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Kakyoin was beaming with excitement.
Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Kakyoin felt the wonderfully sunny weather today added to his high spirits, with not a single cluster of clouds cluttering the open skies. He was lightly dressed for the warm weather, dressed in a thin, short-sleeved button-up shirt, along with some loose trousers that pooled over his closed-toe shoes—and of course, his signature cherry earrings dangling from his ears. Now, he stood outside the new arcade that had opened up recently.
Kakyoin eyed his watch, glancing around the crowds of people flooding into the building in search of Jotaro. He was supposed to meet him here any minute now. What was taking him so long—?
“Kakyoin,” Jotaro called out from behind him. Kakyoin jumped slightly and let out a small cry. He slowly turned around and laughed in disbelief.
“You’re still wearing your uniform?” Kakyoin chuckled, eyeing the clunky, gold chain adorning Jotaro’s even clunkier black, woollen coat. Down to the two colourful belts securing his black trousers, and of course, nobody could forget his beloved hat. Perched over his dark locks assuredly. He always looked so cool. Kakyoin’s heart fondly fluttered at the sight. “Don’t you get warm?”
Jotaro simply shrugged, flicking away a loose, wavy strand from his face. “No,” he answered. “I like it.”
A small grin twitched across Kakyoin’s lips, and he shook his head to himself adoringly. It was always nice to hang out with his best friend in ways that didn’t involve lazing around at either of their houses, or their lunch breaks at school. After Egypt, followed by months at the hospital, all Kakyoin wanted was some semblance of normalcy. Kakyoin’s fingers trembled around the spiralling phone cord when he asked Jotaro to hang out. He didn’t expect him to agree so readily. Kakyoin had spent the entire morning making sure his clothes fit alright, and his scarlet hair and fringe looked perfect—all just to see Jotaro.
It wasn’t like it was a date or anything, but maybe Kakyoin could pretend it was.
Kakyoin fought to hide his rising blush.
He didn’t know how long he’d had this ongoing crush for, if it was even normal. It had inevitably bloomed during their deadly fifty-day trip. By the time Kakyoin had recovered from his life-threatening injury, it had truly blossomed into something even beyond him. Jotaro was there every step of the way, visiting him in the hospital, bringing him games, and sneaking him snacks he was sure he wasn’t even allowed to eat yet. Jotaro was his first real friend, and Kakyoin didn’t want to ruin that, but his heart fluttered way too much for his own good when he was around his best friend, and a part of him was ready to burst at any moment. Kakyoin sheepishly wondered if Jotaro would ever wear anything else, but—laughing to himself—he was sure he’d probably even wear that to a date. Maybe, to their date. Kakyoin wouldn’t mind.
“C’mon,” he urged, dragging Jotaro by the sleeve. “I’ve been waiting to come here for ages, you’re too slow!”
Jotaro didn’t protest as Kakyoin dragged him inside—only muttering a good grief, hiding his expression underneath his hat.
“Do you ever get better at this?” Kakyoin laughed as he watched Jotaro’s sprite die again and again in Pac-Man. Jotaro let out a small curse under his breath, brows furrowed, with even a small bead of sweat trickling down his temple as he fidgeted with the arcade controls with quick fingers.
“This has to be rigged,” he argued—because there was no other way he could be this bad at this.
A short laugh burst out of Kakyoin. He shook his head. “Nope, you’re just awful!” he laughed, sounding way too happy to insult his best friend. Jotaro looked so cute, trying his best at something he wasn’t good at for once.
A louder curse escaped Jotaro when his sprite died once more, and he threw his hands off the controls in exasperation—it was the most emotion Kakyoin had seen come from him all day. He held back a fond giggle. “That’s it. I’m done,” Jotaro sighed out, backing away from the console. Kakyoin almost worried he’d have Star Platinum punch a hole through the screen in frustration. “There’s no way this game is meant for kids.”
“Aw, don’t get too upset,” Kakyoin cooed, pitching his voice into a sickeningly sweet tone that earned him a glare from Jotaro. Kakyoin carefully took Jotaro’s arm this time and led him to one of the other arcades. Jotaro let him. He led him to some other games that were hopefully as easy for someone as inept as Jotaro.
