Chapter Text
“Jojo, this isn’t like you.” Caesar turned to face the other man. “Are you scared?”
“I’ll take Sun Tzu’s advice here: ‘Only fight when victory is ensured.’ I said I won’t go!” Joseph insisted, looking out at the hotel.
He didn’t understand why the others wanted to go for a daylight fight, especially after what happened the previous night. If Kars was that vicious when he could move around at night, then he’d be even more dangerous if he was cornered during the day. They already underestimated the Pillar Men once, Joseph was damned if he let it happen again.
Suddenly, Caesar grabbed his collar and pulled Joseph to face him. “Are you chickening out?!”
“Chickening out?” He wasn’t sure whether to be offended that his friend thought he was a coward or irritated by his stubbornness. He settled for a little of both. “My head is cool. I’m thinking straight. We have to wait for his move!”
“You want a sure victory? Kars is alone. There are four of us! We have the numbers! Now is the time to strike, before Wamuu arrives!”
Behind them, Lisa Lisa and Messina watched their students bicker in concern and confusion.
“Caesar, you’re freaking out!” Joseph removed the other man’s hand from his jacket’s collar. “Take a deep breath. Calm down and think about it. If we walk in there, he’s the one in control.”
Unfortunately for him, Caesar only got angrier at his words. “I’m not panicking! I’m gonna end this! I’ll finish the fight that killed both of our grandfathers! I’ll destroy them!”
“You’ll finish it? Idiot…” Joseph couldn’t help but be riled up too as the tension rose. “What about our dead grandfathers? Who cares? Don’t drag the dead into this, dumbass!”
That seemed to pull Caesar up short. “What was that, Jojo?!” he demanded, his voice strained enough that it almost came out as a hiss.
“Family you’ve never met doesn’t mean shit! Only a complete moron would die for that!” Joseph replied, poking his finger at Caesar as if scolding a child.
His eyes met Caesar’s, and he suddenly gasped and backed up. If there was barely-concealed rage in his previous words, then it was fully present in his eyes. On Air Supplena, even mentioning the Pillar Men brought a glimpse of anger into his eyes, but here, there was more fury that Joseph could have ever predicted Caesar could have. And it was all directed at him.
Their instructors sensed this too, both with matching horrified expressions. “Caesar?” Messina cautiously reached out.
The blonde moved before anyone could stop him. “WATCH YOUR MOUTH, JOJO!” he shouted, his fist connecting with Joseph’s cheek and sending him to the ground.
Joseph tried to sit up, holding his throbbing cheek. “What was that for, you-”
He was cut off by Caesar’s foot suddenly pressing on his face and pushing him down, Joseph forced him off and stood up again, clenching his fist. Blinded by rage, he saw nothing wrong with responding to Caesar’s violence in kind.
“A sucker punch, eh?!”
“Oh, it’s on!”
“Dammit Caesar, what the hell?!”
“Shut the hell up, Jojo!”
Their instructors were stunned with shock as the two exchanged blows, but finally moved into action. Lisa Lisa hurried in front of Caesar, grabbing his shoulders and holding him back. “Caesar, that’s enough!” she ordered, her voice unusually panicked. Joseph knew the other man wouldn’t dare push her off him, but her desperation confused him.
As for Joseph, he was suddenly grabbed from under his arms by Messina, who pulled him away from Caesar. “You too, Jojo!” he scolded.
Joseph was too busy catching his breath to respond. He could feel the bruises on his body and his bloody nose, and he thanked his lucky stars that Caesar had been too pissed to use his Ripple. He stared across the balcony at the blonde, who had similar injuries. He just couldn’t understand why Caesar would go on a suicide mission just because of a family grudge.
When the two of them seemed to cool down a bit, Messina released Joseph, but stayed right behind him. Likewise, Lisa Lisa remained in front of Caesar.
“Have you lost it?!” Joseph demanded, taking a step towards Caesar. Messina put his hand on the Brit’s shoulder in warning, but it went ignored. “You’re acting insane!”
Caesar stared him down with a glare just as deadly. “Jojo, I thought you would understand taking up a battle like this…I was wrong!” he spat.
“Huh?!”
The blonde turned towards the railing and stepped towards them. “I’m going,” he declared.
“Caesar, Jojo is right. It’s too dangerous,” Lisa Lisa objected, her voice adopting its authoritative, cool tone. “We have no idea what’s in that hotel. We’ll wait for Kars to appear.”
Caesar did not move away from the railing.
“That’s an order, Caesar. Protecting the Red Stone is our first objective.”
