Chapter Text
Jotaro had a routine: wake up at six in the morning, stare at the ceiling for a few minutes while he gathers his thoughts, maybe do some push-ups and sit-ups if he has the motivation and needs to take a shower that morning, then get ready for his day. Sometimes he gets breakfast - most of the time he doesn’t. Every other day, at exactly seven (five in the afternoon yesterday, in EST), he’ll call Jolyne and ask how her day at school had gone. She’ll always ramble on and on, then ask, very pointedly, when he’s coming home. He always answers the same: “As soon as I can, baby,” then finds some excuse to end the conversation there.
Usually, by the time he’s gotten off the phone with Jolyne, his partner has finally managed to drag himself out of his own bed and start getting ready for the day. Jotaro will hear him bumbling around his bedroom as he sorts through his paperwork in the common area, which has become his new, impromptu office. Sometimes the shower will turn on, and that will become Jotaro’s ambient noise for roughly twenty minutes. Always before eight thirty, though, Kakyoin will open the door to his bedroom and step out looking entirely put-together and only slightly groggy. Some days, he’ll be wearing his leg braces and/or using his cane and some days he’ll be totally fine, but he’ll always smile softly at Jotaro and wish him a good morning, and Jotaro will grunt back and try his best to not look at all affected by the domesticity of their current arrangement. After Kakyoin makes himself some coffee and takes his place on the armchair just beside Jotaro’s desk, perhaps nagging him for not eating breakfast yet, they start their day.
Today starts out no different - at least, not at first. Jotaro stays on the phone with Jolyne a little longer today because she’s stuck at home with a bad cold, but that’s not unusual. What’s a bit more unusual is the fact that Kakyoin steps into the room just before eight, not wearing his leg braces but instead wearing an outfit that Jotaro has never seen before. That’s not saying much, considering how many clothes Kakyoin brought with him (almost three suitcases full, and Jotaro will never know how he apparently still has more clothes left in his Tokyo apartment), but what is strange is the Hawaiian shirt thrown over a loose, white tank top. Not only that, but Kakyoin is wearing shorts. Jotaro’s brain temporarily stops working because he can count on one hand the amount of times he’s seen Kakyoin’s ankles, let alone his thighs. It’s quite the revelation to find that Kakyoin actually does have skin on his legs and not corduroy or something like that.
He’s so stunned that he doesn’t even remember to return Kakyoin’s polite nod - a silent alternative to his usual “good morning”, used on the off-chance Jotaro is busy with something and can’t grunt back like he usually does. It’s not until he hears Jolyne shouting, “Dad!” that he finally blinks back down to Earth.
“Sorry, baby,” he mumbles. “What were you saying?”
“I said that I’m going to be going to my first sleepover this week!” she says. Her voice is a bit more nasally than usual, and she’s had to stop talking to cough quietly a few times now, but other than that, she’s still got most of her usual energy. Figures. A simple cold isn’t enough to take down someone with Jolyne’s force-of-nature personality.
“Ah,” Jotaro says, tearing his eyes away from Kakyoin’s thighs. He pointedly fixes them on the paper in front of him. “Have fun and be good, then. Remember to brush your teeth before you go to bed, even though you’re at a friend’s house.”
He can almost hear the pout in Jolyne’s voice. “But Mom says that I’m gonna be losing my teeth soon!” she whines.
“Yes, but you need to take care of them until then,” Jotaro says. “And once your baby teeth fall out, the teeth that grow in are there forever. You can’t grow those ones back, so you need to take care of them. Brushing twice a day is a good habit.”
She grumbles something incoherent - for half a second, Jotaro’s almost sure he hears “Yare yare dawa” but he can’t be quite sure. She’s going to start asking when he’ll be home soon, so he beats her to it. “I have to go. I love you, Jolyne. Be good for your mother.”
“Only if you come home soon!”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” he says. “And then you can come meet your great-uncle Josuke.”
“What about your friend?”
“Who?”
