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Caesar was restless. And cold. Despite being under about five blankets and hugging a spare pillow.
God, this is stupid. He’d been tossing and turning for the past hour, but was unable to shake the deep want for someone to be next to him.
He wanted a hug. He wanted one so bad it hurt. He went through his day like normal and pretended he wasn’t five seconds away from swallowing his pride and anxiety to awkwardly ask his best friend for a hug.
It was absolutely stupid because JoJo liked physical affection. The man would hug him. Sometimes. It was probably stupid and selfish to wish he could have more.
But he couldn’t get the idea out of his head that all his problems would be fixed if he could just feel his arms wrapped around his torso.
A deep crease formed between his eyebrows as a soft whine escaped from the back of his throat.
His bed felt all wrong, and the pillows were warm, and the room felt so, so empty.
Stupid, stupid, stupid… Why did it have to be Joseph, of all people? He could imagine casually asking Suzi Q for a hug after dinner. Joseph would probably make fun of him.
But his shoulders were starting to tremble, and what was stupider? Asking for a hug, or crying himself to sleep because he was too scared to ask?
So he got out of bed, taking one blanket with him. He wrapped it around his shoulders. He had discovered that if he pulled it tight enough at the right angle around his arms, it almost felt like an embrace.
His breath was shallow as he approached JoJo’s door. After one final moment of pause as he considered turning back, he opened the door, quietly as he could manage.
“Hmgh… five more minutes…” JoJo mumbled as Caesar shut the door and approached his bed.
“JoJo, could I… could…”
“Cae? Everything okay?”
“Could I have a hug?”
“‘Course. C’mere.” Caesar was beside JoJo in an instant.
He was still a bit hesitant, but folded himself between JoJo’s open arms.
“Sorry, ‘m probably not very good at this…” Caesar mumbled. His heart was soaring at the contact.
“You’re plenty good at this.” Caesar smiled from where his face was buried in JoJo’s shoulder.
They stayed like that, and Caesar relished every second.
“I should get out of your hair… sorry for waking you…” he muttered, forcing himself to pull away. Well, forcing himself to try to pull away; JoJo wasn’t letting him go.
“Nope. You’re here. I’m keeping you until morning.”
“I… okay.” Caesar’s heart swelled. JoJo was really okay with him staying all night? Maybe he should go out and get a lottery ticket. But that would involve leaving JoJo's embrace, so he decided against it.
“You’re sure nothing happened?” JoJo asked as Caesar pulled some of the blanket over himself. JoJo pulled him close, hugging him in such a way that the blond was basically using his shoulder as a pillow
“No, I just… really wanted a hug.”
A quiet moment passed between the men as JoJo considered something.
“Cae? Do you think you might be touch starved?”
“...Maybe a little.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I can help.”
“I- it’s stupid.”
“Well, so am I, yet you seem to be fine with that.”
Maybe it was the fact that he was finally getting some affection after wishing for it for months, or maybe it was because it was JoJo giving it to him, but his lips were looser around what he would usually hold under lock and key.
“I was scared to ask.”
“You’re always welcome here, Cae,” JoJo said, softly kissing the crown of his head. Caesar blushed.
“Thank you, JoJo…” Caesar whispered.
In the quiet of the room, Caesar started to imagine having this all the time.
Maybe he and JoJo could move in together. In a little house in Naples, or maybe over in America to escape the brewing war and fascist regime.
His mind drifted to pictures of domestic life with his best friend; falling asleep like this at night, cooking breakfast for him in the morning, JoJo hugging his waist and talking to him as he cooked, JoJo giving him soft kisses at random times…
That last one seems a little less than platonic, his brain helpfully informed him. Somehow, he didn’t care. Not in that moment, at least. A flush came over his cheeks as he realized that he had a crush on his best friend, but there was no use in overthinking it. He could just be warm and happy in his arms.
JoJo softly kissed his hair again as he drifted off with a smile on his face.