But even her sternness wouldn’t dissuade him. “Master, I’m sorry. That’s an order I cannot obey,” he declared. “You know this is a blood issue.”
Joseph wiped the blood off his face as he angrily watched the Italian. His entire behaviour was strange, he was even disobeying his beloved teacher. Why did he feel so strongly about his dead relatives when the only lives at stake here were living ones? Joseph couldn’t understand, he didn’t get it at all.
“It’s a Zeppeli problem! I can't leave it unsettled while I know where Kars is! I refuse to sit back and wait for him to come!”
Caesar shouted those last words, and made to jump over the balcony’s railing. What happened next was so fast that Joseph barely had time to blink.
Lisa Lisa moved forward - no, practically glided forward, as if she were a spectre - and threw her scarf around Caesar’s shoulders. Caesar’s eyes widened, as if he already knew what was going to happen next, but the scarf sparked with life energy before he could beg her to stop.
The scarf crackled with electricity, and Caesar’s body went rigid as a scream died on his tongue. She yanked her scarf back towards her, and Caesar was pulled away from the rail, his body limp as he fell backwards. Messina stepped forward and caught his student, whose eyes were unfocused from the shock.
Lisa Lisa turned around, purposefully looking away from her favourite student. “Messina, bring him back inside. We’ll wait for him to recover before we make a plan.”
The instructor nodded, and he picked Caesar up like a ragdoll.
Joseph watched as he was carried back inside the chalet. “Coach, is he alright? What did you do?!” he demanded, looking over at Lisa Lisa.
“I sent the Ripple into his body and numbed all his nerves. He’ll only be paralyzed for about an hour. That should be enough time for him to cool his head,” she answered, adjusting her scarf around her collar again.
Joseph looked back towards the chalet, where his friend had been taken inside. “C-Caesar…why?” he muttered. “What made you so grim all of a sudden?” He turned to look back at the abandoned hotel in the distance. “Why couldn’t you have waited?”
Lisa Lisa turned to face him. “Jojo. you touched on a piece of his hidden past,” she explained. “You didn’t mean it, but your words hit him where he’s the most vulnerable.”
“His hidden past? Wh-What could that be…?”
For the next few minutes. Joseph listened as their teacher retold Caesar’s story. His abandonment, turning to a life of crime, planning to kill his father, and watching as his father died saving him. Little by little, Joseph began to understand why Caesar had reacted so severely during their fight.
“I see…” Joseph’s voice was subdued, his eyes cast downwards. Caesar had barely told him anything about his past during their training together. If he knew his friend had carried wounds that deep…what would he have done? Would he have pointed them out during their fight? The thought of that made something in his stomach twist.
“Caesar’s misunderstanding led to his hatred, which in turn became pride for his father and family. So, Caesar picked up where his father left off,” Lisa Lisa finished.
Joseph closed his eyes. “So it was Kars who killed Caesar’s father. I get it now.”
No wonder Caesar had been so angry. The whole reason he was fighting was because Kars stole his family away. Moreover, his stone mask took Caesar’s grandfather, which made Caesar’s father leave…Kars stole his childhood too. His desperation to kill the Pillar Man made sense now. There was still so much Joseph didn’t know about him.
And in not knowing anything, Joseph hurt his friend. If it weren’t for Lisa Lisa, Caesar would have willingly walked all alone into that deathtrap of a hotel.
The brunette grit his teeth as he looked back in the direction of the chalet once more, as if deciding something. Finally, he made up his mind. “I’ll be inside,” he announced to his coach, who didn’t say anything as he made for the door.
On his way inside, he passed by Messina going back out. The instructor’s face was painting in a scowl, which never meant good things. All he could assume was that he just got out of scolding Caesar. Looks like the tension hadn’t just affected him and Caesar, but Lisa Lisa was probably better at hiding it.
Inside the chalet, the top floor’s communal area was tidy and warm. Of course, Joseph noted that in contrast to the bottom floor, where Stroheim’s impromptu battle with Kars had resulted in several dead bodies, overturned furniture, and a hole in the wall. The upstairs had thankfully not been affected, and the soldiers that were there last night had all left the chalet.
He didn’t have to look for Caesar for long, as he found the blonde laid across a couch in the communal area. His body was still limp and useless, but his eyes darted to Joseph as soon as he entered the room. He narrowed his eyes and glared at him as he came closer. Joseph figured that Caesar was still mad at him. What he couldn’t say with words was more than made up for with his eyes.
“Didn’t expect Messina to put you here. I thought he would’ve put you in your room or something,” Joseph tried breaking the silence with a greeting. Caesar didn't stop glaring as Joseph sat down on the couch beside Caesar’s legs.
