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In the year or so since the GCS incident, Kakyoin felt like Jolyne was treating him more kindly, maybe even with a bit of respect. She didn't shoot quite so many verbal barbs at him, or glare as hard when he said something she didn't understand. Kakyoin never blamed her for her hostility, considering they only met after she'd managed to save the world and here he was a strange Stand user hanging around her father and trying to fight the people who were intending to save said father's life. Her mellowing made their more frequent outings easier, but Kakyoin wasn't pushing her goodwill no matter how comfortable she seemed.
Speaking of pushing, Jolyne returned a nail polish bottle to the shelf out of place, causing another bottle to slip off the edge. Hierophant Green caught the polish without Kakyoin even having to think very hard about it, handing the shimmering bronze bottle to Kakyoin. Kakyoin set it in the empty spot Jolyne had left.
"Good catch, good catch." Jotaro said, putting his arm around Kakyoin.
"Gag!" Jolyne used the pass phrase that meant they were being too PDA for her.
Her definition of ‘too much’ in each category were: eye contact that lasted longer than two full seconds, physical contact of anything more deliberate than the brush by that sometimes happens when people walk next to one another, conversations that delved into domesticity or prolonged time spent together, pet names were an automatic gag, and the most heinous of PDA crimes, any sort of kiss. Chaste, on the cheek, even an air kiss was too far. You'd think she was fifteen instead of twenty five.
Jolyne would be getting married soon, to her own best friend, she should understand how natural skinship could be. How easy it was to bask in the attention of the person you liked most. But Jolyne and Jotaro's strengthening relationship just seemed to egg her on with policing their shows of affection. If Kakyoin and Jolyne were ever together away from Jotaro, she was fine, so Kakyoin didn't get that particular hang up. Maybe it was just her youth, Kakyoin had slept through his and often felt like he and Jotaro's relationship was still similar to the puppy love they'd had as teenagers. Then again, it was difficult for Kakyoin and Jotaro to be apart. They were a couple keenly aware of what it would feel like to lose the other.
Kakyoin didn't know how to step away from Jotaro to something Jolyne would think was ‘appropriate’ but he didn't want to alienate the delicate relationship he had with the woman, either. There had never been anyone Kakyoin had wanted to like him more. With Jotaro, they were partners first by necessity and their compatibility came from those dire circumstances. But Jolyne was the opposite, it was necessary to get along with or without compatibility.
Kakyoin looked a little embarrassed, but her father had no reaction whatsoever. Jolyne was beginning to think teasing them for their affections for one another was another dead end. Getting Jotaro's goat was Jolyne's oldest habit with her father because it never fucking worked. Involving Kakyoin wasn't any fun, no matter how she went about it, because she only ever hurt Kakyoin and Kakyoin didn't seem to understand Jolyne's change from mean-mean to mean-teasing. Jolyne had seen Kakyoin and Jotaro be mean with one another, but the redheaded man seemed to still be defensive with her. Her own fault, she'd been really harsh with him right after Pucci’s defeat because Jotaro and Ermes' lives were hanging by a thread and Emporio wasn't being dredged up like the others dead or alive. Also, Kakyoin was the SPW agent in charge at the time, making a spectacle of himself by fighting Giorno's group. He hadn't been subtle about being protective about Jotaro, after all, and Jolyne had just barely gotten Jotaro back and here was this handsome man trying to take her job of keeping her dad alive…
Jolyne didn't even remember the agent's name who she'd pressed into telling her that Kakyoin and Jotaro were a couple, but she did remember her mother's complete lack of surprise when Jolyne told her. The longer Jolyne spent with the two of them, the more she realized they'd been in love longer than she'd been alive, and with their circumstances, it was hard to oppose them, truthfully. Her dad looked at Kakyoin, truly looked at him, and it was impossible not to tell how much Jotaro cared for him.
“You guys getting hungry yet?” Jolyne broke the awkward moment, her Dad's arm still firmly around his husband's shoulders, “I'm not seeing anything I wanna buy here and it's nearly two.”
“Did you see some place you'd like to eat?” Kakyoin asked.
“Dunno, we walked past like six restaurants, whichever.” Jolyne said, heading for the store exit.
Jolyne used to be picky about what she'd eat, but prison changed that. Specifically the so-called meals she'd been given in isolation. Even foods she didn't like, she could eat. Plus, she didn't have any health issues like the two older men to consider. They paused on the street corner, discussing the options, and Jolyne went along. They picked a bistro, it was busy so they had to share a tiny outdoor table, but the wait staff was well organized so they weren't forgotten.
Waiting on their orders to arrive, typical silence slid in. They'd run out of new topics in the morning before they'd even made it to the shopping district. Jotaro stared off into the distance, his good eye unfocused. Kakyoin rested his chin in his hand and one elbow on the round table. Jolyne checked her phone. No messages from Ermes, she was meeting the woman after this when her early shift was over. Putting her phone away, Jolyne leaned over towards Kakyoin.
"He's thinking about fish again." She said, jutting her chin in her father's direction.
Kakyoin looked at Jotaro and laughed. He wasn't as bad as her dad, he emoted, but their love wasn't all that outward in public, which was why Jolyne had thought teasing them about it would get a reaction. The complete affection that softened Kakyoin's face was stupid sweet. Jolyne couldn't fucking stand it, Kakyoin was, like, cute. Her dad was often cute, too. It was gross how much the two of them loved one another at their age. And Jolyne hoped her love for Ermes lasted the exact same way.
Kakyoin's laughter drew Jotaro's attention. Jotaro swallowed a smile. Kakyoin and Jolyne were tittering quietly to one another on the other side of the table. Jotaro was glad they were getting along better as of late, even if that meant they ganged up on him. He deserved what he got, and from the two of them, Jotaro knew it was from a good place if they harassed him. Most of the time.
The food arrived.
“Mn! Oh! I almost forgot,” Jolyne said around her first bite of her side salad, dressing on her face. She'd always been a messy eater. “Ew Dad, what's that look for? Anyway, Ermes has a full three days off coming up and wants to come down and spend some time with you guys.”
“That will be nice, we haven't seen Ermes in a while.” Kakyoin said.
Jotaro agreed with a hum.
“You could pretend to be excited.” Jolyne shot at him.
“I am.” Jotaro said, but wasn't sure Jolyne heard him, as she started off talking a mile a minute about what they could all do together for a day.
Going to Disney World had about killed Jotaro with its saccharine varnish and the constant going from one place to another, but it seemed to have shown Jolyne they could be a unit. Plus, Jotaro enjoyed getting to know Ermes Costello. His first meeting with the woman hadn't really been her at her best, as she had been forcefully ejected from the bubble of adjusted gravity Pucci had made of the Kennedy Space Center and she was in a pissed off mood. Meanwhile, Jotaro had been fresh off his coma and in a hurry to get to Jolyne. They hadn't the time for much more than mutual agreement on tactics in that moment and the fight after that was a literal blur as time sped up.
Outside of those circumstances, Ermes proved to be a boisterous young woman who adored Jolyne's good points, and had joined her in enough battles to know her intimately. Jotaro would endure a thousand amusement parks to share in seeing the joy Ermes brought his daughter. Faded into Jolyne's background was good enough for Jotaro, so long as he was never rejected again. Any time was more than he deserved.
