Chapter Text
“I got a call earlier.”
Josuke had barely stepped into the house, toeing his shoes off at the entryway. He glanced up to where his mother was seated on their couch, two cups of steaming tea sitting before her on the coffee table. Josuke let his bag slip from his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.
“I didn’t do it,” Josuke said. “Whatever it was!”
“Come here,” Tomoko said as she patted the spot beside her. “You’re not in trouble.” She raised a sharp eyebrow as she spoke. “Unless there’s something you should be in trouble for.”
“Nope!” Josuke hurriedly slid onto the couch beside her, already reaching for the closer cup of tea and taking a big gulp.
“It was Jotaro Kujo.”
Josuke choked, inhaling his tea and nearly dropping his cup as he hurriedly pounded on his chest, eyes watering.
Why would Jotaro be calling his mom? It’s not like he was the type of guy to call long-distance just for a chat. There couldn’t be another mass-murdering Stand user around, could there?
He felt Tomoko’s hand at his back, patting him a little more roughly than was really strictly necessary.
“Wh-what--” Josuke tried, his airway starting to clear.
“Um,” he finally managed, taking a breath as he set what was left of his tea back on the table. He glanced at his mom from the corner of his eye, a pit of dread settling in his stomach. “Is he…okay? Did something happen?”
“Hm? Oh, no it’s nothing like that.” Tomoko waved him off. “Actually, he invited you to spend winter break with him and your father.”
“Uh, what?” Josuke snapped his head towards his mom. “Mr. Joestar?” Josuke hadn’t heard from him or Jotaro since they’d left Morioh back in summer. Why would they reach out now? This had to be a Stand thing.
Tomoko had a far away look in her eye as she replied. “I think you should go. It would be good for you to spend some time with your dad’s side of the family.”
Josuke rankled at that word. Dad. He squirmed in his seat, lips pursing. Sure, Mr. Joestar had been nice when they’d met, but Josuke had a hard time looking past what the old man had done to his mom.
“Don’t you think that would be nice?” Tomoko asked, resting her hand on Josuke’s shoulder.
“Uh…I don’t know,” Josuke shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “I got--you know, stuff. To do.” If the real reason Jotaro was inviting him was for some Stand user bullshit, he could call back and talk to Josuke himself instead of using his mom as a buffer.
“Oh, really now?” Tomoko asked, voice sharp. “Like what? Are you going to help me clean the house?”
“...I was going to beat Kirby,” Josuke replied lamely, leaning his weight forward to get to his feet. His leg twinged as he did, the pink and still healing scar tissue pulling uncomfortably.
“You should go,” Tomoko said from behind him. He felt her hand clasp around his bicep, intent on helping him up.
He shrugged her off and got to his feet himself. “I don’t really want to. I have to--Kirby--” Josuke shuffled his way around the couch towards the stairs.
“Josuke, wait,” Tomoko said. He could feel her come to stand behind him, but she didn’t reach out to touch him this time. “You know I’m not going to force you to go, but…” A heavy sigh. “I’m worried about you.”
“What?” Josuke forced a laugh. “Why?”
“You haven’t been yourself.” Josuke felt her hand on his arm, pulling, trying to get him to turn around. “Ever since that...gas explosion.”
Josuke bit the inside of his cheek, tensing when his mom stepped around to stand in front of him. Worry lines creased her face as she looked up at him and the guilt rushed over him like a wave.
“Mom--”
“You barely talk to me anymore, you hardly ever bring your friends over. You’ve already been back in school nearly a month and I haven’t even gotten one call about you being in detention--”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Josuke protested weakly. “And I see my friends every day at school!”
“I just--” Tomoko started, reaching up to smooth some of Josuke’s stray hairs back. “You’re 16, you should be out enjoying yourself. I know this past summer was hard, with your grandfather and the hospital stay and I know there’s something you’re not telling me--”
Josuke’s heart jumped against his chest so loudly he was afraid she would hear it.
“And I’m not going to force it out of you, but I do think getting away from home for a while would be good for you. Even if you end up not liking your dad so much, you’d still be in New York!” She smiled, finally. “There’s so much to do there. Think of all the Goosey stores!”
Josuke dug his teeth deep enough into his cheek to taste blood. It wasn’t the first time he’d thought about laying his cards on the table and telling his mom everything. She was so good at picking out the things that bothered him, so well-versed in Josuke that it was honestly a little frightening sometimes. He thought about what she might say, if he told her about Kira, or what really happened to his grandfather.
He didn’t, instead letting it stay buried where it belonged. “It’s Gucci,” he said eventually in a petulant tone.
“Uh huh,” Tomoko rolled her eyes fondly and patted his cheek. “You’ve got two weeks before break starts, so make sure you don’t want until the last minute to start packing, alright?”
“Hey, I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” Josuke pouted, glad for the mood change.
“Hmm, well I guess I could always go in your place, and you can stay here and cook for yourself and clean the house and pay some bills--”
“H-hold on a sec.”
“I wouldn’t say no to spending some time with that cute uncle of yours either,” Tomoko teased, resting her cheek in her hand and looking off dreamily.
Josuke scoffed, feeling his face heat up. “Gross! And I’M the uncle. Jotaro is my nephew.”
“Ah,” Tomoko blinked. “That’s right. How bizarre.”
She had that sad, far-off look on her face again, the same one she had every time she thought of Joseph. It burned Josuke up inside, made him want to grab that old man by the collar and strangle him.
“It is!” Josuke said loudly, trying to pull his mom back to the present. “It’s so fucking weird--”
“Hey, watch your damn language, you animal.” She shooed him towards the staircase, “Go do your homework, I know you’ve got a lot to make-up still. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”
Josuke sighed heavily, stepping around her to head up to his bedroom with no intention of doing homework.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Tomoko said when Josuke was halfway up the staircase. He turned to look down at her. “Jotaro said you could bring a friend with you.”
Josuke blinked.
“I’m sure you and Okuyasu will have plenty of fun,” Tomoko smiled before disappearing around the wall.
“H-hey! I still didn’t say I was going! And maybe I’d invite Koichi!”
–--
Since their flight was at five in the morning, Tomoko roused Josuke from bed at quarter to three–yelling at him to double check his luggage, to make sure he didn’t forget anything, and was he sure he printed all of his travel papers?. He hadn’t slept much and his eyes hurt as he stumbled around, blinded by the light of his bedroom, pulling on a jacket and a hat to cover his unstyled hair.
Okuyasu was wide awake when they pulled up to his house, all bright smiles and excited chatter. The car door opened as Okuyasu slid into the backseat next to Josuke, joined by a gust of chill wind that made Josuke shiver.
“Hey dude!” Okuyasu grinned at him, hot breath blowing onto Josuke’s face. Minty.
“Hrmmgh.”
“You have your passport, Okuyasu?” Tomoko asked, glancing up at them in the rear window.
“Yep!” He produced the small book from his pocket and held it up for her to see. Neither he nor Josuke had passports before the trip, and they’d gone to get them together. Josuke knew Okuyasu’s picture was terrible, caught mid-laugh at the joke Josuke had made when the flash had gone off.
Tomoko pulled away from the curb and they were on their way to the ferry.
“How are you so awake right now?” Josuke grumbled, leaning towards Okuyasu’s warmth, their thighs pressed together in the cramped space.
“I’m too excited to be tired, man!” Okuyasu grinned, nudging Josuke’s side. “Woah,” he stopped, elbow lodged into Josuke’s rib. “Josuke.”
“Augh, what?” Josuke batted Okuyasu’s arm away.
“Never seen you with a hat on before!” He reached out to tug on one of the fuzzy straps that hung down beside Josuke’s chin. “Ya didn’t do your hair?”
“S’too early,” Josuke pouted, turning away to hide his blush. “I’ll do it when we get there.” It probably would’ve fallen apart after a 16 hour flight anyway. Josuke’s hair gel might be strong, but it wasn’t invincible.
They quieted down for the rest of the ride, letting the soft tunes of the early morning radio fill the car. Okuyasu was watching the scenery go by while Josuke watched Okuyasu, never more thankful for his mom’s tiny car and the space it didn’t allow between them, Okuyasu like a space heater against his side. He remembered them getting to the dock and onto the ferry, but he must’ve dozed off because next thing he knew, the car door was opening and Okuyasu was shaking his shoulder.
They stumbled out and unloaded their things from the back. Tomoko nearly suffocated Josuke in a tight hug, making him promise to give her a call as soon as they landed in New York. She also told him he’d better bring her back a nice souvenir before giving Okuyasu a hug as well and telling him to be safe and don’t either of them go getting into any trouble.
“Okay, okay, jeez, we’re gonna miss our plane,” Josuke grumbled, grabbing his suitcase.
“In such a hurry now, hm?” Tomoko teased. She reached up to tug on Josuke’s hat, setting it off-kilter, and kissed him on the cheek.
“Mom!” He flushed, reeling back and adjusting his hat. Some of his hair came loose, falling over his eyes.
“Love you!” Tomoko said as she climbed back into the car. “Have fun, and don’t do anything I would!”
Okuyasu snickered as they finally headed inside.
“Aw, shut it,” Josuke squared his shoulders and faced forward, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lighting.
By the time they got through security and found their gate, Josuke was dead on his feet. He all but collapsed into the closest open chair, where he leaned back and rested his head against the wall, shutting his eyes. He felt Okuyasu drop into the seat beside him and listened to him rustle around with his stuff.
“I ain’t ever been on a plane before,” Okuyasu said after a moment, his arm pressed against Josuke’s on the tiny armrest between them.
Josuke yawned. “Me neither, dude.”
“Kinda freaky to think about dont’cha think? How does it even stay in the air, ain’t it just a big hunk of metal?”
Josuke opened one eye to peer at Okuyasu. “You scared?”
“Nah, I ain’t scared!” Okuyasu said, a little too quickly. “Just--y’know. Goin’ over the ocean, it’s a long way! If we crashed we’d be stranded and I’m not that good of a swimmer.”
“Oku,” Josuke let his eyes drift shut again. “If we crash, we’ll die.”
“Dude!”
Josuke snorted, “Relax man, there’s like, thousands of flights every day. You’re more likely to--I don’t know, get crushed by a vending machine.”
Okuyasu gave an unconvinced hmm.
“Plus,” Josuke added, feeling a little bad about negging him, “If anything happens to the plane I can just use Crazy D to fix it. We’ll be fine.”
“Oh! Yeah, I guess that’s true, huh.”
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, leaning against each other. Josuke watched people hurry by with half-lidded eyes. It was still dark, so there was nothing to see out the big windows that lined the terminal walls. His sense of time was all off. It felt like he’d been awake for hours and just woken up all at once.
“Hey, Josuke,” Okuyasu said quietly from beside him.