Well, it wasn’t like he was going to be able to put this off anyway.
Joseph switched to a serious tone. “Coach Lisa Lisa told me everything,” he began. Caesar’s face briefly displayed his confusion, but the realization of his friend’s words set in quickly. “After Messina took you inside, she explained why you reacted that way.”
He took a deep breath, willing himself to keep looking Caesar in the eye. The urge to look away out of guilt was strong, but he at least owed it to him to try.
“Forgive me, Caesar. I didn’t mean to speak ill of your family. I didn’t know what happened to you back then, or why you’re so dedicated to this mission. Outside of the obvious threat to humanity.”
He dug his fingers into his thigh as his throat seemed to get tighter. Joseph Joestar was never good at apologies. He only ever needed to do it in passing with no weight to it, or when Erina occasionally made him apologize to those he troubled with his temper or antics. But he forced himself to swallow his pride and continue.
“I know that the masks killed our grandfathers, along with countless others, but I didn’t know that you personally had a history with Kars. You probably didn’t tell me because I couldn’t relate to what you’ve been through, is that right? Well, you’re not wrong. But I know how much I’ve hurt you now. I’m sorry. For everything.”
Continuing to look at him finally became too much, and Joseph turned to look out from the couch.
“I don’t know if you heard it from Messina, but Coach is waiting until you recover before we decide on a plan,” he informed. He hesitated for a short moment, but continued, “If you want to go in there to fight, despite it being a trap, then you must’ve found a way to beat Kars. If you’re going in, then I’ll be right behind you.”
Caesar’s eyes shot wide, and he seemed to inspect Joseph for any trace of his words being just a joke. But Joseph had no intention of joking at a time like this.
“Don’t get me wrong, I still have a feeling that Kars has some sort of plan, if he’s letting himself be cornered like this. But I’m not going to let you do this alone. We’re supposed to be a team, aren’t we?”
He finally stood up from the couch and cleared his throat. “I’ll try to convince that woman to make some kind of attack plan. She’ll probably kick my ass for bugging her about it before our planning time, but hey, I’ll take that risk.”
Dammit, he wasn’t used to this. He knew his apologies were shit, and Caesar would probably kill him later. He could only hope that he’d at least wait until they’ve beaten the Pillar Men first.
Before he left, he risked a quick glance at Caesar. His eyes had softened a bit, but still held their general discontent as he looked back at Joseph. His interpretation of that was that Caesar wasn’t outright pissed off anymore, but was still grumpy and had only slightly forgiven him.
For someone who could uncannily predict people’s next lines or their mentalities, Joseph used to not care about how the people around him acted. He was only close to two people, and everyone else was irrelevant if they would only be in his life for a little while. But now, after realizing his mistake about Caesar, he realized that he was slowly getting better at understanding what other people were feeling.
But before his nerves got the best of him, he headed out of the communal area and back to the balcony.
An hour and a half later, Joseph sulked away from the hotel with Caesar and Messina on his heels. “This whole thing is bullshit…” he muttered.
Caesar heard him and shoved his shoulder. “There’s nothing we can do about it,” he retorted. Joseph could tell that Caesar was just as pissed at the arrangement, but perhaps for a different reason. Behind them, he could practically feel how exhausted Messina was from the afternoon’s events.
When Caesar’s paralysis had worn off, the quartet made their way into the abandoned hotel to confront Kars during the day. But not only had Wamuu returned, but Kars had made an army of one hundred vampires - well, ninety-nine after Lisa Lisa dealt with Wired Beck.
Only with a combination of Wamuu wanting to duel Joseph and Lisa Lisa’s bluff about a time bomb did the Ripple users make it out of there alive. But their master had made an arrangement with Kars to set up duels for the Red Stone: Joseph would duel Wamuu at midnight that night, and Caesar would duel Kars after that fight. They were to bring the Red Stone to the Skeleton Heel Stone at the foot of Piz Bernina, and the bargain would be kept. In the meantime, Lisa Lisa would stay with the Pillar Men as insurance.
Flash forward to now, where the men were headed back to the chalet to retrieve the Red Stone and prepare for the night’s battle. “I’m opening some wine when we get there. Either of you boys want some?” Messina offered.
“Instructor, I don’t think we should get drunk before our duels,” Caesar objected.
“I didn’t say you needed to get drunk.”
Caesar sighed and looked down at his feet trudging through the snow. “Sorry. The past few days are just getting to me.”