Jotaro was watching Jolyne intently while they ate and talked, Kakyoin noticed. He was thinking about how to maximize his time with Jolyne even if he wasn’t adding to the conversation. Kakyoin would be sure to ask him what he thought they should do together explicitly and pass his ideas on to Jolyne. Of course if it was an aquarium, Jolyne would know right away who’s suggestion it was. Kakyoin doubted that would be the suggestion, however, Jotaro usually went to those by himself or with Kakyoin as a date. Kakyoin loved aquarium dates personally, but he doubted the two young women would be that excited about a place like that. The sound of water soothed Jotaro, but Green Dolphin prison was right on the water, it was possible they associated the sound with that place. Jotaro had found the joy of all things marine despite their bad experiences, but Kakyoin was convinced he had a water spirit inside him and was drawn to water.
Jolyne broke off her marathon run-on statement, “What time is it?” She asked.
“Uh,” Jotaro, still with that faraway look, took a moment to resurface.
"You've got your big ass watch on, tell me what time it is." Jolyne repeated with extra impatience.
“Three forty-six.” Jotaro answered precisely.
“I’m supposed to meet Ermes at four! I've gotta go! See you both later." Jolyne jumped from her chair.
“Are you taking a taxi?” Jotaro asked.
“Yeah, since you drove us here.” She said, looping her purse over her head, a task only because of her hairstyle.
“Here, for the ride there and home.” Jotaro handed her a wad of cash.
“Dad, that’s not-” Jolyne protested.
“I was the one who insisted when you already had plans, think of it as an apology for inconveniencing the two of you.” Jotaro said over her.
“Thanks, Dad.” Jolyne gave him a quick hug, “Bye, Kakyoin.”
“Bye, Jolyne, have a nice evening.” Kakyoin said as Jolyne waved and was gone around the corner to the main road where a taxi would see her.
Kakyoin finished his meal, having to eat slowly to aid his digestion; he was always the slowest eater in any group. Jotaro let the rest of his meal lay unfinished. The silence seemed contemplative, so Kakyoin waited as he ate. He wouldn’t let such delicious food go to waste. After waking from his coma, he had wasted away so much of his tissues and the simple joy that the taste of good food brought him in those first weak months after he’d finished his tests and been declared ‘healed’ made enjoying food a habit. In fact, he had gained probably too much weight at this point, but that joy of being alive wasn’t one he was going to bother to curb.
"I didn't think Tag Heuer watches went out of style." Jotaro sighed eventually, running a thumbpad over the face of his wrist watch.
"They don't, she was just teasing." Kakyoin jumped straight to assurance.
Jotaro was known to erase parts of his wardrobe if Jolyne teased him too much about them. One of Kakyoin's favorite shirts had disappeared under her scrutiny and he'd never seen when and where it'd been disposed of. Jotaro's watch had survived the desert, Dio's beating, and the deluge of the ocean, Kakyoin wasn't going to let Jolyne's words kill it. Jotaro had received the watch as a gift from his father when he turned sixteen, and it was probably the only thing from his father he had kept. Sure Jotaro had other watches, but that one was too special to be put away.
Jotaro seemed to take the assurance and sipped his glass of water before changing the subject, “Do you want to go home after this or walk around some more?”
“This district is really more of a young person’s hotspot.” Kakyoin said, “Plus, I’m feeling tired. Let’s go home.”
Jotaro brightened when Kakyoin said so, his eyes warming, thinking of their shared home and the shared solitude there. Kakyoin got the idea that he’d get no chores done once they drove back, it’d be couch cuddles until dinner time. Their dirty socks could wait another day in the basket.
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They decided on a day trip to the Everglades National Park since the weather was nice. They’d take the two hour boat tour together, have lunch, wander the closest visitor center, and then the women would go off on a hike together. Kakyoin couldn’t do strenuous hikes, but the split was more just so Jolyne and Ermes could have the time to themselves. The two were staying at the house overnight in the guest room after the park visit, so they could all spend the next day together, as well. That was going to be a museum day, another reason Kakyoin wasn’t going to push himself today.
Or so Jotaro had been told, but here was his husband running around the apartment the night before the girls showed up, wearing himself out. Kakyoin didn’t usually get worked up over Jolyne and Ermes, and they didn’t like him pestering them like a host. Jolyne had told Jotaro explicitly so early on when Jotaro was discharged from the hospital and she began visiting them at their house, that she didn’t want Kakyoin waiting on her like Holly did. But Kakyoin’s compulsion to make coffee and offer hospitality seemed impossible to curb. It was his trained Japanese politeness Jotaro figured, the man liked to make people comfortable. The people he liked, anyway, but Jotaro didn't know how to explain that to Jolyne. Since the home they shared was comfortable for Kakyoin, and he wanted to share that comfort with Jolyne, Jotaro couldn’t tell Kakyoin to stop. Sharing a home with Kakyoin was just too important to Jotaro.
“Noriaki, sit down.” Jotaro went with bluntness, which caused less bickering when it came to Kakyoin's health.
Jotaro didn’t nag, even if Kakyoin liked to say so, but they had a long two days ahead of them and Kakyoin would need to pace himself. He could be up on his feet for days at a time if he needed to, but he didn’t need to. Facing the consequences of pushing himself was hardly ever worth it.
“Okay, just a minute, just remembered something.” Kakyoin said, crossing through the living room towards the kitchen yet again.
“Have Green do it and sit with me and relax.” Jotaro said.
“I’m done already.” Kakyoin hobbled to the couch and finally sat with Jotaro.
“What did you remember?” Jotaro asked, massaging Kakyoin’s shoulder with one hand.
“I hadn’t checked the drinks in the pantry.” Kakyoin said.
“Jolyne and Ermes don’t expect us to provide anything but water, coffee, and tea.” Jotaro said.
“I like to offer more.” Kakyoin said, “So their stay seems a little special. It is special. They’re our guests this time. They haven't stayed the night here in quite some time.”
Jotaro understood his sentiments, but Jolyne wouldn’t.
“How did it work out whenever you went out of your way to do something special for me when I was her age?” Jotaro pointed out.
“That was different!” Kakyoin huffed, “For one, Jolyne isn't nearly as surly as you were as a teenager. Two, she's older than you were then. Three, I'm not a teenager anymore. Four, we're not on a jour-”
“I get it.” Jotaro grunted under the assault of logic, “I get it.”
Kakyoin took a deliberately long breath, “I get it, too. Pushing Jolyne won't do anything but backfire.”
Jotaro nodded.
“She's not as forgiving as you.” Kakyoin added.
“Not true.” Jotaro disagreed.
“Gonna elaborate?” Kakyoin prompted.
“She forgave me. I wouldn't have.” Jotaro said.
“You would have.” Kakyoin responded.
“I haven't even forgiven my own father and he did less than I ever did.” Jotaro said.
“But you've done more.” Kakyoin rebutted.
This was a stupid thing to start an argument about. Jotaro refused to continue it. Kakyoin didn't know everything Jotaro did while he was asleep and he hadn't known Jolyne growing up. It wasn't necessary for him to know. It had been hard enough for Kakyoin to comprehend how much time had passed while he recovered and learn how to take care of himself.
“Should we tuck in early?” Jotaro asked after a moment of silence.
“I won't be able to sleep.” Kakyoin admitted.
It used to be, Kakyoin's pills sort of took care of his exhaustive frantic energy by knocking him out, but he was on a new regimen that allowed him more freedom in the evenings. Jotaro noticed his massaging was doing nothing, Kakyoin's body was still tense with anticipation for tomorrow’s excursion. Jotaro leaned over for a kiss. When he noticed how normal their lives were lately, he couldn't help himself. Exhausted or not tomorrow, they'd be together and able to make whatever plan they pleased. Working around Kakyoin’s health was nothing new for Jotaro, in fact, it was a privilege to do it.