“Your friend who looks like Ariel! Uncle Pol says his name’s Kakyoin and that he’s staying with you in Morioh!”
Jotaro sneaks a quick glance at Kakyoin. The redhead is positioned in the tiny kitchenette, turning his coffee into a sugary abomination Jotaro hesitates to call a latte. There’s a small, yellow star embroidered on the left back pocket of his shorts, right over the swell of his ass. Jolyne has to shout to get his attention again.
“Uh, yes,” he stammers, turning back around. “If Kakyoin is still here, you can meet him.”
“...Okay,” Jolyne says, still sounding a bit suspicious. Of Jotaro’s absent-mindedness or his promise, he’s not sure, and he doesn’t really want to find out. (Sometimes he wishes his daughter hadn’t inherited her mother’s emotional insight and his own analytical skills.) “You’re calling on Monday, right?”
“Yes,” he says, and he hates himself a little bit for how he always has to reassure her that he’s going to call her back. “Five o’clock for you, like always.”
“Okay. Love you, Dad!”
“Love you too, Jolyne. Talk to you on Monday.”
He hangs up with a small, sad smile on his face and takes a slow, deep breath. As nice as it is to keep tabs on his daughter, it’s been almost three months since he’s last seen her in person. This job has been taking ages. If it weren’t for Kira still prowling Morioh with a new face, Jotaro would give into the temptation to let Jolyne visit. On his weaker days, he’s even willing to ignore the threat of Kira and let her visit now - he can protect her, can’t he? It’s only the haunting image of what would happen if he couldn’t protect her that can keep him from giving in every time she asks that question.
Kakyoin’s voice breaks him from his thoughts before they can spiral into their usual dark recesses. “Was Jolyne asking about me?”
Jotaro picks up a few papers and taps them against the desk to straighten them out. He still doesn’t look up. “Yes. Polnareff told her you’re helping me here, and she wants to meet you if you’re still around after this is all done.”
Kakyoin hums, and Jotaro hears him take a tentative first sip of his sugar-filled drink. “So, you’re probably wondering about my choice of clothes today,” he says, thankfully changing the subject.
“A bit,” Jotaro says, playing it safe.
“I want to accompany you to the beach today.”
Jotaro finally looks over, raising an eyebrow. “Who said I was going to the beach?”
“Well, you’re a marine biologist and our investigation is at a bit of a standstill right now while we wait for Kishibe to analyze all the photos he took of the commuters. I’m assuming you’re going to spend your time at the beach today, looking for sea creatures to poke.”
“I don’t poke them.”
“You poked that crab the other day.”
“Because I didn’t know if it was dead or not.”
“Are we getting breakfast before we go?”
“Who said I was bringing you along.”
“The fact that you couldn’t stop me if you tried.”
Jotaro can’t really argue that, so he just sighs and tugs on his hat. “Good grief…” he mutters as he stands up. “Fine. Whatever. Just don’t bother me.”
Jotaro is usually loath to change out of his usual attire, but a trip to the beach promises that his shoes, at the very least, are liable to get wet. He exchanges his usual loafers for the sleekest pair of waterproof shoes he could find. His slacks are loose enough that he can roll them up if he needs to, so he’s satisfied with his usual turtleneck, vest, and lab coat. He steps out of his room with his new shoes and immediately gets a strange look from Kakyoin.
“What?” he asks.
“Are you seriously wearing a turtleneck and slacks to a beach?”
He looks down at himself, then back up. “Good grief. What’s the problem with my clothes?”
Kakyoin shakes his head, turns Jotaro around, and shoves him back into his room. “Put on some damn shorts and a regular shirt. And if that lab coat comes with, I’m going to possess you with Hierophant and make you set it on fire.”
Jotaro scowls but does as Kakyoin says. After a bit of digging, he manages to find a pair of black basketball shorts and a blue tank top that’s probably from his teenage years. It’s tight across his chest, but it still fits, so he reluctantly puts it on. He reemerges and Kakyoin glares at him for the white coat still perched on his shoulders.