Then, Kakyoin’s gaze caught an arcade displaying Space Invaders. He lit up. “Let’s play that one!” he cried out, dragging Jotaro over. “I haven’t played this game since I was a kid,” Kakyoin beamed, and he started to pull away to check out the controls, but then Jotaro squeezed his hand in between his arm and torso—keeping Kakyoin there.
Kakyoin paused. He turned around to give Jotaro a questioning stare, and Jotaro glanced back, then at their arms and suddenly jerked away as if nothing had happened.
“Uh.” Kakyoin swallowed, trying to ignore the way his hand tingled from Jotaro’s warmth. He cleared his throat, walking slowly to the controls, where a cheeky grin found its way back onto his features. He turned back towards Jotaro.
“Hey, I have an idea,” Kakyoin pitched. “Whoever gets the most points win, loser has to buy ice cream.”
A scoff tore past Jotaro’s lips. “That’s rigged from the beginning. You know you’re going to win.”
“You don’t sound very confident,” Kakyoin mused.
Jotaro’s expression tightened, and a single brow twitched before a sigh tumbled past him. “Give me a break,” he grumbled, pushing Kakyoin aside to access the controls. “Fine.”
Inserting a coin into the machine, Jotaro booted up the game, his fingers resting on the controls. Kakyoin appeared behind him, peering over the screen. “So, I take it you don’t need me to explain the game to you?”
Jotaro scoffed. “I’ll get it,” he insisted. So foolishly confident.
Kakyoin only grinned and nodded. He tapped Jotaro’s shoulder. “Good luck.”
So, it was game on.
Surprisingly, Jotaro was faring quite well for the first life. The buttons clicked and rattled under Jotaro’s touch as he quickly grew accustomed to the controls, swiftly avoiding the alien’s attacks while firing some hefty shots back. Kakyoin watched in awe at the arcade screen, then at Jotaro’s adoringly concentrated expression. His thick brows were scrunched together, and his sharp eyes fixed on the screen. But then the enemy alien’s attacks began firing back in rapid succession, a projectile catching Jotaro’s laser cannon and costing him a life.
“For fuck’s sake,” Jotaro cursed.
“You still have two more lives. Don’t give up now,” Kakyoin grinned, and Jotaro paused—staring at him for a moment before he cleared his throat and gave a tight nod.
“Thanks.”
The laser cannon flickered back to life on the screen, and this time, Jotaro was semi-prepared to dodge and fire the laser projectiles back at the aliens. He did a swift job of avoiding the majority, but then a projectile hit him from the side, causing him to lose another life.
“That barely grazed me, how the hell—?” Jotaro grumbled, and Kakyoin held back a laugh.
“One more life, you got this.”
Jotaro murmured another curse under his breath, yet before his last life could even register on the screen—another incoming projectile immediately hit him.
Kakyoin burst into laughter.
Jotaro gawked—well, his lips parted, but that was enough of an expression for him—and he backed away from the machine. “How is that even possible? I didn’t even get a chance to win on that life.”
Meanwhile, Kakyoin kept laughing, his scarred, lavender eyes forming crescents. “I can’t believe you lost that quickly!” Kakyoin exclaimed, while Jotaro wore a sour expression, which only deepened with Kakyoin’s laughter. “That has to be a new world record or something!”
Jotaro hid his expression in his hat. “This game sucks,” he groaned.
Kakyoin only laughed harder, having to clutch his stomach at one point. “Watch and learn,” he managed to smirk once his laughter had stopped, gently pushing Jotaro aside to get a handle on the controls.
Another coin. The game booted up once more, and Kakyoin immediately swooped into action. His fingers glided across the controls as he fired at the marching aliens with ease, advancing to the next stage in minutes. Kakyoin stifled a giggle at how Jotaro’s brows shot up in surprise in the corner of his vision, but forced himself to stay focused. Don’t lose track now.