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“Hello! Good morning!” Kakyoin called as Jolyne parked the car in the loop of the driveway in front of the house.
Jolyne could already tell that Kakyoin was in that host mode. There was something about the way Kakyoin tended to hover when she visited their house that bothered her. He did it for everyone, and if grandma Holly came to visit, the two of them danced around each other to see who could outdo the other. Kakyoin wasn't like that outside of his house, which made it more obvious how hard he was trying when Jolyne came over.
Hearing Kakyoin, Jotaro stepped out of the house, too.
“Your dad doesn't have his eye patch on.” Ermes noticed, “They aren't ready to go yet, so we'll get to stretch a bit before driving to the park.”
“Don't count on it.” Jolyne muttered, “Noriaki will be buzzing around us.”
“Aw, I like how nice Noriaki is when we visit.” Ermes said, “Do you think your dad is going to cook for us, too, while we're here?”
Jolyne got out of the car instead of answering. Ermes didn't get it, her and Jotaro had formed some sort of weird bond during the few minutes she'd been away from Jolyne after Ermes fell off the highway. Ermes admired him or something, it was nasty. Jotaro was just Jolyne’s dad, he wasn't special.
Kakyoin and Jotaro walked up to the car as Jolyne popped the trunk.
“Need help with your bags?” Kakyoin asked.
“Nah.” Jolyne answered.
“Hello, Jolyne. Hello, Ermes.” Jotaro rumbled.
“Hi, Dad.” Jolyne made herself busy pulling their suitcases out of the car.
“Hello, Jotaro, good morning Noriaki.” Ermes said, shaking both their hands.
One of these days Ermes was going to go in for a hug instead of a handshake and Jolyne was curious who she'd be more familiar with first. Ermes knew Jotaro better, but Kakyoin was miles more approachable than Jotaro by every measure.
“Would you guys like to sit and have a cup of coffee before we go?” Kakyoin asked, “Jotaro and I are running late this morning.”
“I’m not running late.” Jotaro said.
Kakyoin glared up at Jotaro a moment before correcting, “I woke up late. Sorry.”
“I could go for some joe.” Ermes said.
Inside the house was unchanged, except for the style of couch cushions. Jolyne looked for a stuffed toy, but it seemed Kakyoin's Stand had put them all away today.
“I'll go and finish getting ready.” Kakyoin headed down one side of the back hallway while the rest of them went the other way to the guest room.
“Why didn't he get ready instead of sitting out on the porch?” Jolyne said when she was reasonably sure Kakyoin couldn't hear her.
“He thought it would be rude not to greet you.” Jotaro said.
“He looked dressed, what else could he possibly need to do that would take more than a few minutes?” Jolyne asked.
Rolling the suitcases into the room only took a moment, so Jolyne doggedly followed her father to the kitchen to see if he would answer. She almost thought he wouldn't since he started the coffee pot before he spoke.
“We'll be in a boat today, as well as walking on uneven ground.” Jotaro said as he pulled down coffee cups, “You want some, too?”
“Yeah, thanks.” Jolyne said.
“He's putting on his braces for extra support.” Jotaro finished, grabbing a third cup.
Kakyoin's braces. He'd worn them when they went to Disney World. They bolted onto his ankles and he had to wear really ugly shoes to accommodate them that were a mile wide. The extra support gave him more balance and stamina. It was apparently all Kakyoin's effort that he could walk at all, but Jolyne forgot about that weakness since he didn't use the cane anymore that he had when they'd first met.
Amid their family and close friends there were a lot of people that needed extra support due to injuries. Jotaro and his friends especially. Jolyne hardly noticed the different mobility aids banging around when they were all together because none of them complained much. Avdol and Ermes had prosthetic arms, Uncle Pol had his fake legs and fingers, and so, Kakyoin's less visible spine was easy to forget about. At least with uncle Josuke around nowadays triage was easier. In Green Dolphin they'd only had FF for triage. Without them, Jolyne would have been maimed a dozen different ways herself. She'd almost died of blood loss in the end, but that seemed like nothing when Ermes had lost her arms and Jotaro his eye. Jolyne even sorta skimmed over that scar down one side of her father's face, she didn't like to study it, it brought up bad thoughts.
“Does Ermes use cream or sugar?” Jotaro asked, loading up a tray.
“She uses cream.” Jolyne said.
Jotaro crammed a carton of milk on the haphazard tray. When Kakyoin did it, everything was neat. Jolyne was like her father in that way, capable of delicate work with her Stand, but generally incapable of delicacy outside of that.
Kakyoin found the Kujos sitting in silence while Ermes told a story about the current restaurant she was working at. Kakyoin had spent almost an hour delaying them all while he finished getting ready. The ankle braces were bad enough, but it always took forever to get his support corset just right. He didn't miss the days he had to wear the contraption all the time, it was never comfortable, but it could make all the difference on a long day. He had to wear baggy clothes to accommodate the bulk around his middle, luckily, billowy button up shirts were never out of style in Florida.
“So the guy took a swing at my manager!” Ermes pantomimed a punch, “I almost pulled out Kiss and cracked his skull right then and there,”
Jotaro and Jolyne both nodded, in agreement with thinking violence would be justified.
“But the cops finally showed up, so I hid in the kitchen.” Ermes said, deflating, “They always give me the third degree.”
Jotaro and Jolyne's dark look didn't ease, neither of them fond of cops nor their harassment.
“After all that, it turned out the guy had a reservation at a different restaurant!” Ermes finished.
“Oh my God, what an idiot!” Jolyne exclaimed.
Now that he wasn't interrupting, Kakyoin walked into the room fully and rested a hand on Jotaro's shoulder.
“Are you ready?” Jotaro looked up to him, his gaze soft.
He had a good time with the women, wonderful. Jotaro liked Ermes, it was obvious even if he didn't say so, but he actually did say so. A testament to the young woman's compatibility with the family.
“Yes, we can get on the road now.” Kakyoin said.
Jotaro stood, gathering the coffee cups, and went to dump it all in the kitchen. He'd grab the lunch box while he was in there, no doubt. They had a few moments before they had to head to the garage.
“I like your outfit, Noriaki.” Ermes said with a grin.
“I'll blend in with all the retired farts, won't I?” Kakyoin straightened his collar.
“Not with your hair, you won't.” Ermes said.
“I like your new braid style.” Kakyoin told her now that hair was brought up.
Ermes had worn her hair in dangling braids since Kakyoin had met her, but today the braids were pulled back into a ponytail. Several clips matching the color of her shirt kept the style in place like a crown.
“Easier to slap a hair net on.” She explained.
“You seem to be enjoying working.” He mentioned.
“Yeah. Y’know, I always hated working in my family restaurant growing up, but now I really like the environment. I didn't know I would lose it. I think I accepted I would eventually return to it after I got tired of running.” Ermes said. Jolyne subtly took the other woman's hand in support as she talked. “I mean, I don't really like dealing with people so directly, but I'm not forced to waitress often.”
"How are you coping with your prosthetics at work?" Kakyoin asked.
Ermes let go of Jolyne's hand and held up her arms, the copper sheen of both replacement limbs not much different from her natural skin tone, "Not bad, they're better than the hooks they started me with, that's for sure." She made a chain of gestures, "But they're definitely more complicated to operate. I still mess up in the kitchen sometimes because they freeze up."