“...I’ll take it off at the beach,” Jotaro says, tugging the brim of his hat. “Can we go now?”
Kakyoin sighs through his nose but turns to lead them out of the room, only grabbing his cane and a small bag that he’d already packed with whatever he’d thought to bring along. Jotaro follows and hopes that even with Kakyoin and his damn shorts there to distract him, he’ll still be able to get something done.
That hope is dashed as soon as they see Josuke and his friends walking towards them.
Kakyoin, of course, smiles and waves as soon as he sees them. Jotaro scowls and tugs on his hat. It’s not like he dislikes Josuke or Okuyasu or Koichi; it’s just that, at the end of the day, powerful Stand Users aside, they’re still teenagers and Jotaro didn’t have the patience for dealing with Stand Users when he was a teenager. He’s almost thirty, now, and dreading the day Jolyne is as impulsive and emotional as Josuke and Okuyasu and even Koichi, now that he’s come out of his shell more.
Kakyoin, though, found out that Josuke is a huge video game fan and immediately bonded with him and his friends. Jotaro can’t keep up with a damn thing they say anymore, and Kakyoin not-so-secretly revels in it. He supposes he should be happy his uncle and his best friend are getting along (though he won’t quite let himself think about why he wants that), but it also means that he can’t escape the kids whenever Kakyoin is with him - which, considering the danger lurking in Morioh, is almost constantly.
“Hey! Kakyoin-san!” Josuke calls, waving enthusiastically and jogging over. Okuyasu and Koichi are quick to follow, as always. “What’s with the shirt? And— Holy crap! Jotaro-san! Are you actually wearing shorts?!”
Jotaro tugs on his hat. “Good grief. What do you want, Josuke?”
“Huh? Nothin’! Me and the boys were just on our way to the arcade to hang out since we have today off.”
Of all days for Josuke’s school to not hold classes on Saturdays. Still, Jotaro supposes he’s glad they’re not getting in trouble - yet, anyways. He’s sure that’ll change by the end of the day and can only hope that whatever trouble they get in is the normal, teenage kind, not the kind that’ll make Tomoko ground Josuke again for coming home with unexplained injuries.
“Kakyoin-san, do you want to join us?” Koichi asks, polite as always.
“Yeah! They have a new cabinet, don’t you wanna try it out?” Okuyasu says.
“As much as I wish I could, I’m going to be accompanying Jotaro to the beach today,” Kakyoin says.
Jotaro can’t help but shoot him a curious glance. He didn’t think that Kakyoin would pass up the chance to play video games with the kids, especially since the alternative is trailing after Jotaro for a few hours and maybe learning a few fun facts about whatever sea creature Jotaro comes across.
“What’re you going to the beach for?” Okuyasu asks Jotaro curiously.
“He’s a marine biologist, remember?” Koichi reminds him, not unkindly. “So he’s probably working on his thesis. Right, Jotaro-san?”
“Yeah,” Jotaro says.
“Well, good luck I guess,” Josuke says. “See you around, Kakyoin-san, and good luck with your thesis, nephew dearest!”
Jotaro rolls his eyes and starts to walk away. Ever since their excursion to that farm outside of Morioh to deal with those Stand-wielding rats, Josuke’s been getting less and less formal around him. The part of him that sounds an awful lot like Holly thinks that it’s probably a good thing because it shows that they’re bonding. The other part is embarrassed to be reminded that Josuke is his uncle despite being over ten years younger than him and also has an image to maintain. So, for now, the brat gets an eye-roll and quiet grumble instead of a punch.
Jotaro expects that to be that, but Kakyoin suddenly speaks up and stops Jotaro in his tracks. “Actually, would you boys like to come along? At least for a little bit, anyways. I was hoping to do some sketches of beach-goers, but I doubt Jotaro here would stick to the more populated areas, and I’ll need more than just one subject. You three would do perfectly.”