“Hmm?” Josuke blinked slowly at him, eyes heavy.
“If you wanna get some sleep, I don’t mind none.” Okuyasu said, eyebrows crinkling together. “I can watch our stuff. You’re lookin’ real tired, bro.”
Josuke rubbed at his eyes, self-conscious. If Okuyasu had noticed, he probably looked terrible. Truthfully, he hadn’t been sleeping well for months. Ever since they’d dealt with Kira, nightmares had plagued his sleep. It felt like every time he closed his eyes, he was back in that house, Okuyasu’s heavy weight in his arms.
He woke up sweating in the dark every time, unable to calm his racing heart, and once he was up there was no hope of falling back asleep. Josuke would lay in bed and stare at his ceiling until the morning light finally crept in through his window.
They’d calmed down for a bit after his hospital stay, but it seemed like they’d returned with a vengeance these past few weeks.
“You sure?” He asked finally around a yawn, glancing at Okuyasu. “Don’t wanna make you wait alone.”
“S’no big deal,” Okuyasu shrugged, clapping a hand on Josuke’s shoulder, jostling him. “You can buy me a coffee later, we’re even.”
“Sure,” Josuke agreed, his eyes already sliding shut.
–--
Josuke jerked awake, bleary eyed and full of post-sleep confusion. His heart leapt in his chest when he didn’t immediately recognize where he was.
Oh, wait. Airport. That’s right.
He let out a sigh, willing his heart to stop racing. There was a crick in his neck, and his head was resting on something hard--and there was a weight on top of it. Glancing to his side, Josuke realized that he was pressed against Okuyasu, using his shoulder as a pillow and--shit--drooling on his shirt. He felt his face grow hot and he went to wipe at his mouth, only to pause when he realized their hands were clasped together between them.
He quickly wiped at his mouth with his free hand and tried to glance up at Okuyasu, but couldn’t quite see him at this angle. That bastard, he’d fallen asleep too! It didn’t look like anyone had messed with their stuff though. Josuke couldn’t find it in himself to really be mad and Okuyasu was really warm so...so…
Josuke stayed put, giving Okuyau’s calloused hand a small squeeze. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a sleepover; it had to have been before his hospital stay. Even then, they hadn’t exactly slept this close, though Josuke would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying it. He’d always been a pretty touchy and affectionate guy and he wasn’t exactly shy about looking for any excuse to touch Okuyasu.
He thought about the gift buried at the bottom of his suitcase, about how Okuyasu might react to it. Maybe he’d hold Josuke’s hand on purpose then.
The intercom burst to life in surround sound above them, asking someone to please come to gate 23B. Josuke felt Okuyasu jolt and quickly slammed his eyes shut, forcing himself to go lax and feign sleep.
He heard Okuyasu yawn and mutter something he couldn’t quite make out. Okuyasu lifted his head and pulled his hand free of Josuke’s. He mourned the loss immediately and fought to keep the pout off his face.
“Josuke,” Okuyasu hissed into his ear, nudging him.
“...Huh?”
“I gotta piss.”
Josuke groaned and lifted his head, pulling away from Okuyasu’s warmth entirely. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his neck, carefully avoiding the other boy’s gaze.
“Looks like some of the stores are openin’ up too,” Okuyasu said as he got to his feet, rolling his shoulders into a stretch. “Coffee when I get back?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Josuke waved him off, hoping his face wasn’t still as red as it felt. “Sounds good.”
They headed to the cafe, whereJosuke paid for their coffees and bought Okuyasu a muffin he’d been eyeing. More awake with some caffeine in his system, Josuke headed to the bathroom himself and put his hair up, ignoring the side-eyed looks from other men entering and leaving as he filled the space with hair spray.
Finally their gate was called to start boarding and Josuke and Okuyasu hurried onto the plane, throwing their bags in the overhead storage.
Okuyasu ducked into the row and took the window seat, pressing his face against the glass to peer outside, his breath making it fog up. Josuke took the aisle seat beside him and watched, bored, as the other passengers boarded.
Take off was a little nerve-wracking, the plane shuddering beneath them. Josuke rested his chin on Okuyasu’s shoulder to look out the window with him and they watched the buildings get smaller and smaller until they were covered entirely by the clouds.
Once the initial excitement of being in the sky wore off, Josuke pulled out his Game Boy and started up his Pokemon Blue. Okuyasu leaned against him and watched him battle the Elite Four, both of them groaning when Josuke’s team was wiped by Agatha.
It was a long flight and Josuke’s Game Boy died after only a few short hours. He hadn’t thought to bring spare batteries, so he pulled out his Walkman instead. He had brought a split jack, however (excitedly anticipating the idea of listening to music with Okuyasu), and offered his extra pair of headphones to Okuyasu. They leaned against each other and listened to Purple Rain three times before Okuyasu asked what else he’d brought.
–--
“Ughhhh,” Josuke groaned when they finally stepped off the plane, his bag hanging from his shoulder. His legs were sore from sitting for so long, his neck aching from sleeping awkwardly.
“Ughhh,” Okuyasu agreed. He didn’t seem to be faring much better, walking with even more of a hunch than usual. The air chilled Josuke to the bone when they stepped between the plane and the bridge and he regretted not wearing more layers.
They made their way to their arrival gate where Josuke paused, glancing up at the overhead signs to figure out where to get their checked bags. His English wasn’t the best, but he could make out the word ‘luggage’ on one of the signs, an arrow beside it.
“Yo, it’s this way, c’mon,” he muttered to Okuyasu, striding forward. The harsh fluorescent lighting was bouncing off the tiles, making him squint, eyes sore. He really hoped Jotaro was already waiting for them because Josuke wanted nothing more than to lay face down in a bed for at least ten hours.
By the time they got to their carousel, it hadn’t even begun to move. There was a small crowd surrounding it, impatient travelers waiting to grab their things. Josuke rubbed his eyes and leaned his weight against Okuyasu, sliding his arm around his shoulders to leech some of his warmth.
“Bro, I never wanna get on a plane ever again,” Okuyasu complained, his own arm fitting neatly around Josuke’s waist. “Dont’cha think a whole day is too long to travel for? Don’t even know what time it is, it’s still dark outside!”
It was dark outside. Josuke glanced out the large windows that showed the pick up and drop off area, cars idling alongside the curb. He could hear the angry honking from here.
“Next time you oughta just use The Hand,” Josuke said, patting Okuyasu’s chest. “Cut all the space between Japan and the USA. I bet you could get us here in like, an hour tops.”
Okuyasu’s eyes sparkled as he nodded, “Oooh yeah, that’d be awesome! I could start my own travel company. The Hand...t...travel…!”
“You got time to work on the name,” Josuke said with a fond snicker.
“Aw I bet you could come up with somethin’ good,'' Okuyasu tapped his fingers against Josuke’s side. “And! I’d let you travel free ‘course, best bud discount.”
“You better!”
A large shadow fell over the two of them, their conversation ending abruptly as Josuke looked up into the eyes of Jotaro Kujo. God, he’d forgotten how tall and intimidating his nephew was, Jotaro was practically looming over them.
“Mr. Jotaro!” “Jotaro!” Josuke and Okuyasu said at the same time. Okuyasu pulled himself free from Josuke’s side, leaving Josuke to cross his arms over his chest.
“Josuke, Okuyasu,” Jotaro greeted them, deadpan as ever. He wasn’t sporting the usual all-white getup Josuke had seen him in back in Morioh. Jotaro was dressed down in a warm looking sweater and dark pants. He was still wearing the hat though.
“Long flight,” Jotaro said, more a statement than a question, as he took in the two teens’ appearances.
“It was long as shit,” Josuke agreed with a huff, uncrossing his arms again and shoving his hands in his pockets, trying to look unbothered. Cool. He fidgeted when Jotaro didn’t say anything else. “But it’s whatever! Not that big of a deal…”
“Hey look, the thing’s movin’!” Okuyasu said, pointing to the carousel, which had indeed started to move. Luggage began to make its way out onto it, much to the relief of the gathered crowd.
It was another few minutes before Josuke and Okuyasu’s things finally surfaced. When they did, Jotaro looked down at Josuke’s very, very large suitcase.
“Damn dude, forgot you packed your whole house,” Okuyasu said, grabbing his own much smaller suitcase off of the carousel.
“It’s not my whole house. Two weeks is a long time!” He grabbed the handle and tugged the suitcase over the lip of the carousel, straining with the weight of it. “I had to bring--you know, stuff!”
Okuyasu hummed in that obnoxious way he did when he thought he was being funny. Josuke elbowed him in the ribs, snickering when he wheezed and clutched his stomach.
Jotaro didn’t pay them any mind, turning on his heel and heading towards the automatic doors that lead outside. They hurried after him, a blast of cold wind smacking Josuke in the face as soon as they stepped through the doors. His teeth chattered, a full body shiver running through him.
“Fuck it’s cold,” he hissed between his teeth.
“Hurry up,” Jotaro said ahead of them, making his way to a sleek black car. “The heater is already on.”
At the promise of a warm car, Josuke pulled ahead of Okuyasu, tossing his stuff haphazardly into the open trunk. Jotaro opened the back door and Josuke hurried inside, crawling across the seats to the other door. The warmth set into him immediately and he melted into the seat, grinning when Okuyasu slid in beside him.
“Woah, this is a fancy car!” Okuyasu commented, pressing against Josuke’s side, eyes wide as he took in the interior. The seats were dark leather, the windows tinted, and they had plenty of room to stretch their legs out. Jotaro climbed in beside Okuyasu and shut the door behind him, sealing out the cold.
“Back to the hotel, Mr. Kujo?” The driver Josuke hadn’t noticed until now asked. Jotaro gave his affirmation, and they were off.
“Holy shit,” Okuyasu breathed, turning his wide eyes toward Josuke. “How rich is your dad, dude?!”
Josuke flushed. “How should I know! I just heard he’s some real estate guy or something...“
“Bro..” Okuyasu’s gaze was glimmering, “remember me when you’re a billionaire, okay?”
Josuke shoved him.
The drive back to the hotel wasn’t long. Josuke and Okuyasu had their faces pressed to the window for most of it, oohing and ahhing as they drove through the city streets, taking in the sights. They were both wide awake now, hopped up on adrenaline and talking over each other as they pointed out buildings and spots to visit in the coming days.
The car rolled to a stop and they all clambered out to grab their things. They followed Jotaro into the hotel lobby and Josuke’s jaw dropped as soon as they stepped inside. The entrance gave way to a huge atrium, the visible walkways on each floor leading upwards to a ceiling of sky lights. Josuke could see some people on a floor way up there peering down at them. They must have looked like ants.
“Woah,” Okuyasu voiced exactly what Josuke’d been thinking, his head tilted back to take in the sight as well.