It was too bad Joseph was too old to give the woman some tips, he'd been more than proficient with his prosthetic. Kakyoin would have to get Avdol to talk with her, their injuries were basically the same. Kakyoin wasn't sure they'd ever had much time together. Ermes had been in intensive care the same time as Jotaro so she hadn't met many people then, and the full parties at holidays were hectic no matter what continent they happened on.
“Let's get on the road.” Jotaro announced.
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Predictably, they got stuck in traffic. Kakyoin really hated the American road system sometimes. Such a big country cut up into haphazard chunks. Kakyoin was happy to leave driving to someone else to avoid the aggravation, though he knew Jotaro didn’t enjoy the act, either. Kakyoin put a palm on Jotaro’s thigh and Jotaro’s drumming fingers stopped on the steering wheel and he shifted to cover the point of contact.
Kakyoin was on his blind side in the front passenger seat. Thanks to the American way of driving on the wrong side of the road, Jotaro was able to get his license back, since his peripheral vision was excellent in his good eye and there was a special mirror he could use to see the other side of the car. It had taken quite a while for Jotaro's vision to stabilize, but he had very little trouble with the lost eye nowadays. What was more surprising than Jotaro’s always excellent recovery, was that Jolyne allowed him to drive her around. A sign of her trust, Kakyoin supposed. Jotaro’s shoulders eased away from his ears and Kakyoin gave his leg an extra squeeze. They’d be moving in a minute and had made most of the four hour drive before they hit traffic. Being close and unmoving was just plain annoying.
"Kyahaha!" Ermes erupted in a boisterous laugh from the back seat, "You're joking, Jolyne, tell me you're joking!"
"No, that's the weird part!" Jolyne laughed, too.
Kakyoin hid a smile. Ermes was a force to be reckoned with, and a convicted criminal, but she was such a genuine person and Jolyne adored her. Ermes and Jolyne's first meeting, something Kakyoin had been sworn not to tell Jotaro or let Jolyne know he knew the contents of, was apparently all Ermes needed to know to like Jolyne. And everything after that was just more icing. Ermes brought out the youth in Jolyne, they were so very cute together, always laughing and smiling. Made Kakyoin remember all the fun parts of Egypt. Kakyoin wanted to glance back at them and see their happiness, so he feigned looking at the traffic behind them. He met Ermes’ eyes as he scanned the back window and she showed him some teeth. Ermes was quick to smile every time they saw her lately, as well, instead of the more serious woman who returned to prison so quickly after the events of Made In Heaven. It wasn’t all Jolyne’s influence, freedom and a future had a large part in her attitude, too.
“Noriaki, your Stand is out.” Ermes said.
Kakyoin belatedly noticed the emerald rope that had snuck over the front seat and was pooled at the women’s feet in the back. Now that he was aware he also noticed they hadn't quite vacuumed all the crumbs that Polnareff had scattered back there two months ago. Hierophant Green had found a whole pile of them with its burrowing tendencies.
“How long has it been there?” Kakyoin asked, tugging the rope in like a sailor coiling an anchor rope.
“An hour or so.” Ermes answered.
“Sorry about that.” Kakyoin said.
The rope uncurled like a snake and wound around Jotaro instead.
“Hierophant, don’t get in the way of my driving.” Jotaro warned and the rope shifted away from wrapping around his leg holding the brake pedal down.
“Your Stand does like to wander, doesn’t it?” Ermes said.
“Unfortunately, yes.” Kakyoin turned back to the front of the car, the back brace digging uncomfortably until he was sitting properly.
“Mine doesn’t even like coming out at all.” Ermes mentioned, “I can make stickers like crazy, but I’ve got to put a lot of effort in to make him manifest his human form.”
“It’s different for every Stand and user, but arrow-made Stands are a little more single-focused in my experience. As we understand it, since the Stands themselves usually manifested under stress, arrow made ones tend to have more specific abilities than Stands that were born when their user was. So, Kiss must just prefer to use his stickers over physically fighting.” Kakyoin explained.
“Stone Free likes to be string best.” Jolyne added.
“Are there really categories of Stands like that?” Ermes asked, “I thought there were just different ways their abilities worked, not that their creation made them different, too.”
“Some of it has to do with how the users themselves see them.” Kakyoin said, “In my case, growing up with Hierophant Green made him my friend, so he acts more independently than others who only see their Stand as a tool. Some speculate that born Stands and their users are closer, but neither Avdol nor Polnareff’s Stands act like Hierophant Green, so I don’t really ascribe to that theory. I admit it's often convoluted when you get to the details because of the personal factors, and the subject wasn’t made easier when Enrico Pucci was taking Stands out of people and giving them to others willy-nilly. We haven’t found all the original users to compare with, we think he had hordes of abilities from people he’d killed, which brings up a lot of questions about just how independent Stands can truly be-”
“Ermes, you got him started on Stands. Big no-no.” Jotaro rumbled as the car finally lurched to life for the first time in twenty minutes.
“I didn’t realize.” Ermes said.
“He’s, like, all about Stands.” Jolyne said, “He’s like the Foundation’s Stand librarian.”
“I’m one of several archivists.” Kakyoin corrected.
“Only because they had to rely on half a dozen other people until you woke up.” Jotaro said.
“It was too bad none of us could infiltrate the prison to study those force-made Stands and users directly.” Kakyoin said, “And help Jolyne, of course, but Pucci was so very vigilant.”
“Yeah, I could’ve used some help.” Jolyne grumbled.
“You had me and FF and Emporio.” Ermes said, “Don’t say we were useless.”
“Of course not!” Jolyne said.
"Going back was so weird, though. It was like a regular prison after the priest was gone." Ermes said, "Well, sorta. There were still people with Stands around, those who were born with 'em or developed ‘em there, but most were not out to cause trouble with me. Plus, they all knew the Speedwagon Foundation was there keeping an eye out for Stand trouble specifically."
"I've always wondered, why didn't you take the transfer to a lower security facility?" Kakyoin asked.
"I deserved to be there." Ermes shrugged.
Kakyoin’s hand found Jotaro’s leg once more. He had been lucky to have Jotaro and the others to help him through what he thought he deserved. Kakyoin didn’t turn to look this time, but he was sure Jolyne was assuring Ermes of the same thing. It was clear whatever it was she thought she deserved, Ermes had moved past that guilt and was living for herself now. She’d been the one to propose to Jolyne, after all, choosing what she wanted most. If Jolyne was even a little like Jotaro in holding on to guilt for her companions, a person like Ermes could only be good for her.
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The park was muggy and the entrance was crowded. But it was a big enough place that only the humid air was too close once they got past the entrance booth. Jolyne had only been to one of the Florida National Parks before. She’d gone to Biscayne National Park on a school trip in elementary school. Her dad was supposed to have gone with her, but it had ended up being her mother instead when he was called off on a ‘work trip’ the morning of. Real work or Speedwagon work, Jolyne wasn't going to bother to ask this long since it happened. Her and her friends basically just spent the day wandering around a big stone building, from what Jolyne remembered, and she’d been very bored.
The Everglades weren’t all that interesting to Jolyne, either. She’d been stuck in the swamp with Annasui for a very nasty afternoon, where he’d misunderstood just about everything she’d tried to tell him while holes grew on her face. Kakyoin and Ermes had planned this trip, though, so Jolyne was trying not to complain.
“It might be best to do the airboat tour first. Unless you guys want to eat.” Kakyoin said.