The next stage was a little more difficult, and the aliens were a little swifter. Kakyoin cursed softly when he lost a life, but immediately swung back into action once he respawned, firing back at the remaining aliens of this stage. He was well into the swing of things now, swiftly dodging each firing projectile while simultaneously shooting back at the lines of aliens. Things were going pretty well—
Then, a warmth pressed to his side, and Jotaro had pushed up right next to Kakyoin to watch him play eagerly. His arm pressed firmly to Kakyoin’s side, thighs grazing against each other, and his face getting eerily close to his, until Kakyoin glanced up—all of Jotaro’s frustratingly handsome features were visible. Like his cerulean gaze, now slightly widened in an oddly adorable wonder as he watched Kakyoin play, or his jaw, the sharp outline of it making Kakyoin swallow, or how his lips were now slightly parted, slightly chapped, but still a pretty shade of pink lining his lower lip, and Kakyoin was spending too much time staring at his best friend’s lips—
Kakyoin’s heartbeat accelerated. When he glanced back, he cursed when his laser cannon lost yet another life.
“Now, who’s losing?” Jotaro cocked his head, his voice buzzing against Kakyoin. He was sure he could even feel his light breathing fanning against his temple. “That’s not like you,” Jotaro muttered teasingly, and Kakyoin wanted to punch him in his stupidly handsome face. His heartbeat accelerated even faster.
So, when Kakyoin’s sprite respawned for the final time. He was ready. He bolted past the remaining stage and the next stage after. The controls flew beneath his fingertips as he accelerated through the game. Jotaro’s brow cocked once more, his expression almost morphing into one of awe as he watched Kakyoin steadily beat level after level.
And Kakyoin wasn’t going to stop any time soon.
“When are you going to lose already?” Jotaro called out after what had to have been a few more minutes. Kakyoin didn’t realise he’d been standing here for so long. “We’ve been here forever.”
“Why, you getting tired?”
“I’ve already lost, you made your point,” Jotaro grumbled, his voice sounded like he even had a pout to it. Kakyoin would give anything to see that on his face.
“Mhm, but I might beat the high-score here,” he hummed, despite the lines of aliens inching ever closer to the bottom. Kakyoin was sure the game would end any moment now.
“Good grief,” Jotaro sighed. “Do what you want.”
A pang of guilt struck through Kakyoin, and he debated leaving the game, but then Jotaro suddenly jerked a hand forward and messed with the controls—deliberately making Kakyoin lose his third and final life.
A cry escaped Kakyoin. “Jotaro!” he groaned, brows furrowed. “Why would you do that?”
Jotaro simply hid his smirk beneath the brim of his hat. He turned his head to the side. “I thought we were going to hang out today,” he murmured. “Your mom doesn’t like it when you’re out too long. Don’t wanna spend it not talking to you,” he said, voice all too serious all of a sudden.
“Oh.” Kakyoin’s cheeks warmed. “I—I didn’t think about that.”
Jotaro only turned his back towards Kakyoin, but didn’t move, waiting for Kakyoin to join him. “Let’s go,” he said. “I owe you ice cream.”
Now, Kakyoin couldn’t pass up ice cream.
With a thin tendril of Hierophant Green, Kakyoin carefully split down the middle of the twin ice cream popsicle—with Jotaro taking the other half.
“Still can’t believe I won!” Kakyoin laughed.
A small scowl twisted Jotaro’s face. “I can,” he grumbled, licking his popsicle. “Asshole, you set me up.”
Now, they were sitting on a bench near the neighbouring park by the arcade. They were sitting so close that Kakyoin imagined what it would be like if they were on a real date, with their knees pressed together, enjoying ice cream under the cloudy sky. He watched Jotaro eat his ice cream with a growing pout on his features—with his lashes fluttering shut to take a bite, plump lips flushing brighter from the cold, and his pink tongue occasionally poking out to lick the cream off his mouth. He looked so cute whenever he ate. “Didn’t stop you from trying,” Kakyoin laughed, hurriedly glancing away before his heart would hammer too quickly. “Surprised you didn’t use Star Platinum to stop time to cheat.”
“Wouldn’t be fair,” Jotaro simply said, then paused. “Sorry about your game,” he suddenly said.
Surprised, Kakyoin’s eyes widened, and a warm grin bloomed across his face. “Oh, that’s alright,” he said, smiling. Jotaro could be sweet in the weirdest of ways. “You were right anyway, I don’t want to spend the entire day playing a game when I’m hanging out with you.”