“Tell me the old man doesn’t like, own this building or anything,” Josuke said, pulling his gaze back to the ground floor. Off to the left was a sleek bar, bottles upon bottles of liquor stacked on mirrored shelves. Further back was a restaurant–with fancy looking tablecloths and everything! A man in a vest was standing at a little podium, speaking to an equally well-dressed couple.
“I don’t think I could deal--oof!” Josuke ran into Jotaro’s back, stumbling backwards and nearly tripping over his suitcase. Okuyasu’s hand closed around his arm, tugging him firmly back onto his feet.
“He doesn’t own it,” Jotaro said, giving Josuke a look before he continued onward, toward the front desk. “Wait here.”
“Careful man,” Okuyasu said once Jotaro was out of earshot; he let go of Josuke’s arm, the warmth of his fingers lingering.
“I’m good, I’m good,” Josuke waved him off, heart fluttering. “Can’t believe how fancy this place is.”
“For real! I hope we’re way at the top,” Okuyasu pointed to the ceiling. “Maybe we’ll see the Statue of Liberty! She’s gotta be way hotter in person.” He nudged Josuke.
“Dude,” Josuke snorted, “it’s made of rocks!”
Before they could get too deep into their argument about whether or not statues could be sexy, Jotaro returned with their room keys. They made their way to the elevator, riding it all the way up to the 50th floor.
The room itself was just as impressive as the lobby. It was more like walking into someone’s penthouse apartment than a hotel room, with a huge kitchen and living space and doors leading to separate bedrooms. It wasn’t quite the top, but when Josuke peered out the window, the distance to the ground made him dizzy.
“Oi, Josuke!” Okuyasu called from the kitchen. “They got a mini-fridge!” Sure enough, he was crouched in front of the thing, tugging the door open when Josuke stepped up behind him. It was full to the brim with miniature bottles of liquor, the labels looking similar to the ones Josuke had seen at the bar downstairs.
“Woah!” Josuke rested his hands on Okuyasu’s shoulders and leaned down to get a closer look. “Are these free?!”
“No,” Jotaro said from across the room, his voice taking on a stern edge. “Any of that goes missing and I’ll call your mother.”
Josuke rolled his eyes. “No fun at all!”
Jotaro hummed.
“Don’t stay up too late,” he said, before stepping into one of the bedrooms with his suitcase and shutting the door behind him.
Josuke and Okuyasu shared a look.
“You tired?”
“Nah man, not anymore.”
“Me neither.”
They took their time making their way around the hotel room, checking all the nooks and crannies for other fun things that could be hiding. The kitchen was a full kitchen, with a stove and everything, and even the coffee maker was one of those fancy espresso machines.
When they finally dragged their things into the other bedroom, they found two full size beds side-by-side with a small table between them. The biggest TV Josuke had ever seen was situated against the wall in front of them and the bathroom was large enough to fit two sinks and a combination bathtub/shower.
“Everything really is bigger here,” Okuyasu said, already lounging on the bed he claimed, furthest from the door. Jostuke took a seat on the other bed, fighting back a wince at the strain on his leg and side. It had been a long day.
Okuyasu had pulled out some snacks from his bag and was tearing into them, crunching loud enough to fill the room.
“Oi, toss me one,” Josuke held his hand out. Okuyasu flung a chip in his direction, nailing Josuke in the tit. Okuyasu snorted as Josuke grabbed the fallen chip off the bed and bit into it.
“M’gonna change,” he said, getting to his feet and rifling around in his suitcase for his sleepwear and bathroom toiletries. “Find somethin’ to watch.”
“Kay,” Okuyasu grabbed the remote from the side table and started flipping through the channels. The unfamiliar sound of quickfire English followed Josuke to the bathroom, growing muffled when he shut himself inside.
With a grunt, he tugged his shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor. Unable to help himself, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror, eyes drawn to the ugly pink scar on his side. He pressed his fingers to the edge of the puckered skin, frowning as he pulled it taut. It’d taken longer than it should have to heal--the wood had splintered good when it went into him, resulting in an infection that kept Josuke in the hospital long enough to nearly go insane.
And still. Still. He wasn’t back to 100%, not even after all the stupid physical therapy he’d had to go through after he’d been discharged. It pissed him off. In vain, and maybe a bit hysterically, he’d tried to heal them with Crazy Diamond a few times. It hadn’t done anything of course, and since then Josuke had done his best to stay away from looking at himself undressed.
Josuke dropped his hands and turned away from the mirror to get changed. He pulled on his sweatpants and sleep shirt and laid out all of his hair products for the next morning, feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders. He opened the door mid-teeth brushing to find Okuyasu watching some cartoon he didn’t recognize, crumbs from his snacks littering his bed.
The little cartoon dog on the TV howled, bouncing from foot to foot. He was talking to some tall scary-looking cat person.
Josuke raised an eyebrow. “Wha’r ish this?” he asked around his toothbrush.
“Beats me!” Okuyasu said, rolling out of his bed and strolling past Josuke to dump his things in the bathroom. “Maybe we should’a asked Rohan to use Heaven’s Door on us, so we could speak English!”
“No way,” Josuke scowled, following Okuyasu back into the bathroom to spit into the sink. “M’never letting that psycho use his Stand on me, or you. We’ll pick some stuff up anyway, Koichi said uh...immersion? Is the best way to learn, so. Can’t get more immersed than this.”
“Hmm, hmm, that’s true!” Okuyasu started tugging off his clothes to change.
Josuke froze, catching an eyeful of Okuyasu’s back, muscles taught beneath his tanned skin. He turned on his heel and hurried out of the bathroom to crawl into his bed, clutching a pillow to his chest. His face was hot and when he closed his eyes he could see that tantalizing stretch of skin beneath his eyelids.
They’d gotten changed in front of each other plenty of times–they had gym the same period last semester. Josuke didn’t know why he was getting so flustered about it now. Maybe it was the lack of other loud high schoolers around them, something intimate about them being alone in a hotel room together.
Or maybe it was the thought of the gift he was planning on giving to him on Christmas Eve that made it so much worse. He opened his eyes and peered down at his suitcase, to where he knew it was tucked away. Josuke had agonized over it for days, settling on something only to turn around and change his mind minutes later. It was the most thought he’d ever put into a gift for anyone and he really hoped Okuasyu liked it.
He really hoped Okuyasu didn’t punch him in the face for it.
Josuke chewed on his bottom lip. He’d been so confident when he finally had the completed gift in his hands that Okuyasu would love it and understand what Josuke was trying to say. That he would feel the same way.
But what if he didn’t? What if Josuke was the only one feeling like this and he ruined their friendship? He took a breath. It was okay–he still had a few days to decide if he actually wanted to give it to him. It could always just remain buried in Josuke’s suitcase.
“Man, flight’s caught up with me now.” Okuyasu yawned, stepping out of the bathroom and over to his bed. The lamp between them went out and Josuke peered at him over the edge of his pillow. The light from the TV glowed blue on Okuyasu’s face, catching on all his sharp edges. He might look scary if it wasn’t for the goofy smile on his face.
“Hey,” Okuyasu said, his voice softer than before. “Thanks for invitin’ me, Josuke. I know this is like...your family thing, and I hope I don’t get in the way.”
Josuke let himself fall back in his bed and rolled onto his side to look at Okuyasu. “You’re not gonna be in the way of anything,” he said, pushing his thoughts aside. “I wasn’t even gonna come if I couldn’t--” bring you “--bring a friend. Don’t think I’d survive hangin’ out with the brick wall for two weeks.”
Jotaro hadn’t visited Josuke at the hospital and when Koichi had told him he’d left with Mr. Joestar while Josuke was still unconscious, the disappointment had been immeasurable.
“Not that--Jotaro isn’t cool, cause he is,” Josuke tripped over his tongue, feeling the urge to defend his nephew from his own thoughts. “Just...y’know.” What was he trying to say? He wasn’t even sure.
“Yeah dude, I get it.” Good ol’ Okuyasu. He sounded sleepy, his words slurring a little more, his voice growing deeper. “S’nice of you still though. Bringin’ me along...Koichi might be better company though…”
“Okuyasu,” Josuke said firmly. “There’s no one I’d rather be here with, okay?” It was the truth. There was no one in the whole world Josuke would rather spend his time with than Okuyasu.
A sniffle.
“Aw dude, don’t cry about it,” Josuke frowned, wishing he could reach out to comfort him, too much space between them.
“I ain’t crying!” Another sniffle, followed by a wet laugh. “You’re imagining shit.”
“Uh huh,” Josuke said, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever,” he reached for the remote and shut the TV off, enveloping them in darkness. “Go to sleep, stupid.”
“You go to sleep.”
“I am!”
“Good!”
“Good!”
They both giggled in the dark before finally settling down. Josuke’s eyes slid shut and he was out like a light.
–--
He woke with his heart hammering against his ribcage, blood rushing in his ears. His nightshirt was soaked through with sweat and he wheezed, unable to breathe. It was dark still, and Josuke gripped his pillow, eyes darting around the room as he tried to remember where the fuck he was.
He took in several big gulps of air as his eyes adjusted. The hotel room. Okuyasu was still asleep on the bed across from him, a big lump beneath the comforter.
Josuke took a deep breath and willed his pulse to calm down. They were fine. Okuyasu was fine.
Okuyasu was fine, right?
The silence was deafening in the dark hotel room. Josuke tightened his grip on his pillow, eyes stuck on Okuyasu’s still form. He sat up slowly, limbs shaking with the effort, the sweat cooling on his skin making him shiver. He couldn’t see Okuyasu’s features in the dark, couldn’t see his chest moving beneath the heavy blanket. Couldn’t hear him breathing.
Josuke swallowed the lump in his throat and slipped out of bed, bare feet making contact with the soft carpet. He was just going to check on Okuyasu, just to make sure he was actually breathing over there. Josuke stood, his chest tight with anxiety, and he closed the short distance between them, leaning over Okuyasu’s bed.
He pulled back the blanket, uncovering Okuyasu’s face, just able to make out the cut of his cheekbone, his mouth hanging open. He carefully pressed a sweaty hand to Okuyasu’s chest, barely breathing as he waited.
Okuyasu’s chest rose, slow and steady, beneath Josuke’s hand, heart pounding away. Alive. Josuke let out a shaky breath and pulled away. He tugged the edge of the blanket back up to rest just under Okuyasu’s chin just as he let out a soft snore.
Josuke glanced at the alarm clock, the dull red numbers informing him it was nearly five in the morning.
There was no way he’d be able to get back to sleep now, and the sweat clinging to his skin was making him feel disgusting. He grabbed a change of clothes from his suitcase, as quietly as he could, and made his way to the bathroom.