“Don’t worry. You managed to surpass me on your final exam, I have faith in your abilities,” Messina assured him. “The fight isn’t for a few hours. It won’t hurt to loosen up a bit.”
“Might be the last time we get a drink…” Joseph grumbled, eyes focused straight ahead.
He could feel Caesar’s stare boring a hole in the back of his head. He was probably wondering why his loudmouth friend wasn’t as talkative as he normally was, and Messina was likely doing the same. But Joseph couldn’t bring himself to look back at Caesar at all. Now that the adrenaline of being in the hotel was over, that left him with too much time to think.
Back at the chalet, Caesar had been so close to storming off alone. But inside the hotel, not only were there two Pillar Men inside, but a hundred vampires too. Joseph said all those hurtful things to Caesar, and he had almost stormed off to his inevitable death in the hotel.
It would have been his fault.
Those thoughts kept replaying in his head. Everything hurt, and not because of a fight.
A hand suddenly clapping on his shoulder startled him. “We’re not going into this alone, Jojo. It’s not like we don’t have backup plans,” Caesar assured, pulling himself forward to keep in stride with the other man.
But when he looked at Joseph’s eyes, it was plain to see that the younger man was troubled. Caesar frowned. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Joseph’s throat felt tight, and refused to direct his gaze anywhere else but at the chalet far ahead. “…Until yesterday, I lived only thinking of myself. But there’s a new feeling burning inside me now,” he confessed. “Is this compassion?”
He squeezed his eyes shut as his voice began to hitch. But he refused to cry, not when the lives of everyone he cares for depended on him keeping his energy. He barely noticed that his walking speed had slowed considerably, nor did he notice the falling snow getting caught on his hair and eyelashes.
“Damn it! I just want to wreck those bastards! I’ll do it, I swear!” he cursed.
The hand on his shoulder gently squeezed, and Joseph looked beside him to find Caesar giving him a small smile. He practically did a double-take at the sight. The blonde stopped walking, and it was the pressure of the hand on his shoulder that made Joseph stop as well.
“Jojo…” Caesar began. “I used to think you were just a self-centered child, especially from the moment we first met. But ever since we headed out to the hotel, something’s changed about you.”
“Hm? Like what?”
“Well, you’re still a child, don’t get me wrong. But you seem to have changed somehow. For the better. I didn’t think you were capable of that.” Caesar let out a small chuckle. “I guess you always have ways of trying to prove me wrong, eh, Jojo?”
But unlike Caesar, Joseph’s voice was nearly monotonous. “Maybe it’s because I’m a little more mature now.”
“Mature? What makes you-”
Before Caesar could finish his sentence, Joseph suddenly pulled him into a tight hug, burying his face into his friend’s shoulder. Caesar was confused and startled at the sudden embrace, but he immediately wrapped his arms around the other man in response. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Joseph pushed himself away.
“Sorry. I needed to do that at least once.” Joseph adjusted his winter hat, trying to play it cool and keep his mind in order. “I just…um…” Okay, maybe not as cool as he was expecting. “You were about to walk into there, all alone, and…”
Thankfully, Caesar seemed to see what he was getting at. Joseph thanked whatever intuition gods gave Caesar the same blessing that helped him with his icicle chain plan.
“Let’s not focus on that. I’m here now, aren’t I? And we need a drink and a plan,”
Joseph went quiet, and he tried to resume their walk towards the chalet. Irritated, Caesar grabbed his chin and made Joseph face him.
“Listen, Jojo. Neither of us could’ve predicted what was in the hotel. But we don’t have any time to think about what-ifs when everyone’s lives are in danger,” he sternly reminded. “Master Lisa Lisa’s still in the hotel, and everyone’s going to be waiting for us at nightfall. We can discuss what happened afterwards!”
“How could you say that when I almost killed you?!” Joseph snapped back.
The air went quiet, and Joseph’s eyes widened as he realized what he had said. He quickly pushed Caesar’s hand off his face as a pool of shame burned in him. He knew that feeling well, it was the same feeling he got whenever his actions accidentally hurt his Granny Erina or Speedwagon. He didn’t expect the feeling to arise around Caesar, of all people, but it surely meant something.
“You’re right about you being more mature now.”
Caesar put an arm over Joseph’s shoulder. A seemingly-friendly gesture, but Joseph knew all too well that Caesar was doing that to keep him from trying to run. It wasn’t like they were moving anywhere regardless.
“So, it’s our argument that’s bothering you, then. It’s alright, I forgave you,” he assured. Joseph’s head whipped around with an incredulous expression, and Caesar laughed. “What’s with that face? Sure, you might have given me some sort of lame apology, but that’s not what matters.”