“Yeah, let’s do the boat first!” Ermes responded.
Jolyne smiled, her fiancee was still high spirited, despite the long car ride and the heat. The gloomy gal that was burdened by her sister’s death was basically a different person in Jolyne’s mind.
They headed for one of the independently run airboat rental booths. There were several of them, but Jolyne trusted either her dad or Kakyoin knew which one was the best tour. Jolyne mentioned her student discount, but Jotaro had already paid for the tickets by the time she'd seen the sign. Jolyne wouldn’t be a student much longer, with nothing she actually wanted to do with her basic degree. Nor did she want to do more school. She hadn’t discussed her future plans with her dad at all, figuring he would be disappointed she didn’t want a higher degree. Her mother, too, was an academic, but that sort of thing didn’t appeal to Jolyne at all. She was thinking of just working anywhere that would take her for a while. After she got married, she figured she’d help Ermes reclaim her family’s restaurant and work there. And honestly, that sounded just fine. Being with the people she loved was more than enough after the isolation she’d faced in prison.
Jolyne watched as her father silently lent Kakyoin his forearm, steadying his husband as he stepped onto the airboat. Kakyoin helped Jotaro step down after him. The two of them relied on one another completely. There were times Jolyne felt unwelcome just because they were like one unit. She wasn’t a child, she knew their trust had to have been tested many times to be that strong.
“C’mon, JoJo, or we won’t get seats near Jotaro and Noriaki.” Ermes pulled Jolyne towards the boat.
“We don’t have to sit next to them.” Jolyne said.
“I wanna.” Ermes insisted.
“I’ve seen enough alligators for a lifetime.” Jolyne said as they settled in behind her father and Kakyoin, “Isn’t that all we’ll see?”
“Oh, no, not at all!” Kakyoin tried to turn in his seat, his purple eyes sparkling with excitement, but he gave a wince instead of continuing. He’d hurt himself in his enthusiasm.
Jotaro rubbed gently around Kakyoin’s back, and Jolyne noticed a line under Kakyoin’s shirt. He was wearing a back brace too. No wonder he put on that baggy, formless shirt. She’d thought he had better fashion sense than that. He was taking this trip seriously. Maybe she ought to, too. For Ermes’ sake.
“So, what else is there to see?” Jolyne leaned forward so they could talk before the boat roared to life.
“The plant life is interesting all on its own.” Kakyoin said, “And during this season…”
Kakyoin’s lecture didn’t stick to Jolyne at all, especially when her father began chiming in and the two of them started a more technical conversation of the wetlands. They were doing that thing where they were grinning at one another. Gross. Jolyne sat back, forgotten. At least the movement of the airboat blew away some of the heat when they finally got started. And she couldn’t say she didn’t have a little fun watching the birds and experiencing Ermes’ excitement.
But once the tour was done, she was starving.
“There’s some picnic tables, let's eat.” Jolyne pushed, “You didn’t just pack Japanese stuff, did you?”
“It’s a mix.” Jotaro answered.
“I’m sorry, I requested the rice balls.” Kakyoin said.
Jolyne didn’t mind Japanese food, but picnics had to have sandwiches, not rice. When they made plans, Kakyoin had insisted that they take care of the food, so Jolyne didn’t have high hopes it would be the kinda stuff she liked.
The big, compartmentalized box was three layers deep today as Jotaro unwrapped it. Jolyne thought that style of lunch box was embarrassing as a kid, no other family she knew used it, but as an adult she saw the appeal. While a cooler had everything crammed together, a bento box kept things fresh and put together. So the double line of ham and turkey sandwiches on the bottom weren’t smashed or shifted by the journey to the park or the sharp banks of the airboat. As Jolyne gobbled one of each sandwich, she noticed the accompanying fruit in the same tray had been cut into cute shapes. She recognized that from her childhood. Even that field trip when her dad had cancelled, they’d been in her lunchbox. She’d always assumed it was her mother who did that.
It didn’t take the four of them long to empty the trays out, fresh air always made a person hungry and all of them had big appetites. Crumbs and decorative toothpicks rattled as Jotaro re-stacked the plastic trays.
“That’ll be much lighter for the rest of the day.” Kakyoin said.
Jotaro gave a nod, stowing the bento box back into the backpack he was wearing. Kakyoin tried to extract himself from the picnic table, but his ankle braces or something caught because the next moment, he was falling head first towards the cement. Before Jolyne could even react, Star Platinum was cradling Kakyoin in his big, purple hands.
Jotaro's Stand was a bit more expressive than Jotaro himself. The teal eyes that matched Jotaro's, down to one being scarred and cloudy, showed immense worry. Jolyne thought at first that Kakyoin had passed out, but he appeared to just be cringing and holding his breath. Jotaro took Kakyoin from his Stand in a princess carry. Kakyoin's head rolled against Jotaro's shoulder and Jotaro craned his neck down so they could talk quietly behind his hat bill. Jolyne had never really thought about how petite Kakyoin looked compared to her father, since he was wider shouldered than herself.
“Is he okay?” Ermes asked.
Jotaro gave them a glance and a nod.
After a few moments, Jotaro helped Kakyoin put his feet down. His face, under what looked like an embarrassed flush, was pale.
“Got a little tangled up.” Kakyoin forced a smile.
Jolyne could tell when he was faking only because she'd seen it so often. Kakyoin put on smiles so other people weren't uncomfortable with his disability. What Jolyne couldn't tell was whether the masking was deliberate or reflexive.
“One of your pins is bent.” Ermes noticed.
There were four major stays on his ankle braces and one of the outside supports was obviously bowed on the left side.
“It must have gotten stuck in something on the underside of the bench.” Kakyoin gave a weak shrug.
“You didn't get hurt?” Ermes asked.
“No, I don't think so. I didn't feel the brace press into my ankle enough to hurt, maybe a bruise.” He answered, “My back brace kept me mostly in place.”
As Kakyoin explained, Jotaro pulled a pill case and a bottle of water from the backpack and handed the case to Kakyoin while he held the water at the ready. Jotaro was always ready. He thought things out ahead of time, something Jolyne had learned the hard way during Stand battles. It suddenly occurred to her that maybe her father had been trained in exactly the same way.
“You look like you're in pain.” Jolyne added bluntly.
Kakyoin looked defeated, his fake smile slipping, “I'm in pain a lot, accidents or no accidents. Any sort of jarring movements give me sharp pains.” He stopped to take the pills, “But I didn't hit the ground so the extra pain will fade quickly. Thank you, JoJo.” He added quietly to Jotaro as he handed back the pill case.
“Maybe you should rest a bit longer, though. “ Ermes worried.
“I'm okay.” Kakyoin said, still pale.
“Ermes and I will go on the hike you guys were going to skip anyway, and you can sit and rest.” Jolyne declared, “Works, right?”
“Works.” Her dad agreed before Kakyoin could make another excuse.
Jolyne linked arms with Ermes and headed a random direction with confidence.
“This is the wrong way for our trail.” Ermes said.
“I know.” Jolyne stopped after a few paces and glanced back.
Kakyoin was limping under her father's arm towards one of the scenic benches. Satisfied he'd rest, Jolyne pivoted the right way and she and Ermes headed for the trail head.