Once he was under the warm, heavy spray of the shower, the tension in his shoulders finally started to drain out. The water destroyed what was left of his pompadour, his hair hanging wet like a curtain around his face. Josuke grabbed his shampoo from the metal basket hanging on the shower wall and popped the lid open. Tilting the bottle, he poured it into his hand, watching it pool into his palm with half-lidded eyes.
It wasn’t always the same nightmare.
Sometimes it was raining inside the house–his grandpa, already dead by the time Josuke got to him. Other times he dreamt about Koichi and Jotaro, blown to pieces by Kira, nothing left for Josuke to put back together. Sometimes he even dreamt about Kira’s head popping like a grape beneath the tire of an ambulance, a wet smear of blood left on the pavement.
Most often though, he dreamt about Okuyasu with a hole in his side, bleeding, dying, just out of reach. That kid, Hayato, was yelling, screaming at him, to let Okuyasu go. He’s dead, alright? And you dragging him around is gonna get us dead too!
The wet smack of shampoo hitting the bathtub floor shook Josuke from his morbid thoughts. His palm was overflowing with his stupidly expensive shampoo.
He cursed, turning the bottle upright and flicking the lid closed with his thumb. Trying to salvage as much as he could, he ran his shampoo-filled hand through his hair and scrubbed it in with force.
Twenty some minutes later, he was dressed in a tight knit purple sweater with a turtleneck and a pair of dark pants. He combed through his hair, pushing it back into his usual ‘do--or trying to anyway. It didn’t want to cooperate this morning, pieces falling out of the style and hanging in his face. He blew at the loose strands and tightened his grip on his comb, wincing when the next comb-through tugged at his scalp.
He tossed the comb down on the counter, his teeth grinding together, and tried to fix it with his fingers instead. It seemed to help, his pompadour standing on its own finally, and he smoothed one last stray hair into place--
There was a succession of knocks at the door.
The pomp collapsed; damp, product-sticky strands falling over Josuke’s hands.
More knocking, a little louder this time. Josuke whirled around and threw the door open. “What?!”
Okuyasu stood on the other side in the darkness, squinting against the light. “Uhhh, I gotta piss,” he said, voice rough(er) from sleep. He blinked, his dark eyes traveling over Josuke’s face, a crease appearing between his brows. “The hell you doin’ up so early?”
“Nothing,” Josuke snapped, side-stepping Okuyasu to trade places with him. “I don’t know,” he added quickly, immediately feeling bad about taking his frustration out on Okuyasu, who didn’t even look properly awake. “Couldn’t sleep anymore, the--the fuckin’ time difference--”
Okuyasu hummed, but didn’t say anything else before shutting himself in the bathroom. Enveloped in the darkness of the hotel room again, Josuke sighed, letting his shoulders drop. He snatched a hair tie from his bag and pulled his uncooperative hair back into a messy ponytail. He fell back into his bed, pressing his face into the pillow.
He heard the toilet flush and then the sink turning on and then finally, the door opening. Josuke turned his head and watched Okuyasu return to his own bed, carefully stepping around their things strewn across the floor. He didn’t lay back down though, just sat cross-legged, facing Josuke. He’d left the bathroom light on.
“You good, dude?” Okuyasu asked, his eyes barely open. He looked like he could fall back asleep right then, sitting up and everything.
“Yeah,” Josuke said. “Sorry. Just tired.”
“Ya took a shower.”
“Uh huh.”
Okuyasu made a show of looking at the alarm clock, his eyebrows scrunching together like he was thinking real hard about something. He slowly blinked once, then twice, only the second time he didn’t open them again.
“M’kay,” he hummed, all but collapsing onto his side burying himself back into his cocoon of blankets. There was a soft snore a moment later and man, Josuke was jealous Okuyasu could fall asleep that easily.
With a sigh, Josuke turned onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. The light from the bathroom was a little annoying but he couldn’t bring himself to get up to turn it back off. Instead, he leaned over the side of the bed to grab his Walkman from his backpack. He laid back and pulled his headphones over his ears, tapping the play button. His Bowie CD was still in there from the plane ride and Josuke let the music drown out his thoughts.
–--
He must have dozed off because when he opened his eyes next, light was filtering in through the curtains they’d drawn over the windows. The alarm clock was screaming its pitch and Josuke squinted at the numbers on it. 7:00 AM.
From the other bed, Okuyasu snorted and shuffled around inside his blanket nest. His right arm came sailing out, hand smacking the top of the alarm and silencing it. A moment later, he poked his head out, his hair messy from sleep, a bit of drool stuck to his chin.
“Oi, Josuke.”
“Sup, dude.”
“Had this dream,” Okuyasu went on, scratching the side of his head. “We went to one of those little hot dog carts--like in Grand Theft Auto!”
Josuke snorted. “Yeah?” He pushed himself up onto his elbows.
“Yeah! And we got a hot dog, only the hot dog we got was like, HUGE. Even bigger than your head!”
“Hey!”
“It tasted real good though, but it was too heavy and it crushed you and you were flat like a pancake and I had to keep eatin’ real fast to try n’ save ya--”
“Oku, that’s fucking weird.”
“I know!” Okuyasu untangled himself from his blankets and sat up. “Made me really want a hot dog though…”
There was a knock at the door, followed immediately by it swinging open.
“Hey! At least wait for someone to say ‘come in’!” Josuke barked. “My nephew is so rude!”
Jotaro gave him the same dead-eyed stare as always. “Good grief,” he sighed, “I’ll keep that in mind. If you’re planning on doing anything indecent though, you could put a sock on the door.”
Josuke blanched, his face turning scarlet.
“Indecent?” Okuyasu asked under his breath.
“Go take a shower already!” Josuke flung a sock at him.
“Oi!” Okuyasu caught it and flung it back twice as hard, nailing Josuke in the side of the head. He laughed maniacally and shut himself in the bathroom before Josuke could retaliate.
Josuke tossed the sock onto Okuyasu’s bed and looked back at Jotaro. He didn’t like the look in his nephew’s eye, like he knew something he shouldn’t.
“What?” He asked curtly, lips pursing.
“We’re leaving in thirty minutes. Just make sure you’re ready.” With that, Jotaro disappeared around the doorframe, not bothering to shut the door behind him.
Heaving a great sigh, Josuke forced himself up to finish getting ready.
Thirty minutes later, they were in the backseat of the same fancy car they’d been in last night. The fit was a little tighter with Josuke and Okuyasu both zipped into winter jackets. Jotaro was only wearing his light sweater still and didn’t seem bothered by the cold in the least. Unbelievable.
Josuke couldn’t even warm his hands. They’d only been outside briefly waiting for the car, but his fingers had turned into fucking icicles in the meantime. He pressed them between his thighs, eyeing his nephew. Would he react if Josuke stuck his ice-cold fingers on his neck? He wondered if it was worth finding out and maybe getting punched. Probably not.
He turned to look at Okuyasu instead, who was gazing out the window with the same wide-eyed wonder as yesterday. Josuke grinned and shoved his fingers beneath Okuyasu’s collar, pressing them against the side of his neck.
“Ack!!” Okuyasu jumped, breaking out in goosebumps. “B-bro! What the hell!?”
Josuke snickered and leaned away, trying to stay out of retaliation range. There wasn’t really anywhere to go though and Okuyasu was on him in an instant, shoving his own cold hands against Josuke’s neck. They scuffled, shouting at each other--
“Oi!” Jotaro’s voice startled them into frozen silence. They both turned to look at him, Josuke’s hands pressed over Okuyasu’s face, and Okuyasu’s shoved into Josuke’s turtleneck collar. “That’s enough, settle down.”
Josuke sat up straight in his seat, forcing Okuyasu to do the same, pulling away from each other. They shared a look. Silence followed. Josuke glanced at Jotaro, who was staring straight ahead, heavy brows pinched together. He looked back at Okuyasu and with much more restraint this time, tugged at the hem of his jacket so he could shove his hand against the skin at his side.
Okuyasu nearly elbowed him in the face and they stifled their laughter as they tried to hit each other without drawing attention.
“Fucking teenagers,” Jotaro muttered under his breath.
The car took them away from the city and into the suburbs, where the space between the houses got wider and the houses themselves got bigger. When they finally came to a stop, it was in front of the biggest house Josuke had ever seen in his life. It was a modern-looking two-story with light brick siding and dark paneling. There were two garage doors and the grass in the enormous front yard was neatly trimmed, broken up only by a large stone walkway that led straight to the porch.
And the house itself wasn’t even the most eye-catching thing about it. The entire place was decked out in Christmas decorations. Lights and garlands were strung up across the edge of the roof, which was covered in a soft white material that mimicked the look of snow. There was a goddamn plastic sleigh up there being pulled by a set of colorful reindeer. The yard was filled with inflatable snowmen and nutcrackers and tons of other things Josuke had only ever seen in movies.
“Holy shit,” he said. “It’s so…”
“Awesome!” Okuyasu said at the same time Josuke said “Tacky.”
“It’s just like the Home Alone house!” Okuyasu continued as if he hadn’t heard Josuke at all, practically flying out of the car in his excitement. Josuke followed him, shoving his hands in his pockets as he took in the view. Jotaro came to stand beside him a moment later, tugging the brim of his hat over his eyes.
“Wait till the sun goes down,” he said. “It gets worse.” Jotaro headed up the pathway, side-stepping Okuyasu who was frantically working his way from decoration to decoration, oohing and ahhing. The front door was the same dark color as the paneling on the house, adorned with only a wreath, woven with red and green ribbon and gold ornaments.
Staring at that front door, Josuke found it difficult to take a step forward. He chewed on his bottom lip and fisted his hands in his pockets, nerves getting the better of him. He had no idea what to expect from Mr. Joestar’s family. They’d invited him, so that meant they wanted him here, right? Wanted to get to know him? He couldn’t say he understood why since he was the cause of the recent trouble in their family.
He wondered if Mrs. Joestar would regret it when she saw his face, guilt rolling over him like a wave.
“You good, dude?” Okuyasu’s handsome face was suddenly inches from his own, his eyebrows pinched.
“Yeah, just--I was just--” Josuke breathed out, heart hammering away for a different reason now. “Thinking. Sorry.”
“Ain’t gotta say sorry,” Okuyasu said, tilting his head a fraction. He looked behind him. Jotaro had reached the front door, but he hadn’t knocked yet. He was facing them instead, arms crossed, but Josuke couldn’t make out his expression from here.
“Are you…feelin’ nervous?” Okuyasu asked, turning back to look at Josuke again, voice lowering. “Bout’ meetin’ them?”
For someone who called himself stupid all the time, Okuyasu sure was perceptive.
Josuke blinked, fidgeting beneath Okuyasu’s heavy gaze. He didn’t like Okuyasu looking at him like that–like he felt sorry for him.