Jotaro only let out a small grunt and turned his head away all of a sudden. Kakyoin inched closer, quirking a brow with his popsicle resting on his lips, but Jotaro was determined not to let Kakyoin see his face. Kakyoin tilted his head. He wished he knew what expression Jotaro was making.
“Besides.” Kakyoin leaned back, trying to change the topic. “Didn’t you have to win at a video game to save my soul?”
That had Jotaro stifling a short chuckle, and he slowly but surely turned back. “That’s different,” he said. “Your life was on the line. And Gramps was helping me cheat.”
Kakyoin’s lips twitched with a smile. He licked at the remainder of his popsicle before tossing the wooden stick in the bin beside them. Jotaro threw his away too, reaching over Kakyoin to do so—Kakyoin’s cheeks flushed at the sudden warmth over his lap for that split-second.
“I’m very grateful,” he smiled, and Jotaro caught his gaze, where he didn’t immediately look away for a moment, and Kakyoin’s face grew warmer, and—
Suddenly, the sky above them rumbled with a roar of thunder before rivulets of raindrops cascaded down. Kakyoin glanced up, eyes wide, and the once-clear sky had suddenly become clustered with darkening clouds, growing more cluttered by the minute. Another roar of thunder echoed across the sky.
“Quick. We need to find shelter,” Jotaro called out, and before Kakyoin could register the utter downpour bolting down from the sky—Jotaro had already grabbed onto his arm as they began running.
Kakyoin let out a cry, but didn’t protest as he let Jotaro drag him in search of shelter, his warm hold contrasting against the freezing rain. “Shit,” Jotaro muttered, glancing around their surroundings. They still hadn't found anywhere to take cover. They had already run past the arcade in their frenzied pursuit for shelter, and it didn’t seem like there was anywhere to go.
Until, “Jotaro, over there!” Kakyoin pointed to a bus stop. One that had a roof. Jotaro immediately sprinted towards it, where they both sat down on the freezing metal seats. Because of the roof, the hazardous rain was no longer pelting down on them, but it came in through the front, which wasn’t enclosed by the bus stop, sporadic droplets gently flicking against Kakyoin’s skin. But it was better than nothing.
They had to have been sitting at the bus stop for well over twenty minutes, and the rain still showed no signs of stopping. On top of that, a few droplets from the roof began seeping in, dripping onto Kakyoin’s head and uncomfortably rolling down his back underneath his shirt.
A bitter chill wracked through Kakyoin’s frame. He shivered, now regretting his light dressing choices as he wrapped his arms around himself. Desperate to retain any warmth.
Jotaro took off his black, clunky coat. “Come here, you look freezing.”
Kakyoin glanced back, and his eyes widened. “Ah, no, it’s okay!” he assured, his face finding a surefire way to warm up against the cold rain. “Really, you don’t have to—“
“Good grief.” Jotaro draped his coat over Kakyoin despite his protests. “You’re shivering.”
A sudden warmth bloomed across Kakyoin’s system. One that almost made him forget he was shivering in the first place. Jotaro carefully wrapped his coat tighter around him, the golden chain weighing down on Kakyoin’s shoulder, with the collar coming up to his nose, and Kakyoin inhaled the scent deeply—it faintly smelled of tobacco, cologne and mostly Jotaro.
“Just a chill,” Kakyoin murmured, sniffling slightly. “I’ll be fine.”
Jotaro only ignored him. “Come closer,” he urged, pulling Kakyoin closer to him regardless of his response, and wrapped an arm around him tightly.
Kakyoin froze in his spot. “What are you doing?”
“Using my body heat,” Jotaro reasoned, pressing himself even closer against Kakyoin. Kakyoin’s heart fluttered in his chest.
“Thank you,” he squeaked out.
Despite Jotaro’s earnest efforts to keep Kakyoin warm, his body temperature was plummeting by the minute. His frame was wracked with an uncontrollable shudder; his once-styled hair was soaked from the freezing rain, now dripping down his temple. A flush—not from Jotaro being so close to him—began to form in his cheeks, deepening across his nose as he sniffled. And then sneezed. Kakyoin’s body began to sweat uncomfortably with a contrasting warmth.