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Kakyoin made it through the rest of the trip, but the extra pain pill dulled his enthusiasm. There had been a time Kakyoin had been slow and fogged by medication more often than he had full clarity, so Jotaro noticed the clumsiness and delayed reactions but he hoped, for Kakyoin's sake, that Jolyne and Ermes didn't. They didn't mention it, in any case, though Jotaro caught a few pitying glances behind Kakyoin's back from Ermes. There had also been a time that Kakyoin wouldn't have endured even that much. Kakyoin was capable of a lot considering his injuries but when he hit his limit, he hit hard. Kakyoin didn't like it when people saw him that way, but he'd thankfully given over to letting Jotaro help many years ago.
The drive back was quiet, Kakyoin fell asleep almost as soon as they hit the freeway. He was used to sleeping in cars. Even Jotaro categorized the hush of a moving vehicle as a safe feeling. Those engrained sensations from their youth were still there, good and bad.
“Should we stop somewhere to eat?” Jotaro asked the back seat.
Traffic was clear, they were making good time. Even if they pulled over for a while, they'd get home well before it could be considered late.
“Burgers and fries?” Jolyne said like an answer.
Jotaro chuckled, ever since she was little she asked for burgers and fries on road trips. And a chocolate shake. He pulled off at the next exit. There was a paradise of greasy fast food places, all close enough that everyone could get whatever they wanted. He tossed Jolyne some cash and stayed behind in the car to wake Kakyoin gently.
“Nori,” He called, holding Kakyoin's face and brushing the very thin scar under one eye.
“Ar’ w’ home?” Kakyoin mumbled, eyes shifting under his lids but not fully waking.
“We stopped for food.” Jotaro said.
“Burger for Jolyne.” Kakyoin took a shuddering, deep breath and opened his eyes, a smile curling across his face. He had gained some color back since he hurt himself. “A burger for Jotaro, too?”
Jotaro curled his lip and Kakyoin laughed. Jotaro, even after all these years in the States, preferred Japanese style hamburgers. One unseen perk of convincing Kakyoin to move in with him was he got to eat more Japanese food. And it was something Kakyoin was better at cooking than Jotaro.
Kakyoin's amusement ended with a groan as he shifted and stretched, “I don't think I better try walking around until we get back to the house. My ankle is all stiff.”
“Swollen?” Jotaro asked.
“Most likely, but it's not painful so I'm leaving the brace on. I can't believe I made such a fool of myself in front of Jolyne.” Kakyoin grimaced for a different reason.
Jotaro had already admonished him for saying that earlier today, he didn't want to repeat himself. He knew Kakyoin was only embarrassed, but he didn't like that Kakyoin held on to that sort of shame. All that Kakyoin had done to be where he was now was accomplished through hard work, a little stumble like today, a true accident, Jolyne wouldn't judge Kakyoin for it. Jotaro believed Kakyoin knew that and was just feeling sorry for himself. Kakyoin always had expectations for how social interactions should go, and felt personally responsible if good ones went sour. Back when they were getting to know one another, Kakyoin had been so persistent in their interactions Jotaro had been annoyed until he figured out Kakyoin was trying earnestly to connect and not being a know-it-all asshole.
“I'll go get you food.” Jotaro said, “What’d’ou want?”
Kakyoin was going to say nothing, Jotaro could tell by his long pause. He wouldn't stand for that.
“Something.” Jotaro said, “You need your meds.”
Kakyoin sighed.
“Fries.” Jotaro suggested.
Kakyoin shook his head.
“Chicken sandwich.”
Kakyoin frowned.
“Something. What?” Jotaro demanded.
Kakyoin gave a heavy swallow, his neck must be stiff too. Jotaro waited.
“A milkshake.” Kakyoin finally decided, “Vanilla.”
“With a cherry on top.”
Jotaro spoke at the same time as Kakyoin at the end.
Kakyoin gave another chuckle and Jotaro gave him a short kiss before rolling out of the car. He was a bit stiff, too. Grandpa Joseph had been so spry during their journey twenty years ago, but Jotaro wasn't sure how, forty going on fifty seemed hard enough on a long day.
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Kakyoin didn't admit that eating and taking his pills made him feel a lot better, there was only so many times in a day he could admit Jotaro was right. Jotaro’s reminders and suggestions were always made with genuine concern, but Kakyoin couldn't handle being told what to do. He'd never liked it and being in the hospital after he woke up had filled up what little capacity he had for being controlled. He'd been downright nasty to Jotaro's thankful appreciation that he was still alive when he was mobile again. Thankfully, Holly had been around to help Kakyoin come to understand the much less combative Jotaro who lived in the present.
So, still embarrassed by his gaff and at his fill of Jotaro's care, Jotaro's compassion for his partner had no limit Kakyoin just had a limited capacity to endure it, Kakyoin almost didn't tell his husband about how bad his ankle was. But, he knew better than to ignore the pulsing, dark bruise.
“Jotaro,” Kakyoin called quietly.
Jotaro, who had been getting ready for bed in the bathroom first, popped his head out with a curious tilt to his brow. Jolyne and Ermes were already settled in the guest room. They'd talked for a little while, winding down, but the sun and heat and fast food had taken its toll on them all. Kakyoin beckoned Jotaro to the bed.
“I’m going to have to wrap my ankle.” Kakyoin admitted.
“Good grief…” Jotaro softly said as he examined Kakyoin's leg.
“I was lucky I didn't get more hurt. Thank you again for catching me.” Kakyoin said.
Knowing he was being talked about, though he hadn't been named, Star Platinum appeared at Jotaro's shoulder. The burly Stand went straight in for a hug, holding Kakyoin from behind while Jotaro went for an ace bandage in the bathroom. Hierophant Green appeared, too, not wanting to be left out of hugs. Jotaro gave the knot of them a blank glance when he returned to the room. He'd given up forcing Star Platinum away. It had been silly to do it in the first place. A Stand only moved because of their master's desires, and without Star Platinum, Kakyoin never would have suspected Jotaro liked him. But maybe it had been in consideration instead of the same old insistence that Star Platinum was a tool. Since Kakyoin had confessed missing his Stand quite a bit right from the onset of his awakening.
With warm hands and gentle fingers, Jotaro wrapped Kakyoin's ankle in the compression bandage.
“Ice?” Jotaro asked.
“I'll fall asleep as soon as I lie down, icing it will be no use. Maybe in the morning. Can you help me change into my pajamas?” Kakyoin answered.
Using the same logic of not being named, this time to pretend Kakyoin was speaking to him, Star Platinum enthusiastically began stripping Kakyoin. Hierophant Green quickly began fighting to work faster than the other Stand, knowing Kakyoin was feeling too bad to move around much. As Star Platinum was a precision Stand capable of catching a bullet, Hierophant Green didn't have much of a chance at winning. Kakyoin relaxed into their touch, but Jotaro gave a huff.
“What's the matter? Did you want to be the one doing the job?” Kakyoin teased.
“Yes.” Jotaro answered seriously as he got a fresh pair of pajamas, a glint in his eyes.
Neither Stands were on Jotaro's level when it came to stubbornness. He wedged in, hands holding tight to the clothing until he had personally gotten Kakyoin dressed again. Star Platinum faded reluctantly after only a moment, but Hierophant Green playfought with Jotaro throughout the task. Kakyoin wished he had the energy to add to Jotaro's frustration, but he was too sleepy. Jotaro tried to go back to the bathroom for his pajama top after tucking Kakyoin in, but the bed wasn't right without his husband, so he wouldn't let Jotaro go. Jotaro sighed, but got under the summer coverlet, too, muttering another repeat of his catchphrase.
