Credit to @DoctorBees for the code! :D This is for a contest and to get back at an oomf for getting me into JoJo's. *Rubs hands deviously* WE CRYIN TOGETHER. -- Jotaro wasn't staring at the body that lay in the water tower, the body leaking blood that blended with the water that pooled just below its dangling feet. He wasn't staring at how the body was soaked through, the hole in its chest doing almost nothing to stop the ever flowing water. No, he was looking at his friend who was still alive, right next to him. The two were boasting about Dio's defeat. "It's so weird how after this, I'll go back to my old life..." Kakyoin smiled, looking down at the street below. People were bustling about, trying to clean up the mess that Dio created. All in the sake of k[]ll[]ng the Joestar bl[][]dline. "You're not going back to your old life if you've got someone to call a friend," Jotaro replied, glancing over with a smile of his own. "Or would I be more than a friend after these fifty days we spent together?" Kakyoin playfully pushed Jotaro, sliding his shades back on. "Okay, now you're pushing it, JoJo." "Good grief. Can't take a joke, can you?" . Ever since Jotaro had returned to school, everyone had been staring at him with an odd look written on their faces. Neither he nor Kakyoin understood why. "You think it's because we disappeared from the school for nearly two months just to beat Dio?" The redhead asked, slinging his school bag over his shoulder as he stopped by his classroom. "Probably, but don't worry too much about it." Jotaro replied, giving Kakyoin an awkward side hug - For the redhead's sake, not his own - before walking down the rest of the span of the hallway to his class. He could just hear a few whispers from classmates as they watched him, rumors of him worse off then before he disappeared for Egypt. Where and how he got the scars. Who he was talking to. Why he was doing so. It didn't necessarily bother him, but it most certainly piqued his curiosity. It was probably best not to peer into it, though. "Jotaro," one girl called out as she moved over to his desk - He didn't even remember actually sitting down. "Do you need help catching up? I'm more than happy to-" "No, I got it already." He waved a hand dismissively and looked away, head in hand, before sighing. Back to the girls drooling over him. Back to the same old mundane routine of shutting down emotionally. Back to the bad boy play he always entertained with. He was oddly surprised by how he could still understand the lessons taught, but a part of him had to thank the others for helping him and Kakyoin keep up despite their adventure to Egypt. Speaking of, he'd have to contact Polnareff to catch up on how he was doing. Maybe he'd even let-. He had already gotten to the rooftop and didn't realize it. Kakyoin was there too, already eating his lunch. "If you're not hungry, I'll take it off your plate." The redhead pointed his spoon at Jotaro's unopened bento box, using his free hand to cover his stuffed mouth. He still had proper etiquette, even if around just Jotaro. "No, no. I'm going to eat it, thank you. Nice try, though." He smiled, jabbing the other in the chest with a finger. For some odd reason, he felt cold and clammy. Soaked, too. But he was alive and well. The evidence was right in Jotaro's face. One thought managed to crawl into his head and lingered there: What if Kakyoin was-... No, he wasn't. He was alive. The proof was right there. That was just wrong to think. . By the time Jotaro returned home, he felt so drained of energy, so worn out, so... Done. With everything. He slipped off his shoes before entering the Kujo residence and greeted his mother with a grunt and a nod, then made a beeline to his room. God forbid anyone try to talk to him when he wasn't in the mood. "Jotaro, I made dinner," Holly popped her head into the room before pausing. Jotaro was facing away from her, but was no doubt asleep. It'd probably be best for him to rest, considering the turmoil he went through. "Dinner'll be in the fridge when you wake up, Jobear." She made her way to the phone and began dialing Joseph's number, letting out a long sigh of relief once he picked up. "Holly? Are you alright, sweetheart?? What's going on??" Joseph instantly asked through the phone. "It's Jotaro. Ever since he came back, he's been more and more tired and I don't know why." A finger began nervously twirling the phone line as she leaned against the wall, perfectly manicured nails glinting in the light. "I'm on my way. I'll be bringing an old friend along with, just for the comradery. Don't worry that pretty little head of yours, alright?" He hung up with a slight chuckle, leaving Holly to her thoughts. Ever since Joseph and Polnareff returned, it had been nothing but hell for Jotaro. They wouldn't stop saying Kakyoin was no longer them, they constantly refused Kakyoin's presence whenever he was around, and it was driving Jotaro mad.
(Cont.) It felt like clockwork now, the ravenette's energy draining exponentially the more he fought for Kakyoin, but that all changed through Polnareff. The Frenchman excused Jotaro from his classes for the day and silently began walking once Jotaro had joined his side. They kept walking, walking past the Kujo residence, past the marketplace, past the fields. "Polnareff, where are we going?" Jotaro finally asked, removing his hat for a moment to wipe the beading sweat from his forehead. He also shrugged off his jacket and tied it around his waist, though the end piece had to be looped around so it wouldn't drag on the dirt and gravel. "Jotaro, as much as it pains me to do this, I'm taking you to Kakyoin." He replied with a heavy sigh. "But Kakyoin's in class. Like I was supposed to be. You're not making any sense right now." He glanced back at the blooming trees, pinks and whites filling his vision before he returned his gaze to the winding road ahead. They both silently trudged up the hill that held a few graves at the base before finally reaching the top of the hill. Polnareff walked over to a slab of black marble and ran a hand over the engraved words on it, looking back at Jotaro with a look in his eyes; One that held back tears, trying to desperately keep a stoic face. The ravenette moved closer for a better look before freezing, body painfully tense and alert, breaths now short gasps. 'Kakyoin Noriaki. 1971-1989.' "He's laying here, resting. Unless you're seeing his ghost, then it's just your imagination trying to fool you to be happy. He di[]d in that water tower, drowned in his own bl[][]d if the loss of org[]ns didn't do it in for him." Jotaro wasn't staring at the body that lay in the water tower, the body leaking bl[][]d that blended with the water that pooled just below its dangling feet. He wasn't staring at how the body was soaked through, the hole in its chest doing almost nothing to stop the ever flowing water. No, he was looking at his friend who had died, now right next to him. The two were staring silently at Kakyoin's tombstone. -- Before y'all start complaining, this is a platonic relationship. We did [SURNAME FIRSTNAME] because it fit better in our opinion. We were like "What if Jotaro was so traumatized that someone his age (who later became a great JoBro to him) just. Poof, gone. Because of DIO."