The three teens in question share a couple of uncertain glances. After a moment, Koichi speaks for the collective: “Uh... Sure, why not? But we’re probably only going to stay for an hour at most.”
“That’s perfectly fine,” Kakyoin says. “Even just a few minutes is helpful.”
The four of them quickly start up a conversation about the newest arcade cabinet that had popped up. Jotaro tunes out almost immediately and instead focuses on leading them to the spot he had in mind for his studies. As Kakyoin had predicted, it’s much further down the coast than most tourists or even locals go when spending time on the beach, and instead of sand, the beach is covered in gravel and tide pools. It’s here that Jotaro hopes to find the starfish he used as a cover to come here in the first place.
The teenagers and Kakyoin settle on the drier rocks closer to the shore while Jotaro slowly picks his way through various tide pools, notebook and pencil in hand to make note of the local flora and fauna. Star Platinum occasionally appears as well to help him make sketches, but Jotaro’s seen most of these critters before. With the waves crashing in the background and the kids’ and Kakyoin’s chatter slowly drifting in and out with the wind, he quickly gets lost in his work and almost completely forgets about one of the biggest dangers of Morioh: the Stands.
He sees it when he glances back to see how far away he’s wandered from the others. It’s a good way to check his progress, assuming they’ve all stayed in the same place, and while it seems like Okuyasu and Koichi have taken to wading into the water a little bit, Josuke is lounging on a rock and Kakyoin is sitting nearby, bent over his sketchbook and moving his arm in loose, broad strokes that Jotaro knows, from personal experience, will somehow eventually converge to create a messy but representative sketch of his subject. All of them are so lost in what they’re doing that none of them see the half-translucent shape creeping towards them from the thick, tall grass separating the beach from the rest of Morioh.
The Stand is fairly humanoid, though its limbs are long, impossibly thin, and segmented like an insect or robot. A few streaks of sky blue break up the pale yellow of its carapace, and instead of a head or neck, a fluffy, pink cloud floats in its place. A large eye stares straight at Josuke and Kakyoin as it picks its way across the beach, unnoticed by the distracted teens or Kakyoin. When it extends its hand to quickly slither over a rock, Jotaro sees fingers that look more like claws, and immediately, he summons Star Platinum.
He doesn’t have time to warn the others, and he doubts he’ll be able to cross the forty or so meters between himself and Kakyoin, but he’s sure as hell going to try. Star appears with a roar, and before the sound can even reach the others, Jotaro is activating his time stop and sprinting for Kakyoin.
One second. Jotaro’s heart misses its first beat. He doesn’t have long before his chest starts to ache.
Two seconds. Star’s not used to holding time still for this long. Jotaro can’t breathe. He might pass out before he gets there.
Three seconds. Everything is always so quiet in this space, even his frantic sprint across the beach. It’s unnerving. If he had time, he’d think about his final confrontation with Dio.
Four seconds. Star is really straining now. They haven’t had to hold still for this long for several years now, but there’s still twenty meters to go. Jotaro’s body aches with breath he can’t take and blood that won’t pump. He ignores it.
Five seconds. Jotaro might be dying. He’s not sure. Time is definitely starting to slip through Star’s fingers. Why the hell did he wander so far away?! There’s still so much distance to cross - he doesn’t think he can count anymore.
Six seconds. His heart gives one great thud, a sign that time is flowing again. It’s still sluggish, like it’s moving through honey, but it’s going to keep speeding up until it’s moving at its normal rate. Jotaro isn’t sure he’ll make it in time.
Seven seconds. The enemy Stand has noticed him but hasn’t turned tail. In fact, it sets its sights on Josuke and scrunches together, like a cat about to leap.
Eight seconds. Kakyoin finally notices the danger and shoves his sketchbook off of his lap. It falls in slow-motion, and Jotaro knows what his next move is going to be.