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Jolyne got up when she smelled coffee brewing. It was earlier than she usually got up, stupid early rising middle aged men who lived here, but they hadn't done all that much talking yesterday and she enjoyed sitting with her father and drinking coffee. It felt like there was less pressure when he had something else occupying him. Plus, she wanted to make sure she helped with breakfast. No doubt Jotaro would cook them dinner, she'd mentioned she liked his cooking once, and Jolyne didn't believe a guest should be waited on completely.
“Mornin’.” Jotaro gruffly greeted her in the kitchen, barefoot but completely dressed otherwise.
Last summer, she’d found out Jotaro slept half naked. She didn't blame him, Jolyne ran hot like he did and often went skimpy in the summer in her own home, but she was glad he thought ahead about Ermes. If she saw his scars there'd be no end to the questions.
“Making enough for all of us, right?” Jolyne said, standing beside her dad and watching the coffee machine percolate.
Jotaro gave an affirmative grunt.
“Good morning, Dad.” She added.
Jolyne had stood on his blind side so Jotaro had to almost turn completely to see her. He gave her a smile. Uhg. He wanted a hug. Did he want it enough to initiate? Jolyne decided to do it herself. Affection from her father still felt awkward, but she knew some of the effort had to be from her side or he'd think she didn't want it. Sometimes she did feel like she didn't want any of his attention, but those times seemed to be growing fewer. It was already warm this morning, though, so Jolyne broke the hug off before she started to sweat.
“No Noriaki?” She asked.
Jotaro shook his head.
With a hot cup of coffee each, Jolyne and Jotaro shuffled to the living room and sat on either end of the couch.
“Do you mind if I check the weather?” Jotaro asked, voice all gravel.
Jolyne shook her head.
As Jolyne almost burned her tongue on a too-soon sip of fresh coffee, Jotaro turned on the television. It was already on the weather channel. Cloudy and hot today, with some rain in the late afternoon. It would be humid outside, no doubt. It was good they weren't going to the national park today, then.
“Sleep okay?” Jotaro asked when he shut the television off.
“Yeah, just fine.” Jolyne answered, “Where did the fish tank in there go?”
“Ah, reached the end of the life span.” Jotaro said, “Almost six years old, he was well aged.”
“Oh.” Jolyne said, realizing he was talking about the fish and not the tank, “It was a pretty thing. I thought maybe you made room in your office for it again.”
“Male paradise fish are territorial and aggressive, even from his own tank that one didn't like seeing other fish. Couldn't even deal with a mate.” Jotaro said, a few swallows of coffee had soothed his voice some now, “He was happier in the guest room. Jean hated the sound of the tank though, he was happy it was gone the last time he visited.”
Jolyne personally liked the burbling of fish tanks. No doubt the conditioning of having a marine biologist as a father. Growing up, there'd been fish all over the house. Though whether some were for studying or whatever, she didn't know, just that they were a part of her daily scenery.
“Found ya!” Ermes arrived, a cup of coffee already in hand. She flopped on the couch next to Jolyne. The sofa was big enough that there was still a big gap between Ermes and Jotaro. Like the huge king sized bed in the guest room, this house was made up of stuff that accommodated people Jotaro's size. Jolyne and Ermes weren't all that petite, though neither of them kept quite all the muscle they'd gained in prison, so the room was welcome.
“What were you guys talking about?” Ermes asked.
“Apparently the fish tank is gone because the fish died.” Jolyne summed up.
“Oh, how sad.” Ermes said, she turned to Jotaro, “Jolyne and I were talking about missing the atmosphere that the tank brought to the room last night.”
“I can put the empty tank back, if you like.” Jotaro offered.
“No need, Dad.” Jolyne said, knowing he was serious about it. Polnareff and Avdol visited more often, her and Ermes could go without the tank. The mood lighting the tank brought wasn't entirely necessary to enjoying a stay.
“I'm surprised I'm not the last one up.” Ermes mentioned, “Where's Noriaki?”
“I'll check on him when I'm done with my coffee.” Jotaro said.
Jolyne pondered on that non-answer. First Kakyoin was late getting ready yesterday, now he was late getting up today. Anyone else, and Jolyne would think they were just more comfortable with her. But not Kakyoin.
“Did he hurt himself badly yesterday?” Jolyne took the chance to ask, even knowing she'd probably not get a full answer.
“Not badly.” Jotaro said, “Extra pain medicine just makes him groggy.”
“Has he been doing well?” Jolyne asked, “He never gives me a real answer. Just like you don't when I ask you about your health.”
Jotaro took a thoughtful sip of his coffee, “We've both been doing well. Noriaki has been having lots of energy, I think that's why he overdid it yesterday. He was excited about your visit.”
Ermes gave Jolyne a subtle nudge, a ‘I told you so’ from the conversation they'd had when they planned the trip. Jolyne had confessed she wasn't sure if Kakyoin had fully warmed up to her since the early days when she'd been purposely rude to him. Ermes had been confident that Kakyoin did enjoy her company.
“As for me,” Jotaro looked like he had to dig for something to say, “I'll be going in soon for testing to see if I clear for fieldwork with the Speedwagon Foundation again.”
“What? I thought you were retired completely since the GCS case!” Jolyne jumped.
“No, I was just finishing healing.” Jotaro said, “Emergency cases only.” He added.
As if SPW wouldn't find emergencies to use him in. They were addicted to calling Jotaro for help. Certain scenarios, Jolyne understood, like when he went to Morioh. Even though he stayed in Japan while she was sick, looking at the case now, it was obvious Jotaro had needed to be there. But some of the other cases that took him away from his family and caused him injury? They'd just wanted Jotaro Kujo of the Joestar lineage on it for clout. Jotaro never saw it that way like Jolyne did though. He considered the Speedwagon Foundation guys people he owed effort to.
The sound of a door in the hallway broke the silence. It wasn't a day for fighting with her father. Maybe his physical would rule him out for fieldwork in the end. Jolyne would wait.
“Am I late for breakfast?” Kakyoin arrived in the living room using a cane.
“I was just going to get it started.” Jotaro responded.
Like always, the two men gravitated to one another. They shared a hug and a kiss. Jolyne wasn't sure exactly what love was, but she knew she wanted to spend as much time with Ermes as possible, and seeing how her father and his husband seemed to be the same way made her think it had to be love. Of course her and Ermes weren't so fucking sappy about it.
Jotaro sat Kakyoin in his place on the couch, “I'll bring you coffee and start cooking.”
“Thank you.” Kakyoin said.
“Ice?” Jotaro asked.
“Yes.” Kakyoin agreed.
Iced coffee? Jolyne guessed. She'd never seen Kakyoin drink that.
“Good morning.” Kakyoin addressed them.
“Good morning, Noriaki.” Ermes said.
“Morning.” Jolyne echoed.
“Hot this morning.” Kakyoin said.
He was dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, so not whatever he wore to bed. Kakyoin wasn't as open as Jotaro in some ways, though Jolyne knew she was privileged when it came to her father.
“How is your ankle?” Ermes asked.
“Stiff.” Kakyoin answered with a grimace.
Jotaro came with Kakyoin's coffee and the ice. The ice was for his ankle, not his coffee. Jotaro knelt and carefully wrapped the gel ice pack around Kakyoin's ankle. When he adjusted Kakyoin's loose pant leg, Jolyne got a glimpse of purple molted skin.
“I'm afraid I won't be able to go to the museum with you today.” Kakyoin said after Jotaro returned to the kitchen, “I can walk on my ankle, but I don't think being on my feet for hours will do me any good.”