“You’re freezing to the bone,” Jotaro sighed out, running a hand up and down Kakyoin’s arm repeatedly to generate some warmth. Yet, Kakyoin couldn’t even register Jotaro’s words or actions. His head had begun to grow foggy, black specks appearing in his vision, his surroundings spinning beneath his eyelids, and his clothes uncomfortably clinging to his body from a concoction of sweat and rain. Kakyoin’s teeth chattered as yet another shudder overtook him, and he could barely hold his weight until he slipped out of Jotaro’s hold.
“Kakyoin!” Jotaro caught Kakyoin with an arm and pulled him back up.
Kakyoin’s breaths came out as heaving pants against Jotaro, rattling through his chest in a painful pursuit. His vision blurred before him, a sudden light-headedness whirring through his system, his ears ringing painfully. Suddenly, the ground swayed beneath Kakyoin, and his body was being lifted up, his face pressed against a warm chest as even warmer arms curled around him.
Then, they were moving. The metallic golden chain of Jotaro’s coat shook against Kakyoin’s shoulder with the rapid movements, and the firm arms wrapped around him only curled tighter around his trembling frame.
“You’re going to be okay,” a muffled voice called out—Jotaro’s voice—reaching into the remnants of his waning consciousness. “Kakyoin.”
Only then could Kakyoin close his eyes, knowing that he’d be safe.
When Kakyoin next opened his eyes, he squinted to adjust to the dim lighting of his surroundings—only provided by a small lamp beside him. When he glanced down, he found himself lying in an all-too-familiar futon, the warm sheets enveloping his shivering body with the faint scent of fabric softener wafting into his nose. It was an overwhelming yet comforting warmth. Further down, Kakyoin glanced at the familiar tatami mats beneath the futon, and then all around the room, where Kakyoin could make out the faint outlines of a poster detailing the anatomy of a crustacean, slightly fraying at the edges. Suddenly, his head began pounding, and Kakyoin was forced to shut his eyes.
The sounds of a door sliding open and shut, followed by footsteps, rang distantly in Kakyoin’s ears. The presence sat down beside him, and then calloused fingers threaded through his drying scarlet tufts, gently brushing away a few stray tufts from his face. That was when Kakyoin opened his eyes again.
“Jotaro?”
Jotaro’s eyes widened slightly, and he jerked his hand back reflexively. He wasn’t wearing his hat this time. “You’re awake,” he said, a little surprised. “You’re at my house. You passed out,” he slowly explained.
The last few moments of Kakyoin’s consciousness began to piece itself back together—it had begun raining, Kakyoin passed out at the bus stop, and Jotaro must’ve carried him home.
Oh. Kakyoin’s face began to flush with embarrassment. How could he let himself collapse like that? He knew his injury made him weaker than he used to be, but to collapse after sitting in the rain? Kakyoin couldn’t imagine the burden he had put on Jotaro.
Suddenly, his gaze darted to Jotaro’s window, to the darkening sky of the evening. “What time is it?” he asked, panicked. His mom was going to kill him. Kakyoin shot up to sit. “It’s late, my mom—“
“Relax,” Jotaro gently interrupted. “My mom already called yours to tell her you’re staying over,” he assured him.
Kakyoin’s panicked expression remained for a moment before slowly relaxing. Jotaro ushered him to lie back down, and Kakyoin didn’t have the strength to protest. Then, his eyes widened again.
“Did she tell her I was sick?” he asked. His mother tended to worry ever since his injury. She already didn’t like the idea of him going out too much. “Please don’t tell her I passed out, she’ll never let me out again—“
“It’s alright,” Jotaro said. “My mom just said it was getting late, and that you should stay over. I told her not to mention anything until you could vouch for it.”
At that, Kakyoin visibly relaxed, and he could settle into the futon more comfortably. Jotaro pulled the covers higher up his body until they pushed up against Kakyoin’s chin. Jotaro pressed his palm against his forehead to check his temperature. Kakyoin tried not to warm up under his touch.
“You’re not burning up like before,” Jotaro commented, flipping his hand over to press the back of his hand against Kakyoin’s forehead. Jotaro’s hand was so pleasantly warm. “You had a really bad fever when I brought you back home.”