“Tch,” Josuke scoffed, “the hell would I be nervous for?”
Okuyasu looked surprised, his mouth tilting into a frown. “Josuke–”
“It’s whatever, man. I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.” Josuke smiled tightly. “C’mon, it’s fuckin’ freezing out here.”
And because he wasn’t nervous and he wasn’t a pussy, Josuke slung his arm around Okuyasu’s shoulder and led him toward the front door.
Even if this visit didn’t go well–if Mrs. Joestar hated his guts or Joseph decided Josuke was more trouble than he was worth–it would hardly matter. He’d gone sixteen years without any of them. It wasn’t like he’d be losing anything.
Okuyasu said nothing as they made their way to the porch, but Josuke felt his warm arm snake around his waist.
Jotaro knocked as soon as they reached the porch, his wide back blocking the entryway. It couldn’t have been more than a moment before the door flew open and someone jumped into the man’s arms, wrapping him into a hug that would’ve crushed anyone else.
“Jotaro!” It was a feminine voice, and Josuke could spot a flash of blond hair over his nephew’s shoulder. She said something in English as she embraced him, kissing his cheek.
Jotaro did not return the hug, but he didn’t push the woman away either. He muttered something beneath his breath and shifted to the side, replying to her in English and motioning to Josuke and Okuyasu. Josuke fidgeted when her eyes landed on him, the same blue-green color as Jotaro’s. She must be his mom, Holly.
Josuke’s half-sister.
Realizing he was still entangled with Okuyasu, Josuke pulled away from him and bowed. Okuyasu followed suit with a little delay and they said in unison: “It’s nice to meet you!”
“Ohh, you must be Josuke!” She said in near-perfect Japanese and when Josuke straightened up again, she was smiling brightly at him. Holly stepped past Jotaro to meet them at the edge of the porch. “Wow, you really look just like Papa. Way more polite though! It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She looked at Okuyasu, “And you too…?”
“Nijimura Okuyasu!” He replied with a smile. “Thanks for the invite, Mrs. Kujo!”
“Oh no,” she waved her hand, “please just call me Holly! You must be freezing, here, come on inside!” She ushered them towards the door, walking past Jotaro who caught Josuke’s eyes, an unreadable expression on his face.
Josuke didn’t have any time to think on it, enveloped in a comforting warmth as soon as they stepped over the threshold. The inside was just as heavily decorated as the outside. There was a large staircase that led up to the second floor, the banister wrapped in garland. On the left he caught a glimpse of an enormous living room with a fireplace, furniture pushed against the walls as if in preparation for something large to be brought in.
“Breakfast is nearly ready!” Holly chirped. “Here, let me take your coats--Jotaro, sweetie, will you go get everyone?”
Josuke felt like he’d been swept up in a whirlwind with Holly moving around them so excitedly, taking their jackets and setting places at the long dining table. She told them to have a seat and get comfortable before disappearing into the kitchen, her humming loud enough to be heard from the other room.
Josuke hadn’t really expected such a warm welcome from anyone on his dad’s side of the family. He’d kind of had this image in his head that they’d all be like Jotaro, stony-faced and intimidating. Holly was so polar opposite though, it was hard to believe she was Jotaro’s mom.
Okuyasu nudged him, leaning in to whisper, “So if you’re Jotaro’s uncle, then Holly’s your...aunt?”
“She’s my sister. Half-sister,” Josuke whispered back.
“Ahh,” Okuyasu’s eyes shone with clarity. “Well, your half-sister is pretty ho--”
Josuke shoved his elbow into Okuyasu’s side–he wheezed, clutching his ribs, but he was giggling to himself.
The sound of muffled voices began to drift towards the dining room, growing in volume until Jotaro returned. Okuyasu straightened up, wiping the smirk off his face.
Josuke blinked when he saw a girl who couldn’t have been older than seven or eight, her little arms circling Jotaro’s neck. He blinked, their eyes meeting across the room.
“Daddy, who’s that?” She asked, looking up at Jotaro.
“That’s Uncle Josuke,” Jotaro said, “I told you he was coming to visit with us.”
“Huh?!” Josuke’s eyes widened, mouth falling open. “She’s--you have a--?”
“This is my daughter, Jolyne,” Jotaro said, lowering the girl to the ground.
“How come you never said?!” Josuke demanded. Jolyne circled around the table, coming to stand beside him and Okuyasu, looking over them as if she was inspecting them.
“You never asked.”
“Why the hell would I randomly ask if you have a kid!” Josuke covered his mouth when he realized he’d let out a swear. “I mean--heck--” he glanced down at Jolyne.
“It’s okay,” she said. “Daddy says way worse stuff. I like your hair, it’s big.”
Well. Josuke couldn’t help but preen at that, warm with delight. Jolyne just became his new favorite relative.
“I like your hair too!” He said, pointing at the buns on top of her head. “Did your grandma do those for you?”
“No!” Jolyne said, looking offended. “She never does it right. I did it myself.”
“Woahh, impressive.”
“I know,” she said, seeming bored with the conversation now. She peered around Josuke to stare up at Okuyasu, who looked a little nervous.
Josuke missed most of their exchange as Joseph came shuffling into the room, a familiar-looking baby in his arms.
“Ohh, Josuke, you’re here,” Joseph said in his old man voice, a frail smile on his face. “And your friend too, ah...Osumatsu, was it?”
“Okuyasu!” Okuyasu corrected him. “Sir! It’s good to see you again!”
“Why are you yelling?” Josuke asked under his breath.
“Oh, well,” Okuyasu rubbed the back of his head. “Last time he couldn’t hear me so well, so…”
A woman followed after him, just as blond as Holly but much older. That had to be--
“M-Mrs. Joestar!” Josuke quickly bowed, swallowing his nerves. “It’s good to meet you, thank you for inviting us, sorry for the trouble--” He nearly ran out of breath.
“Oh dear,” she said. “It’s no trouble at all. We’re glad you could make it!”
Embarrassed, Josuke straightened up and they all took their seats at the table. An awkward silence filled the room, broken only by Holly dancing her way back in and laying out a feast.
There were lots of American staples like eggs and bacon, but Holly also put out bowls of steamed rice and miso soup and a few other side dishes Josuke would expect his own mom to make.
“Woah Ms. Holly, this looks really good!” Okuyasu said, reaching for some of the rice.
“Thank you! I wanted to make sure you two had something you’d like so you wouldn’t feel too homesick. Please eat as much as you want.” She smiled brightly at them and Josuke felt his chest grow even warmer. She was so thoughtful, even to someone who’d caused so many problems with her family.
Josuke mumbled a thanks and helped himself to the food.
The sound of cutlery scraping against plates filled the large room, everyone more interested in eating than breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the table again.
“So Josuke, you’re a first year in high school, is that right?”
Well, almost everyone.
Josuke glanced up to see Holly looking with an expectant smile. “Ah, yeah.”
“Aww,” she cooed. “So young! I remember when Jotaro was still in high school--”
“For the love of--” Jotaro was tugging his hat down. “No one cares about that.”
“He was such a sweet boy,” Holly continued as if she hadn’t heard anything. “I think we have some photo albums in the attic, right mama? I’ll show you boys some pictures!”
“They don’t need to see--”
“I would LOVE to see them,” Josuke insisted, brightening considerably at the idea of seeing embarrassing pictures of his calm and collected nephew.
The tension eased up after that, with Holly asking Josuke and Okuyasu about their school work, what they liked to do for fun, even if they’d put any thought into what they’d like to do after they graduated. It was easy talking to her, the heavy pit in Josuke’s stomach steadily getting lighter the longer breakfast went on.
Suzi jumped into the conversation as well and while she wasn’t quite as talkative as Holly, her accented voice was full of warmth.
Once they’d finished eating, Holly, as promised, got ahold of an old family album and beckoned Josuke and Okuyasu into the living room, Jolyne following behind. Jotaro was nowhere to be seen. They piled onto the couch and Holly opened the book, turning well-worn pages in her hands.
“Ah, these are mostly baby pictures,” Holly said. The page opened up to a collage of photos, all of one chubby, dark-haired little boy.
“Oh my God.” Josuked snickered. “He’s making the face!” he pointed at a photo of a three-year-old Jotaro giving the camera his iconic thousand-yard stare.
“He hasn’t changed at all,” Holly agreed with a smile.
She flipped through more pages, Jotaro steadily getting older the further they went. There were pictures of him in a high-chair, hands full of cheerios. In others, he was getting ready for a swim, dressed in a pair of dark swim trunks with dolphins on them and floaties around his arms, a deadly serious expression on his face.
The next few pages were of him in his kindergarten uniform, a yellow bucket hat covering his head. In one of them, a much younger Joseph had Jotaro perched on his shoulder, a wide grin on his face.
Josuke couldn’t help but stare at the picture, wondering if--if Joseph had known about him, would he have pictures like this with him? It was still different though, Jotaro was his legitimate grandson and Josuke was…
“Woah, you really do look just like him, dude!” Okuyasu said next to his ear.
Aside from the broadness of their shoulders, Josuke didn’t really see a resemblance and he said as much.
“You’re nuts, you look the same!” Okuyasu insisted.
“I think Uncle Josuke looks more like daddy,” Joylne said, leaning forward and pointing at another picture of Jotaro, this one from around middle-school. “But less scary.”
“Hmm, he does look like Jotaro too…”
“The Joestar genes are pretty strong,” Holly said with a grin.
They looked through the rest of the album, giggling over Jotaro’s middle and high school pictures--”Woah he used to wear all black?” “Why’d he change to all-white??”
“This is boring,” Jolyne said eventually, sliding off the couch. “When are we going shopping?”
“Oh, I guess we’ve been here awhile hm?” Holly said. “Why don’t you go see what everyone else is doing?”
“Okay!” Jolyne skipped out of the room with all the determination of an eight year old given an important task.
“Shopping?” Josuke asked once she’d left the room. Jotaro hadn’t exactly given them an itinerary so he wasn’t sure what to expect during this trip. He hadn’t brought a lot of spending money though and his mom still refused to let him touch the money he’d won from the lottery, telling him he could only use it for college.
“Shopping and sightseeing,” Holly nodded. “I wanted to make sure you two had time to explore! You’ll really like the city, I think. And it’s all decked out for Christmas right now.” She pressed a finger to her chin thoughtfully. “It must feel a lot different for you, hm? I was so surprised when I celebrated Christmas Eve for the first time in Japan, it’s more like Valentine’s Day over there.”
Oh right. Christmas Eve. With Okuyasu. His chest warmed at the reminder.
“It’s really intense! Even your house is--it’s really cool though!” Okuyasu said from beside him. “Only thing we ever did for Christmas was eat KFC.”
“Ahh, it’s nice though, isn’t it? Christmas here can get a little overwhelming sometimes.”