“That's fine. We don't have to go.” Jolyne shrugged.
She stood to go help her dad in the kitchen. And get a refill on her coffee. They had really good coffee, ground the beans themselves and everything. Jolyne always had too much coffee when she visited.
“No, no, go without me. The plans are already made.” Kakyoin insisted.
Jolyne looked over her shoulder at the redhead, “If you can't go, we'll just cancel it.”
“You guys should go.” Kakyoin continued, “I don't want to ruin your day.”
“We're here to visit you guys. If we go someplace without you, it sorta defeats the purpose, Noriaki.” Jolyne snapped, “Spending time with you is the main goal so staying here, going out, it's all the same if we're all together.”
Kakyoin, that bastard, had the audacity to look shocked. Jolyne could plan a trip with her girlfriend any time and they could go places that weren't lame. But Jolyne wanted Ermes to know her father better before their wedding, and her father's husband was a part of Jotaro's life that Jolyne didn't know well enough, either. After all this time coming to this house and going out for meals together, why hadn't Kakyoin noticed her effort to include him? Wasn't he supposed to be clever?
“I see.” Kakyoin said.
“We'll have breakfast and decide what to do instead.” Jolyne said.
“Okay.” Kakyoin nodded.
Seriously, Jolyne didn't understand how the man's head worked. Her father was easy to figure out for the most part in the way she could predict what choices he would make even if she couldn't figure the actual thoughts leading to them, but Kakyoin wasn't nearly as straightforward.
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As the breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast came to an end, the conversation of what they should do together was picked back up.
“We could watch a movie, talk, play cards, anything.” Jolyne suggested.
“Cards? I haven't played cards since being released.” Ermes said, “Even without a Stand that Miraschon bitch was still a cheater, but I could always earn a bit of cash if I played against her in poker.”
Jolyne gave Ermes a smirk, “Yeah, well, we can see if you're duplicating cards with Kiss.”
Ermes laughed.
“Poker's no good with this crowd, anyway.” Kakyoin said, “Jotaro is impossible to win against.”
“Cuz of his dead face, yeah?” Jolyne said, “I think I can read him, still.”
“Stakes aren't high enough.” Jotaro said, “It'll be no fun.”
Jolyne narrowed her eyes, tasting a challenge, but Kakyoin spoke before she could insist.
“No souls on the line and you chicken out?”
Jotaro's eyebrows inched in and his good eye sharpened, “Get the cards, Nori.”
Jolyne didn't really remember what the soul thing was about, it was something to do with the journey to Egypt she was sure, but the details weren't coming to her. That story of saving Grandma Holly was long, and Jolyne's recount had been a little disjointed. She remembered some parts very well, but like her own battles, the scope was exhausting to detail.
In any case, cards turned into several hours of protracted trash talk from all sides. It was fun. Jolyne could not, in the end, read her father. His bluffs were forceful sometimes, slipperier than an eel others. She knew Jotaro was open with her, but obviously he was much more emotive than she realized.
“Read ‘em and weep.” Kakyoin crowed.
He'd said that line at the end of every hand, annoying Jotaro, and everyone else by proxy, but this last time got no rise, either. Jotaro had taken the game far too seriously, almost winning every hand. Jolyne and Ermes had given up trying three hands ago, and Kakyoin was hoping to go out big and end it. He'd even cheated a little with Hierophant Green’s thin, invisible strings and not gotten caught. Jotaro gestured cooly for Kakyoin to reveal his hand.
Kakyoin laid down his cards, “Four of a kind aces.” He proclaimed, the fifth five of clubs a superfluous addition to the four different suits of aces lined up.
Jotaro put down a nine of diamonds and Kakyoin almost started gloating harder, but the next card was a ten of diamonds and he got a bad feeling. A jack, queen, and king followed, all diamonds. A straight flush! Kakyoin had taken the aces so Jotaro couldn't finagle a royal flush, but a straight flush was only one rank below a royal one. And one rank above four of a kind.
“Damnit, you don't have to show off, JoJo!” Kakyoin snapped, “Any straight flush would have won.”
Jotaro gathered the deck with his worn and scarred hands, a clear smirk on his face, “You and Hierophant were so busy, I just couldn't help myself.”
"I knew I should have found someone nice to marry." Kakyoin sighed dramatically and Jotaro's smirk developed into a definite pout, "Unfortunately, I'm too mean- spirited myself to keep anyone nice." He added, “Still, you could have let me win one round. It wouldn't have hurt you any.”
“You had your chances and let Jolyne bluff you into folding.” Jotaro relaxed, happy not to bicker. They didn't have the infinite patience for continuous bickering anymore, even when it was loving.
“I can't decide if my wins were pure luck or pity.” Ermes said as she leaned back on her hands.
Her and Jolyne had moved to the floor early after a string of losses. But Jotaro hadn't been cheating by looking at their cards. Kakyoin was fairly sure Jotaro's luck was Star Platinum memorizing the order of the cards and Jotaro card counting. Jotaro’s composure was Star Platinum’s biggest asset, honestly.
“Ermes and I were swapping cars, and we still couldn't win.” Jolyne grumbled.
“I dealt you junk so swapping never was going to help you.” Kakyoin said, “I thought I did the same with you.” He glared at his husband.
Jotaro gave a warm hum as an answer.
“Winner goes and gets me something to drink.” Kakyoin petulantly declared, knowing Jotaro would agree without hesitation.
“Sure. Anyone else want something?” Jotaro rose from the couch with a small grunt.
“Tea.” Both women demanded.
Jotaro hummed again and ambled to the kitchen.
“Are you guys getting hungry for lunch?” Kakyoin asked, “If you want to stretch your legs, there's a place close by that I can even walk to.”
“Let me go check.” Jolyne said, standing fluidly heading for the foyer.
Kakyoin heard the front door open and then close. Jolyne returned looking wilted.
“Let's just turn on the AC and stay in.” She said, “I can't stand it when it's so humid. Y'all have snacks? I wouldn't mind pigging out on chips and watching a movie.”
“That sounds nice, actually.” Ermes said, “Can't really call this a staycation cuz I don't live here, but I love to be lazy on my days off.”
Jotaro was the same way. Kakyoin gave up the last of his guilt at ruining their plans. The museum could wait for a different visit. Jolyne had made it clear, she wanted to spend time with them.
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Jolyne looked over at her dad and Kakyoin, and bit her tongue instead of commenting like she usually did. Kakyoin had fallen asleep on Jotaro's shoulder, it was so sweet it was sick. Like, totally disgusting. But Kakyoin being comfortable enough to not keep up appearances with her and Ermes visiting wasn't something she wanted to tease him about. Yet. Jolyne hadn't cracked the man, but she could see with each visit the person her father was in love with instead of the impersonal Speedwagon agent she'd been blindsided by at the end of the universe.
Besides, Jotaro had his arm around Kakyoin just like Jolyne had around Ermes and it would be disingenuous to make fun of them for the same thing she was doing. Even though they were too old to be as cute as she and Ermes were.
Jolyne, just a few short years ago, had thought her only family was her mother. She'd hoped, in a twisted way, that she would find a lover and make her own family expand quickly because she deserved the love she thought she had been denied. But she hadn't been looking at herself or the people around her then. Idolizing and demonizing, but people were always in the middle and far more complex than could be imagined. Looking at her stern father and the man he'd chosen, Jotaro’s gaze tender and open, Jolyne was forced to accept that it was impossible to know anyone completely. And in some ways, that made life easier to handle.