“Ah,” was all Kakyoin could say. He couldn’t even remember that—he wasn’t even sure if he'd been conscious for that.
Then, Jotaro pulled his hand away and slid a tray towards him. “My mom made you some soup and got you some medicine. Have some.”
Kakyoin sniffled, and shakily rose to his elbows to sit up. When the blanket fell past his body, he realised he had been changed out of his outfit from this afternoon—instead dressed in Jotaro’s old pyjamas, which loosely hung over his frame. When he lifted the blankets, his eyes widened to discover his trousers had changed too, replaced by one of Jotaro’s old sweatpants. Kakyoin flushed all the more. Did Jotaro change him while he was asleep?
Jotaro cocked a brow, and then his expression tightened at Kakyoin’s realisation. “Your clothes were soaking, and you were shivering so much,” he reasoned, his words coming out quicker than usual. “I—I didn’t look or anything. I just had to get you out of your wet clothes so your fever went down,” Jotaro stammered. So awkwardly, so uncharacteristically. Fighting not to avert his gaze.
Kakyoin’s brow twitched uncomfortably, and he suddenly clutched at his stomach, at the jagged scar underneath. He knew Jotaro had already seen it a handful of times at the hospital, but he was still so dreadfully insecure about it. Kakyoin sometimes avoided looking at himself shirtless if he could help it. It was just so distracting.
Yet, Jotaro didn’t care. He had saved his life once when he had pulled out the fleshbud, and then again when Dio had punched a hole through him. Jotaro had gingerly plucked Kakyoin’s dishevelled body off the broken water tower in Cairo and stayed with him until the SPW employees could get to him.
And now, Jotaro had pulled Kakyoin into his arms and carried him home, attentively nursing him until his fever broke. How could Kakyoin think Jotaro would ever care over trivial matters like that?
Kakyoin’s lips weakly trembled into a small grin. “Thank you,” he murmured, and Jotaro’s eyes widened slightly. His chest slowly relaxed with a slow breath, and he smiled back. He cleared his throat.
“You should eat,” Jotaro said all of a sudden—remembering the soup—and extended the tray underneath into a bed tray, placing it over Kakyoin. “Soup’s gonna get cold.”
Kakyoin almost forgot about the soup too. He kept his smile. “Thanks,” Kakyoin said, with his trembling hands reaching for the spoon. He took a pensive sip, the faint taste of chicken coming through from his blocked sinuses. “Tastes really good.”
Jotaro only slid the bowl closer towards him, making sure Kakyoin didn’t spill any when he took his next sip. He absentmindedly wondered why Jotaro set him down in his room. His house was massive, practically a mansion, surely, there were enough spare rooms.
But maybe Jotaro was in a panicked rush. Kakyoin had passed out on him, after all. He simply ran into whichever room he knew best. That being his room.
When Kakyoin had stomached as much of the soup as he could for now—still a thick layer left over at the bottom—Jotaro popped the pills out of the plastic casing, pressing both and a glass of water into Kakyoin’s hand. “Take some,” he told him, and Kakyoin had no choice. He placed two pills one by one on his tongue before flushing them down with water. Jotaro took both the glass and tray from him afterwards, and a sudden shudder overtook Kakyoin once more.
“Do you need another blanket?” Jotaro asked, alert.
Kakyoin shook his head, wrapping the blanket around himself. His body trembled from head to toe, a sharp chill biting through his system. He wasn’t sure that another blanket could make him feel better, because this freezing shudder buzzed like sharp glaciers crystallising across his bloodstream. Then, Kakyoin remembered Jotaro’s warm hand pleasantly pressed against his forehead to check his temperature, the firm warmth of his body pressed against him at the bus stop, and how the numbing sensations melted away at the touch.
“I don’t know, um, can you—“ Kakyoin stammered, trying to force the words past his throat. He slightly lifted the blanket beside him, trying to fight off his flush. “Um, I can make space.”
Jotaro’s eyes widened. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. “In the futon?” he let out, the words barely leaving his mouth.
Kakyoin suddenly averted his gaze. If he looked at Jotaro’s expression any longer, he was sure he would burst. A silence stretched between them.