“Let’s goOooOoO!” Jolyne burst into the room, tugging Jotaro by the hand behind her. “Everyone’s ready to go so let’s go!”
They all piled into a large sedan, Josuke and Okuyasu squished into the very back with Jolyne, who insisted on sitting between them. Jotaro and Joseph took the middle row while Holly took the front between their driver and Suzi.
“Everyone buckled in?” Holly asked, turning in her seat.
“Daddy’s not!” Jolyne said, hanging off the back of the middle seat, tugging at Jotaro’s unfastened seat belt.
Josuke snorted, turning it quickly into a cough when Jotaro turned his head just enough to send him a nasty look.
“You’re not wearing yours either, missy!” Suzi said from the front. “Sit down!”
Jolyne did as she was told but looked spiteful about it. Josuke heard the quiet click of Jotaro buckling his seatbelt.
The ride back into the heart of the city was slow with all the traffic. The sky was overcast and grey, but so far Josuke hadn’t seen any snowfall. Jolyne did her best to keep them entertained in the backseat by telling them about some of the bugs she’d caught during Autumn. She also told them about her trip to Disney World earlier that year for her birthday.
The driver let them off in the middle of Times Square at the edge of Central Park. The place was enormous, tall buildings and brightly lit billboards boxing them in from every direction. It was crowded too, the sidewalk full of people walking together, shopping bags in hand.
“Okay,” Holly said, turning toward the rest of them. “We’re gonna shop–you boys are welcome to go anywhere you’d like, but make sure you meet us back here in two hours, okay? Then we’ll get lunch and find a Christmas tree to bring home.”
“I wanna go ice skating!” Jolyne said excitedly, tugging on Holly’s arm.
“We’ll see, okay?” Holly said, smoothing her granddaughter’s hair back.
Joseph shuffled up beside Josuke, his gloved hands fiddling with his wallet. He pulled out two crisp one-hundred American dollars and held them out. Josuke’s eyes widened; he wasn’t great at math and didn’t know shit about currency conversion but he was pretty sure that was a lot of money.
“Eh? What’s this for?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the cash.
“I’m not going to turn my teenage son loose without any spending money,” Joseph said, pressing the bills into Josuke’s hand. “That would just be cruel. Don’t spend it all in one place, alright?”
“Jiji, what about me!” Jolyne clung to Joseph’s leg, “I need money too!”
“Ehhh?” Joseph looked down at her, making a show of putting his hand to his ear. “What was that?”
“Money, Jiji!” Jolyne shouted.
“Monkeys? Where?” Joseph turned and shuffled back over to Suzi and Holly. With a loud sigh, Jolyne let go of him and slunk back to stand beside her father.
“Two hours!” Holly reminded them. “We’ll meet right here okay? Have fun!” The three of them headed off and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
As soon as they were gone, Josuke turned towards Okuyasu, shoving the money into his face. “Dude!”
“Woah! Two hundred dollars?! Is that a lot?”
“Yeah! I think so anyway.”
“Lucky!” Jolyne said, and they both looked down at her. “Jiji never gives me that much,” she sulked.
“You’re eight, what do you need $200 for?” Jotaro asked, making Josuke jump. God, the guy was so quiet he’d nearly forgotten he was even there.
“Things!” Jolyne insisted.
“Wait, you’re not going with them?” Josuke asked, nodding in the direction Holly, and Jotaro’s grandparents, had gone off in. He’d kind of liked the idea of him and Okuyasu exploring the city together, without any tagalongs.
“Babysitter,” Jotaro said, as if reading his thoughts.
“As if we need one!” Josuke frowned, turning back to Okuyasu. He handed him one of the hundreds.
Okuyasu hummed quizzically, taking it before stopping short. “Wait, what are ya givin’ this to me for!?”
“I ain’t stingy!” Josuke said, taking a step away when Okuyasu tried to give it back to him. “You should have some spending money too.”
“Aw Josuke c’mon, this is like, too much, man!”
“I’ll take it!” Jolyne said before quickly amending, “if you don’t want it, I mean,” when Jotaro gave her a look.
“It’s fine, dude,” Josuke was already walking away, hands stuffed into his pockets. “Just take it!”
Okuyasu caved, grumbling and tucking the bill away, hurrying after Josuke. “Where we goin’ anyway?”
“We should go to the M&M store!” Jolyne said, running to catch up to the two teens and leaving Jotaro to follow along behind.
“There’s an M&M store?!”
–--
Josuke ate enough purple M&M’s to feel sick and handed over what was left of his bag to Jolyne, who happily scarfed down as many as she could before Jotaro took them from her. Okuyasu had grabbed a mix of gold and black M&Ms, saying it was only the most badass of color schemes. Every time he picked out a gold one he bit into it as if inspecting a gold coin for authenticity.
They window-shopped for a while, stopping in stores that looked interesting. Josuke made them go into Gucci and Burberry when they passed them, but even with the money from Joseph he didn’t have enough to actually buy anything. He pined over a pair of dark purple shoes, promising to save up and purchase them by mail.
Okuyasu got himself a hot dog at one of the street vendors, Jolyne translating his order for him.
He took a huge bite of it as they continued on their way, half the thing disappearing into his mouth.
“So? Is it everything you ever dreamed of?” Josuke teased, walking closer to press their shoulders together.
Okuyasu hummed as he chewed, licking his lips when he finally swallowed his bite. “It’s pretty good! Thought it’d be bigger.”
“Let me try some,” Josuke said, reaching for it.
Okuyasu pulled the dog out of Josuke’s reach, tilting his shoulders into a defensive wall. “No way, dude! You should’a got your own!”
“Aw, come on! I wasn’t hungry, I just want a bite!”
“No!”
“Have a heart!”
After a little more needling, Okuyasu eventually caved and held the hot dog toward Josuke with a heavy sigh. “Just don’t take too much!”
Josuke grinned, the perfect picture of innocence, before taking a huge bite, lips just barely brushing Okuyasu’s rough fingers. Okuyasu yelped and reeled back, calling Josuke a thief. Josuke loudly smacked his lips, enjoying the way they tingled against the cold.
Before he knew it, it was time to meet back up with Holly and the others. They made their way back to the meeting spot and went out to lunch at The Hard Rock Cafe. It didn’t really seem like the type of place people with as much money as Joseph and Suzi would go, but Josuke couldn’t complain. They had like a hundred different types of hamburgers and he wasn’t shy about stuffing his face and stealing Okuyasu’s french fries when he wasn’t looking.
When they finished eating, the car was waiting for them. Jolyne hadn’t been allowed to get a dessert before they left and was tugging on Jotaro’s jacket, telling him how unfair her life was and how ‘mom would me get a cookie’! Josuke wondered what Jotaro had done with the bag of M&M’s, starting to feel a little guilty about giving it to Jolyne without asking.
“Hey, you said you wanted to go ice skating earlier, right?” He asked when Jolyne had lulled in her complaints. “We can do that, right?” The question was aimed at the adults in the car.
“Well…” Holly started, “we still need to bring the tree home and get it decorated. Why don’t we go ice skating tomorrow?”
“Decorating the tree is boring,” Jolyne said, honest as any eight year old could be. “Can’t I just go with Uncle Josuke and Oku?”
Josuke couldn’t help it, heart swelling at the thought that Jolyne wanted to spend time with them.
“You can wait until tomorrow,” Jotaro said.
“Ughhh,” Jolyne groaned. “I wanna go nowwww.”
“Oh Jolyne,” Joseph piped up with a fond sigh, petting the top of her head. “So eager! The rink will still be there tomorrow. You know Holly needs help decorating, she could use your keen eye.” He leaned in, voice lowering conspiratorially, “I think it looks much better when you’re in charge of decorating anyway.”
Jolyne puffed her chest out, eating up the praise like candy. “Well! I guess if grandma needs my help, I should!”
The look Joseph gave her was unequivocally fond. Josuke tore his eyes away to look out the window.
They weren’t in the car for long before they came to a stop in front of a large, gated lot. There was a large sign above the entrance, showcasing a lit-up Christmas tree. They piled out of the car, the cold air biting at Josuke’s cheeks.
There were aisles and aisles of fir trees all standing in little pots, lined up in neat rows. Josuke and Okuyasu split off from the family quickly and naturally found themselves side by side as they wandered down the aisles. The sun was starting to make its descent from the sky, giving the fake snow beneath their feet an amber glow.
They stopped in front of several trees, looking them over, deeming each one unacceptable before moving on.
“I don’t really know what I’m lookin’ for,” Josuke admitted with a sigh when they stopped in front of the fifth tree.
“Me neither,” Okuyasu agreed. He reached out to tug on a skinny branch, some of the pine needles falling off in his grasp. “This holiday’s kinda weird, huh.”
“Just an excuse to get gifts,” Josuke shrugged.
Okuyasu hummed. “I like this, though,” he said. “Hangin’ out, shoppin’. Feels...eh...nice. Normal.”
“Normal?” Josuke snorted. “We’re like a billion miles from home.”
“Y’know what I mean!” Okuyasu said, sounding exasperated.
“Just...you were stuck in the hospital so long and busy with shit after,” Okuyasu was looking at the ground, refusing to meet Josuke’s eyes. “I missed ya.”
Oh.
Josuke’s heart gave a painful squeeze.
After he’d been discharged from the hospital, Josuke had had to deal with another two months of physical therapy. It had wiped him out so bad physically and emotionally, he’d begged off seeing his friends, unable to stand the thought of them seeing him like that.
He chewed on his bottom lip, guilt eating at him. This trip was a good thing, he decided. He could make up for lost time with Okuyasu, could push all that shit with Kira to the side. Things could finally get back to normal.
Josuke tugged Okuyasu against his side, knocking their heads together. “I missed you too, dude,” he said, honest. “I didn’t mean to ditch you.”
“Huh?” Okuyasu’s arm found its place around Josuke’s waist, comfortable and familiar. “Dude, it’s okay, I was just sayin’! I know you had like, shit to deal with...”
Once again, their faces were only inches apart, close enough that Josuke could feel Okuyasu’s warm breath on his skin. His eyes dropped to Okuyasu’s lips–they were dry, a little chapped looking–and he thought about kissing him. Okuyasu was still talking, Josuke barely catching the end of whatever it was he was saying.
“...worried about you–”
“Well–well I’m all better now!” Josuke finally looked him in the eye again. He could feel how warm his face had gotten. “You’re gonna be sorry you complained cause you’re not gonna be able to get rid of me!” He flicked Okuyasu’s ear.
Okuyasu blinked.
“Oi!” He poked Josuke’s side in retaliation. Josuke squirmed, letting out a startled laugh, trying to untangle himself from Okuyasu. “More like you ain’t gonna get rid of me!” Okuyasu insisted, chasing Josuke through the aisles of trees, hands out and poised for another attack.
