, only for him to sigh heavily, not exactly out of relief, and that confirmed Jotaro's suspicion. "Go to sleep, Noriaki." He felt Kakyoin shift gently under him, switching the position of his arms around to wrap around Jotaro's waist. Still a little shaky and audibly gulping in leaky tears that weren't caused by sadness or fright, but rather stray ones that couldn't come out earlier.
"Alright," Kakyoin muttered, sniffling. "Good night, jojo...thank you."
"Good night— honey." He heard Kakyoin make a sound similar to blowing a raspberry. Usually it wouldn't sound like that with any other human being but...it was Noriaki after all and his base laugh seemed to alter all his other ways of laughing, Jotaro couldn't help but grin slightly and the thought. He let out a humored breath before answering. "What?"
"Nothing...it's just" Kakyoin chuckled, the stray sobs blended in with his laugh which made a funny sound. "You never call me that."
"I never call you anything in specific, go to sleep." He frowned, but it's not like Kakyoin could see it.
"You call me Nori sometimes." Jotaro could hear the smile in his voice, how repulsive.
"That's a nickname...not something."
"A nickname is something jojo."
"Good grief" he muttered. "...I said go to sleep." Even if Jotaro tried to keep his tone monotone and dead serious, his smile was audible this time, giving him out right away.
Kakyoin held in a laugh, then chuckled while he whispered "Alright- Alright. Goodnight honey."
"Night."
And he remembered the way he caught Dio's lips moving from the corner of his eye, whispering those awful, tempting, sweet nothings into his ear. And it stung, like the prickles of the roses digging into his neck did. But it was no more, now rather sweet, messy everything's that meant the world to him.