“Body heat,” Kakyoin only reasoned, echoing Jotaro’s earlier words, and his flush worsened as the silence progressed a little more. He cleared his throat. “Forget I said anything—“
At that, an amused, breathy chuckle escaped Jotaro. “Body heat, yeah?” Then, he was climbing into the futon. “Make room.”
A gasp left Kakyoin, and he immediately shuffled to the side to make room for Jotaro, who slotted tightly into his side. Suddenly, the chill wracking in Kakyoin’s system melted the moment Jotaro’s firm warmth was pressed against him. Kakyoin couldn’t help himself as he curled into the warmth, nestling his cheek into his clavicle. Jotaro automatically wrapped a warmer arm around him, holding onto him as tightly as he did at the bus stop.
“You’re so warm,” Kakyoin breathed, a soft smile gracing his lips.
“You’re so cold,” Jotaro scoffed, running a hand up and down Kakyoin’s arm again, hoping the friction would help warm him.
Kakyoin rubbed his cheek against the junction of Jotaro’s neck, hogging all the warmth he could, and his arms hesitantly rose to his back, curling underneath. Jotaro was so, so warm—his trembling heart fluttered even warmer. “Sorry about ruining today,” Kakyoin murmured against Jotaro after a few moments, his quiet voice buzzing against his neck. “I should’ve checked the weather today. I didn’t mean to pass out and make you take care of me.”
Jotaro flicked his tongue. “Don’t be stupid,” he snarled. “You didn’t make me do anything.”
Kakyoin’s brows grew upturned, twitching uncomfortably. He sniffled. “Still. I was looking forward to hanging out with you today,” he admitted. “Didn’t want to cut our time short.”
Jotaro was silent for a few moments, simply running a warm palm down Kakyoin’s back absentmindedly. “I enjoyed today,” he said after a while. “Doesn’t matter what we do.”
At that, Kakyoin’s face inexplicably warmed—his cheeks flushing so bright they might as well be steaming. He hoped Jotaro couldn’t feel it. “Even if I’m sniffling and shivering in your futon?”
A short chuckle left Jotaro. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I like hanging out with you.”
Kakyoin’s eyes widened with the confession. Jotaro rarely ever talked about his feelings. For the majority of the trip, Kakyoin was sure Jotaro was just tolerating him. He slowly pulled back, staring up at Jotaro with wide eyes at his expression, and Jotaro caught his gaze. This time, he didn’t fight to avert his gaze—he didn’t have the brim of his hat to hide into—his cerulean gaze was soft. Much softer than Kakyoin remembered it to be. His lips were gleaming; perhaps it was from the lamp, the aureate streams of light shining across his face. Up close, Kakyoin could make out each of Jotaro’s striking features more carefully. The slight furrow in his thick brows, the twitch of a smile hiding in his lips, the warmth of his cheeks when Kakyoin pressed his palms against them, bringing him closer.
“Me too,” Kakyoin said, smiling, his voice barely a whisper, and Jotaro’s grin grew slightly bigger. Before Kakyoin could register what was happening, they were leaning into each other where their lips warmly pressed together.
Jotaro’s lips were so warm. Pressing against Kakyoin’s own. Kakyoin let out a small hum into his mouth, “Mm.” He cradled Jotaro’s face in his palms, where his arms eventually slipped past his shoulders and wrapped around his neck—fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the soft, dark baby hairs dusting his nape. Jotaro kept a firm arm wrapped tightly around Kakyoin, pulling him closer to his chest with his palm pressed flat against his back, as he gently traced over the grooves of the parts of his spine that protruded. Their legs tangled together, and Kakyoin only squeezed his legs around Jotaro’s thigh tightly.
Only when Kakyoin was sure his lungs couldn’t handle the lack of air anymore—did he finally pull away with a gasp. He slowly stared up at Jotaro.
Jotaro stared back at him with the slightest of a flush forming across his face. He swallowed before averting his gaze out of habit. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he murmured.
Baffled, Kakyoin wanted to laugh. They had just shared their first kiss, and that was all Jotaro had to say?