“Get away from me, dude!” Josuke shouted, ducking around a family and into another aisle.
“Not on your life!”
They wore themselves out pretty quickly, coming to a stop with some distance between them. Josuke panted, his warm breath curling in the air in front of his face. His leg was starting to cramp up, sore from overuse. He hadn’t done anything more strenuous than walk to school since he’d finished PT.
They called a truce and settled into a meandering pace, side-by-side once again, circling back to the entrance. They ran into Joseph and Suzi on the way, the two speaking with the lot manager. Guess they’d found their tree.
Jotaro, Josuke, and Okuyasu helped load the thing on top of the car--it was massive--and tied it to the roof.
Once they piled back into the car, Josuke was kind of glad they were done for the day. He was still a little winded from running around with Okuyasu earlier. Man, he really needed to start working out again once they got home.
The drive back was quiet, the sky darkening as the sun dipped below the horizon. Josuke’s eyes had just begun to droop when they pulled into the driveway.
Helping bring the tree inside the house was even more of a struggle than putting it on the car. Josuke was carrying the middle, while Okuyasu and Jotaro held the ends. God damn the thing was heavy, and Josuke puffed as they tried to navigate down the narrow pathway, carefully avoiding decorations. Jolyne skipped ahead of them, calling out when they should move right or left, mostly unhelpfully.
When they finally got the thing through the front door (which left them all covered in pine needles) and standing tall in the living room, Josuke all but collapsed on the couch, sweating beneath his winter jacket. He began to unbutton it.
“You good, dude?” Okuyasu fell into the seat beside him, making the cushion bounce beneath his weight.
“Yeah,” Josuke said, pulling the jacket off. “Just kinda tired.”
“Yeah you looked like you were strugglin’ with the tree,” Okuyasu agreed, nodding his head. “Guess that’s cause I’m so much bigger n’ stronger than you.”
“I’m taller than you!” Josuke protested, shoving Okuyasu’s broad shoulder.
“Whatever, my muscles are bigger. I could totally beat your ass.”
“Try me, fucker!”
Okuyasu did try him, grabbing at his arms and trying to pin Josuke against the side of the couch.
A cough in the doorway made them both freeze, Okuyasu’s arms locked around Josuke’s neck.
It was Suzi, a look of bemusement on her face. Josuke quickly untangled himself from Okuyasu, shoving him away. Before Josuke could manage an apology, Suzi smiled and made her way to the tree, looking up at its height.
“Jolyne and Holly are grabbing some decorations. Do you boys want to help out?”
They soon found themselves surrounded by dusty boxes upon boxes filled with ornaments. They’d been brought down from the attic apparently, and Jolyne quickly threw the lids off, pointing at which ones she wanted and where on the tree they should go.
Most of them were run of the mill store-bought ornaments--though, very expensive looking--in simple solid colors. Reds and blues and greens, some dusted with glitter and others polished glass. Josuke and Okuyasu put ornaments on the taller parts of the tree where Jolyne couldn’t reach.
While they worked, Holly returned and got a flame going in the fireplace, the warm light giving the room a gentle glow. They’d amassed quite an audience, Josuke discovered after hanging another ornament. Joseph and Suzi were both on the couch, Shizuka clutched in the old man’s arms. They were watching Jolyne with the fond look of doting grandparents. Holly was helping Jolyne open up a few of the boxes that had more complicated closures on them. Even Jotaro was leaning against the doorframe, sipping from a steaming mug.
“These ones next!” Jolyne said, shoving a box at them. Instantly, Josuke could tell these ornaments were handmade. They were a little lumpy and misshapen, some with painted scenes chipping off around the edges. Jolyne’s name was written crudely on several of them, likely from when she was much younger.
The ones that really caught his eye, though, were the ones with pictures set into them. In one with a beaten-up snowman frame, he saw a toddler Jotaro dressed in a little reindeer sweater, a candy cane sticking out of his mouth. Another photo had Joseph and Jolyne, covered in paint and laughing into the camera.
The last one was much newer looking. It had a simple, circular frame with a picture of Shizuka in the middle. She was completely visible, no makeup to be seen, sleeping peacefully. Her name was painted across the bottom of the frame in a neat cursive, along with the year, 1999.
“Uncle Josuke?” Jolyne's voice from below him. As he met her gaze, something tightened in his chest, heavy with an emotion he didn’t have words for.
“Can you put them up?” Jolyne asked, giving the box a gentle shake. Josuke forced himself to swallow and glanced up. Everyone was staring at him.
“Yeah,” he said, reaching for the ornaments. “Sure. Sorry.”
She gave him a weird look and patted his knee before bouncing away to grab some more ornaments. Josuke turned back to the tree, mechanically placing the ornaments up where Jolyne had instructed.
Okuyasu was saying something to him, right in his ear, but he didn’t hear a word.
–--
The ride back to the hotel was quiet. Holly had wanted them to stay for dinner, but Jotaro refused, saying he had to finish up some work before it got too late. Jolyne hadn’t been too happy about it, but Jotaro had said something that seemed to have calmed her down because by the time they left, she didn’t seem upset anymore.
Once they were back in their hotel room, Josuke flopped down longways on the couch and closed his eyes, throwing his arm across them to block out the light. He was bone tired. Between jet lag and all the walking around they’d done today, he felt like he could sleep for the next month.
“Make sure to pack up your things tonight,” Jotaro said as he began to clatter around in the kitchen.
“Eh? Why?” Okuyasu asked, picking up Josuke’s legs to sit on the couch, then placing them in his lap.
Jotaro sighed heavily, as if he’d just been given some unfortunate news. “The hotel room is only for these two nights, so I could finish something for work. We’ll be staying at the house for the rest of this trip.”
“Oh, I gotcha,” Okuyasu said, and Josuke could imagine him nodding along in his head. “That’s real nice of ‘em to let us stay at their house!”
“Hm.”
Okuyasu poked the back of Josuke’s knees, making him flinch, nearly kneeing him in the chin.
“Oi!”
“Hehehe,” Okuyasu grinned at him, grabbing onto Josuke’s knee, the picture of innocence. “I know you need your beauty sleep, but I’m fuckin’ starving, dude.”
Josuke’s stomach growled in agreement.
He sat up with a sigh and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, right. Where’s the room service menu?”
Josuke and Okuyasu’s passable English was enough to read the menu once they found it, and they ordered themselves some dinner and ice cream for dessert.
“Pack up your shit,” Jotaro gave them a final reminder when they started to dig in. He disappeared into his room, the door shutting firmly behind him.
“I still can’t believe he’s someone’s dad,” Okuyasu said a moment later, stabbing a meatball with his fork.
“I know,” Josuke said around a mouthful of pasta. “I can’t believe he never even mentioned it before. He never tells me anything.”
“Man, he’s like a super secret spy or somethin’. Like 007. He could tell ya stuff…” Okuyasu lowered his voice, making a gun with his thumb and pointer finger. “But then he’d have to kill ya.” He mimed shooting Josuke in the chest.
“I’m pretty sure he has killed people,” Josuke said, glancing at the closed door. “He does work for that uhh...agency.”
“Oh shit, you’re right,” Okayasu’s eyes widened. “Damn, that’s cool.”
“I dunno the full story,” Josuke continued, looking back at Okuyasu and lowering his voice. “But Mr. Joestar was telling me some shit about Egypt when they were in Morioh. It sounded fucking crazy, if any of it’s true.”
Josuke one-hundred percent believed everything he’d heard from Joseph about their trip to Egypt. Jotaro had tossed a dog at a blind guy. Jotaro had bet his own soul on a game of poker. Jotaro could do a trick with lit cigarettes where he flipped ‘em over in his mouth--man, he’d have to get his nephew to show him that one some time.
They finished eating and lounged around in the living room, flipping through channels and not finding anything worth watching.
“Kinda sucks we ain’t stayin’ here longer,” Okuyasu said eventually. “Didn’t even get to check out the pool.”
Josuke raised an eyebrow. “It’s the middle of December and you wanna go swimming?”
“They got an indoor pool!” Okuyasu protested, “I saw the sign for it! Ain’t like we got to go swimmin’ during the summer, either.”
That was true. They’d been a little too busy with stand business to make it down to the beach.
“...we could go now?” Josuke offered. Then, with a mischievous grin, “We should go now.”
“Eh? Ain’t it too late? It’s probably closed.” Okuyasu pouted.
“Like that’s ever stopped anyone,” Josuke said, getting to his feet. “C’mon, it’ll be more fun than sittin’ around here.”
Okuyasu grinned and sprung to his feet beside Josuke. “Yeah alright!”
“Shh!!” Josuke slapped his hand over Okuyasu’s mouth and shushed him with a stifled laugh. “Jotaro’s got like, insane hearing, man.”
Okuyasu mumbled something against Josuke’s hand, dry lips brushing against his palm. With a start, Josuke pulled away and the two fled to their room. Hopped up on shared adrenaline, they haphazardly packed their things, leaving out only what they’d need for the night and next morning.
“Wait,” Josuke said, pausing mid-zip on closing his suitcase. If asked about it later, he wouldn’t have been able to explain why he’d done it. Maybe it was the idea of impressing Okuyasu or the adrenaline of doing something he shouldn’, but in that moment, a brilliant thought came to him.
He walked quickly and quietly back into the living room and then into the kitchen. He opened the minifridge and in a fit of unadulterated teenage rebellion, grabbed one of the liquor bottles. He smuggled it back to his room and held it out to Okuyasu with a proud smirk.
“Oh shit!” Okuyasu took the bottle, looking over it with wide eyes. “You don’t think Jotaro’s gonna check before we leave?”
“Nah,” Josuke waved him off. He didn’t mention that he’d taken the bottle from the very back, where its absence was less likely to be noticed. “He’s not gettin’ the bill either.. No way this place isn’t on the old man’s card, and he owes me anyway. Let’s bring that to the pool.”
Josuke grabbed a keycard and the two quietly snuck out of the room–Okuyasu with their stolen liquor tucked inconspicuously beneath his shirt–closing the hotel door softly behind them. The hallway was silent, none of the clamor from earlier given the late hour. The two made their way to the elevator and rode it down to the 2nd floor, brimming with nervous energy.
The doors opened to another empty hallway and, not seeing anyone, they continued on. The only things on the 2nd floor were the indoor pool and a small gym beside it. The glass doors that led to the pool were closed, and the only light was from the pool itself, glowing an almost eerie blue in the dark.
Josuke swiped the keycard against the door, but the mechanism only blinked red back at him. “Shit, it’s locked,” he said, trying the door anyway. It didn’t budge.
“Aw man,” Okuyasu deflated beside him, disappointment clear on his face.