Nine(?) seconds. Jotaro dives between the Stand and Josuke right before Kakyoin can, and those razor-sharp fingers dig into his skin, slicing right through the fabric of his tank top.
Time’s up. Jotaro crashes into a rock and has the wind knocked out of him. He hears shouting, but there’s no more signs of fighting. Hands push up his tank top, no doubt to inspect the wound, and Kakyoin sighs in relief when he sees how shallow it is. Okuaysu and Koichi run over, asking what the hell that thing was. Josuke says he has no idea, but everyone’s okay. Crazy Diamond can have those wounds closed up in half a second if Kakyoin-san would move out of the way.
“Oh. Right,” Kakyoin says, and his voice sounds a bit shaky. “One second. I’m checking his pulse. It always gets so irregular after he stops time, and considering how far away he was, I don’t know how long this idiot dragged it out for.”
Jotaro would answer, but his head’s still swimming and his chest still aches with air he can’t quite suck in, as well as the age-old heart arrhythmia Kakyoin is just moments away from discovering. Sure enough, the redhead curses and tightens his hold on Jotaro’s wrist.
“Kujo, you absolute idiot!” he hisses. “If this doesn’t fix itself soon, I’m calling an ambulance, I swear to god!”
You don’t believe in God, Jotaro would retort if he had any breath left in him. Instead, he can only wheeze and keep his eyes squeezed shut to keep from losing precious air in the form of a pained groan.
After another few seconds, though, his chest... doesn’t feel that bad anymore. The sharp, tingling pain of the cuts that Stand had given him has faded to nothing but pure warmth. At first, he thinks it’s Crazy Diamond’s power, but the Stand’s ability to heal doesn’t feel like anything at all. That time with the rats, Jotaro couldn’t feel his body getting unmelted - it just stopped hurting like he’d never gotten hit by those stupid darts in the first place. And his thoughts definitely weren’t so… gooey.
That’s all he can describe it as because suddenly, it’s very hard to think. There’s a fog in his brain, pink and fluffy like the head of that Stand that… Actually, he doesn’t care about that right now. There’s much more important things to focus on. Like all the voices around him, and that really soft hand holding his, and this feeling like if he just opens his eyes, everything will calm down and make sense.
So he does. He opens his eyes and sees blurry shapes that are slowly coming into focus with every blink. They’re people, he thinks. Most of them aren’t looking at him - they’re looking at each other and gesturing worriedly. He wonders what they’re so upset for. They’re looking at each other, right? That’s the best thing in the world, looking in someone’s eyes. Some people have really pretty eyes. He feels like he’s seen pretty eyes before. But the prettiest pair are always the pair that’s looking back at you. So he drags his eyes away from the others and slowly turns his head to the side.
There, he finds them: the prettiest pair of eyes he’s ever seen. They’re a soft lavender color with spokes of darker purple circling the pupil, as well as a patch of hazel hugging the inky black. Jotaro’s heart thuds painfully a few more times before it finally starts to settle. He still feels breathless, but he thinks it has less to do with whatever had happened to him earlier and more to do with the fact that he’s looking at a masterpiece. This person is the most beautiful person in the world, he’s absolutely sure of it.
Now that they’ve locked eyes, there’s no doubt about it. “I’m in love with you,” Jotaro says.
A long, long moment passes. The love of Jotaro’s life blinks a few times, his freckled cheeks filling with blood. It almost matches his long, silky hair.
“What the fuck,” he says in a voice that sounds like an angel’s choir.
Jotaro smiles, and he hears several people shuffle back quickly. “What the fuck?! I didn’t know he could smile!” someone says.
“He’s cursed!” another insists.
“It’s probably just that Stand,” says another, but his voice is just as shaky.
Jotaro doesn’t a single shit what they’re saying. He slowly reaches for his beloved’s hand and brings it to his lips to kiss the knuckles gently. His beloved makes a broken noise in the back of his throat.
“Marry me?” Jotaro asks, still a bit breathless from both falling in love and falling over.
His beloved slaps him.