The laugh burst past Kakyoin’s lips before he could stop it. Jotaro quirked a brow at him. “Sorry,” Kakyoin squeaked out, still smiling. “I’m not laughing, I just—“ Kakyoin cut himself off with another giggle. He covered his mouth. “I’m happy.”
“Good grief,” Jotaro sighed out in disbelief, but he couldn’t help the small grin curling up his lips either. “Is kissing me that funny?”
“Maybe,” Kakyoin giggled, wrapping his arms around Jotaro’s neck once more. “Might have to test that theory,” he grinned, pulling Jotaro closer towards him, kissing him again.
This time, Jotaro’s hand moved past Kakyoin’s back to cup his face. He stroked a thumb down Kakyoin’s cheekbone, gently brushing a few strands from his face, while pressing long and warm kisses to Kakyoin’s lips. His kisses travelled across his face—to the corner of his mouth, to his cheek, to the twin scars spanning across his violet eyes. Heart fluttering, Kakyoin squeezed his eye further shut with a soft sound, and Jotaro pressed a final kiss to his lips.
“You really worried me,” Jotaro confessed, a slight scowl on his face. Still holding Kakyoin’s face. “Don’t do that again.”
Kakyoin laughed dazedly. “I’ll try.”
Jotaro let go of Kakyoin’s face to wrap the blankets tighter around him, tucking him in warmly. “Are you still cold?”
Smiling, Kakyoin shook his head. “I’m all warmed up,” he laughed, and then his gaze shifted for a slight moment. “This isn’t just a one-time thing, right?”
Perplexed, Jotaro’s eyes widened. Like he was genuinely baffled that Kakyoin would ask that. “I like you,” he confessed, the words coming out quickly yet so sure. “Noriaki.”
“Oh.” Kakyoin’s cheeks coloured pink at Jotaro using his given name. “Me too—I like you too, Jotaro.”
"Why else would you ask me on a date?"
Kakyoin sputtered, and his eyes inexplicably widened. "You thought this was a date?"
Slowly, Jotaro's brows furrowed. "You were stuttering over your words to ask me to hang out over the phone. We always hang out, so why would you be nervous to ask this time?"
Kakyoin's mind flickered to the entire day—to Jotaro's flushed glances, his complaints to spend more time with him, all of it. "Oh."
"Dumbass," Jotaro scoffed, yet he couldn't hide the slight flush in his face. And Kakyoin grinned warmly. He foolishly, dazedly grinned.
A small smile twitched across Jotaro’s lips in return, and he couldn’t help himself as he leaned in to kiss Kakyoin once again. Kakyoin couldn’t help himself either, kissing back, so utterly content to kiss his best friend. Jotaro hummed softly against him, and gently tipped their bodies over to situate himself on top. Kakyoin gleefully wrapped his legs around his waist, his thighs squeezing against his torso. His fingers tangled in Jotaro’s dark tufts—he’d always wanted to know what they’d feel like, only catching glimpses of the thick waves underneath Jotaro’s hat, or the few occasions when he’d have it off, and they were so soft against Kakyoin’s fingertips. Kakyoin’s heart palpitated wildly in his chest, and he only wondered if Jotaro could feel how hard it was beating from their chests pressed together, yet Kakyoin was past being embarrassed. He embraced it, only tugging Jotaro closer.
“You’re sick, I shouldn’t—“ Jotaro gasped out, trying to pull away, but Kakyoin pulled him back in by his neck.
“Mm. I don’t care,” Kakyoin mumbled into his mouth, but then he pulled away. His chest heaved with shaky breaths. “Oh. Unless you don’t want to get ill—“
“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Jotaro interrupted softly. He gently tucked Kakyoin’s spiral fringe behind his ear, and carefully adjusted his weight on top of him. He swallowed his pants. Jotaro's lips were so swollen already. “I don’t want to worsen your sickness. You just broke out of your fever.”
Kakyoin stifled a grin. “You’re warm, I won’t,” he hummed, ushering Jotaro closer to press their lips together again. “Stay.”
And Jotaro’s defences were broken through. “Yeah,” he murmured against him, pressing a longer kiss to Kakyoin’s lips. “I’ll stay.”
And Jotaro stayed.