Josuke, not the type of man to let anyone down, furrowed his brows and took a step back. He glanced down the hallway--left then right. Still empty.
Crazy Diamond appeared beside him and punched a hole through the lock. There was a sharp beep as the mechanism died, the sound of metal crunching echoing down the empty hall. Josuke pushed the door open and stepped into the pool room, dragging Okuyasu inside with him.
“Josuke!!” Okuyasu’s excited voice rang in his ear.
“Augh, dude!” Josuke covered his ear, rubbing at it, but he couldn’t keep the grin off his face.
“That was so cool!” Okuyasu shouted, only slightly quieter.
“Yeah, yeah,” Josuke shrugged, but felt warmth bloom in his chest at Okuyasu’s praise, his heart beating faster at their close proximity. “It was nothin’.” The pieces of the broken door glowed a bright yellow and returned to their rightful place, leaving it just as they’d found it.
“Hehehe, last one in’s a lame asshole!” Okuyasu had already dropped his pants and was tugging his shirt over his head.
“You’re a lame asshole!” Josuke said, shoving Okuyasu to make him stumble. He tossed his pants aside before freezing, fingers curling around them of his shirt. Josuke caught an eyeful of the scar on his thigh, gnarled and off-color, just like its sibling on his side. There was a distant splash–Okuyasu had jumped into the pool already.
Josuke fidgeted, fingers tightening around his shirt. Okuyasu wouldn’t care. It was just the two of them.
“Aw man, you didn’t even try!” Okuyasu complained, his head bobbing above the water.
Josuke took a breath, tearing his eyes away from the scar to look at Okuyasu. He looked small in the wide expanse of the pool, gentle waves lapping at his skin. Josuke tugged his shirt off, leaving himself in nothing but his boxers, and took off at a run. He jumped off the edge of the pool and tucked his knees in, landing with a splash. He sunk into the heated pool, weightless, sounds growing muffled in the face of the cacophonously silent water.
He swam up, only opening his eyes when he breached the surface and sucked in a lungful of air. Okuyasu was treading water beside him, looking at him with his dark eyes.
“I won,” Okuyasu smirked.
“I let you win,” Josuke splashed him.
“Whatever, still makes you a lame asshole,” Okuyasu stuck his tongue out, shoving a wave into Josuke’s face.
Josuke spluttered and grabbed for him, the two quickly devolving into wrestling and trying to dunk each other beneath the water.
“Augh, okay, uncle, uncle!” Josuke shouted, grabbing at Okuyasu’s arm when he pulled him into a headlock. Okuyasu loosened his hold but didn’t entirely let go, keeping Josuke’s back pressed against his chest. He rested his chin on Josuke’s shoulder.
“You still wanna drink some of that stuff?” Okuyasu asked, his breath tickling Josuke’s ear.
“Yeah,” Josuke breathed, his throat going tight.
Okuyasu patted Josuke’s chest before letting him go and swimming to the poolside. Josuke followed behind a little slower, glad for the dim lighting, hoping Okuyasu couldn’t see how red his face was.
Okuyasu pulled himself onto dry land, dripping water all the way to their discarded clothes. He returned to Josuke a few moments later, proudly holding out the liquor bottle. Okuyasu sat at the edge of the pool, letting his feet hang over in the water. Josuke leaned one elbow onto the pool edge beside him.
“What is it? Josuke asked, watching him struggle with the cap. “I didn’t look at the label when I grabbed it.”
Using his teeth, Okuyasu finally got the top loose and opened it. He didn’t bother looking at the label, but held the bottle beneath his nose and took a sniff.
“Dunno. Smells kinda orange-y.”
Josuke rested his head in his hand and gazed up at Okuyasu through wet eyelashes. The blue light from the pool swam across the sharp edges of his face, glistening against his wet skin, reflecting brightly in his dark eyes.
Okuyasu took a sip from the bottle and smacked his lips. Josuke’s eyes dropped to his adam’s apple, bobbing as he swallowed, pool water following the length of his throat.
“Tastes like vodka,” Okuyasu said. He shoved the bottle in front of Josuke’s face, making him go a little cross eyed. Josuke snatched the bottle and brought it to his lips, the smell overpowering even the chlorine of the pool. He curled his lip, thinking instead about how Okuyasu’s lips had just been on that bottle–it was like a secondhand kiss, almost.
Josuke tilted the bottle and took a big gulp.
It tasted like citrus-flavored paint thinner. Josuke forced himself to swallow it down, not about to look like a bitch in front of Okuyasu, who had seemed completely unbothered by the taste. It burned its way down his throat, settling warm in his stomach, nothing like the rice wine his mom let him sometimes have at New Year’s. Josuke coughed, face tight, and looked up at Okuyasu with watering eyes. “That’s fuckin’ disgusting!”
Okuyasu just laughed and took the bottle back. “It ain’t that bad! This is the nice shit.” He took another swig.
They passed the bottle back and forth, taking turns drinking until the thing was empty, Josuke holding his breath on every sip to minimize the awful taste. Okuyasu set the empty bottle down and slipped back into the pool, eyes bright and excited.
“Race ya to the end of the pool,” he said with a grin.
“You’re on.”
They raced, the room echoing with their loud splashing. Okuyasu won by an arm’s length and Josuke demanded a rematch. They went best three out of five, with Okuyasu eventually winning anyway, though the last lap had been a bit of a wash with the delightful haze settling over Josuke’s brain.
They treaded water in the deep end of the pool, breathing heavily. Okuyasu was doing some sort of–Josuke could hardly tell what he was looking at, exactly–victory half-dance half-swim.
“Yeah alright, whatever.” Josuke flicked the water, sending a small spray in Okuyasu's direction. “My leg’s sore from earlier, so.”
“Aw man, you are such a sore loser,” Okuyasu teased, tugging on a strand of Josuke’s hair, long since fallen out of his pomp.
“Am not!” Josuke pouted, smacking Okuyasu’s hand away. Okuyasu caught his wrist and grinned at him. Josuke blinked, eyes dropping to where Okuyasu held him. Okuyasu’s fingers were warm against his skin.
“Come on, big baby, I’ll give ya a lift back to the kiddie end. Since your leg is SO sore.”
Josuke couldn’t tell if Okuyasu was making fun of him or not. Either way, Okuyasu offered his back and Josuke didn’t waste any time wrapping his arms around his neck. He clung to Okuyasu’s back, pressing his face against his shoulder with a sigh.
Okuyasu quietly swam back to the shallow end of the pool, pulling Josuke along behind him. When he could finally stand, he didn’t let go of Josuke, instead wrapping his arms beneath Josuke’s legs in a weightless piggy back ride, holding him. He walked across the shallow end aimlessly, the two settling into the quiet.
Josuke had his cheek pressed against Okuyasu’s warm skin. From here, he could just barely see the curve of Okuyasu’s jaw, the cut of his cheekbone. He wanted to lick him. Was that a bad idea? Josuke scrunched his eyebrows. He tilted his head just enough to rest his mouth against the back of Okuyasu’s neck.
“Hey,” Josuke mumbled against Okuyasu’s skin.
Okuyasu hummed quietly in response, his grip tightening around Josuke’s legs.
“Love you.” Josuke sighed, meaning it with every fiber of his being. “Missed you…so much,” he continued, struggling to get the words out over his slow tongue.
Okuyasu said nothing and Josuke huffed, trying to close the non-existent distance between them. “Seriouslyyyy,” he continued, wanting Okuyasu to understand how he was feeling. It felt important. And he couldn’t seem to stop talking now that he’d started. “Wouldn’t wanna be here without you. I love you more than…uh…hmm…video games? Yeah…n’ more than Prince!”
“Woah,” Okuyasu finally spoke with a breathy laugh. “More than Prince? You feelin’ alright? Maybe you shouldn’a drank so much.”
“Okuyasuuuu,” Josuke whined, “I’m bein’ serious! You’re my best friend in the whole wide world. I love youuuu.”
“...D-ditto, dude.” Okuyasu’s voice sounded small and faraway. “Love ya too.”
Josuke closed his eyes with a sigh.
“...We should probably head back,” Okuyasu said after a few moments, clearing his throat.
He let go of Josuke, who pouted when he felt the pool floor beneath his unsteady feet. Josuke lurched forward, grabbing onto Okuyasu’s arm so he didn’t fall face-first into the water. He giggled, sharp and too-loud in the empty room as Okuyasu turned back toward him.
“Jeez dude,” Okuyasu said, supporting Josuke’s weight as he pulled him towards the stairs. “Didn’t realize you were such’a lightweight.”
“You’re a lightweight,” Josuke parroted, following Okuyasu’s lead out of the pool.
Okuyasu laughed and disappeared from Josuke’s side. Josuke frowned at the loss, only to flinch when a fluffy towel was dropped over his head a few moments later.
“How come you’re not drunk?” Josuke complained, dragging the towel over his face and drying himself.
“M’a little tipsy,” Okuyasu admitted, scrubbing his own towel over his hair.
They redressed, Josuke carefully stepping back into his pants so he didn’t eat shit. He pulled the same trick on the door to get out, though this time it took a little more concentration, Okuyasu’s warm hand at his back.
They snuck back to the hotel room, Okuyasu depositing Josuke in his bed. Josuke groaned, sinking into his mattress with a smile, limbs heavy with exhaustion. He let his eyes drift closed.
“Hey, don’t go to sleep yet,” Okuyasu’s voice said. Josuke cracked one eye open to Okuyasu standing over his bed, a water bottle in his hand. He pulled Josuke into a sitting position, despite Josuke’s protests and put the uncapped water bottle in his hand. “You gotta drink that, alright?”
“M’not thirsty,” Josuke huffed, staring down at bottle with disdain.
“It don’t matter! You don’t wanna get a hangover tomorrow–Jotaro will totally know.”
“No he wouldn’t,” Josuke grumbled under his breath, but took a sip of water. Then another. Okay, that actually tasted pretty nice, cool on his throat.
Before he knew it, the bottle was empty. With a frown, Josuke tossed it to the floor and fell back in his bed, reaching for the pillow beside him. Okuyasu was there again, tugging the blanket free from beneath Josuke and draping it over him. Encased in warmth, Josuke rolled onto his side, pillow hugged to his chest, and closed his eyes again.
“Here’s another bottle,” Okuyasu said, setting something down on the bedside table. “If ya need it.”
Josuke frowned. “M’fine. You’re not s’posed t’...”
“Huh?”
“’M s’posed t’be the one takin’ care’a you...” Josuke mumbled.
“Stupid,” Okuyasu said. There was a click and the room went dark. “You're always takin’ care’a me.”
“S’my job.”
“Well takin’ care’a you is my job, an’ I ain’t as good at it but that ain’t gonna stop me.”
Josuke hummed and when Okuyasu didn’t say anything else, he drifted off to sleep.