“What…?”
“It’s because it’s you, Jojo. Someone like you barely apologizes to anyone,” he continued. “I’ve only known you for a month, but I know you’re only sincere when it matters most. Those times were pretty rare when we were training. But your actions mean a lot more than your words do.”
Joseph remained silent, even with the lull in the other’s talking. Caesar let out a sigh, carding his fingers through his hair.
“Dio mio, come si dice… I never expected Lisa Lisa to tell you anything about my past. I wanted that part of me to be locked away forever. But you learned it, and then you wanted to apologize and try helping me. How much do I have to explain? We don’t have time for this…”
With some slight exasperation in trying to get his point across, Caesar smiled as he tried to get his messy hair back in order. Releasing Joseph from under his arm, he smoothed out his jacket and adjusted his scarf.
His eyes were full of sincerity as he looked over at the brunette. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you’re not acting like a brat anymore. That’s not like you, Jojo.”
“I guess it’s not,” Joseph lightly laughed, though he couldn’t meet Caesar’s gaze. “Wait, so are you saying that we’re okay now…?”
“Didn’t I already say I forgave you? Stronzo, I’m going to schedule you a hearing appointment when we get back,” Caesar huffed.
He soon let out a yelp as he was nearly tackled into the snow by the other man suddenly hugging him. As Joseph held the other man tightly and buried his face into his chest, with Caesar letting out a loud string of Italian profanities, Messina finally decided to intervene. He grabbed their shoulders and pulled them apart.
“Come on, do you want to catch your deaths before we get to the mountain?” he scolded. There was no anger in his words though, in fact, he seemed relieved that their dispute had been resolved.
Caesar recovered quickly, regaining his confident smirk. “We aren’t going to die. Isn’t that right, Jojo?”
He looked over at Joseph, who grinned back. “You’d better cheer loudly at my match, Caesar!” he playfully demanded.
The men continued their walk to the chalet, but Joseph felt that his steps were lighter than ever before. When they were going into the hotel, his guilt at his mistake was already heavy in his chest, but discovering what lay in wait had made the feeling start eating away at him. But now, it felt like the sense of relief was making him lightheaded.
When he thought about it, the sense of shame he felt earlier was his dread of hurting a loved one. He’d only known Caesar for a month, but the Zeppeli had been right by his side through the highs and lows of their training. He had protected Joseph’s heart in so many ways, right from the beginning. So if anything had happened to Caesar, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to take it.
After a long trek, the trio finally crossed the threshold of the chalet. “Jojo, the Red Stone should be in Lisa Lisa’s suitcase,” Caesar instructed him.
“Got it,” Joseph nodded.
Caesar turned to Messina next. “Do you know where the phone is? I need to make a call, to make some arrangements. Could you come along too? I’ll need your help…”
Joseph didn’t hear anything else of that conversation as he went upstairs, finding Lisa Lisa’s room quickly and opening her suitcase. On top of her clothes was the Red Stone of Aja, which she had retrieved after the events of the previous night.
Joseph laughed as he looked the gem over. “As I thought, there’s no bomb at all. Lisa Lisa, you’re deceptive, even under pressure!” He picked it up and put it in his pants pocket, adjusting it so that the edge of the necklace would jab into his leg and remind him that it’s there.
He looked back into the suitcase, noticing a strangely unlabelled book beside her clothes. Curiosity got the better of him, and opening the book had him face-to-face with a photo of Erina Joestar.
“What the-?! That’s Granny Erina! Why does Lisa Lisa have her photo?!” Joseph exclaimed, beginning to inspect the other photos. “These are from 1889 - fifty years ago! That young man is Speedwagon…Granny Erina’s there…and Straizo is holding a baby!”
He heard footsteps behind him as they entered the room. “What’s all the noise, Jojo?” Caesar questioned.
“I found this in Lisa Lisa’s suitcase.”
Joseph turned around, showing the photo album to him.
“Wha-” Caesar roughly grabbed him by the shoulders. “Don’t go rooting through our master’s belongings, you moron!”
“Cool it, I was just curious. But what’s more important is why she has these photos,” Joseph continued, showing the inside of the album to his friend. “Come to think of it, I really know nothing of Lisa Lisa’s life or her past.”
“Well, she has at least known Signor Speedwagon for a while now. She’s known him a lot longer than she’s known me or the instructors, from what I’ve seen.” Caesar crossed his arms, leaning closer to Joseph to get a better look at photos. “That other man is Straizo, yes? Lisa Lisa told me that he was the Ripple master who succeeded Tonpetty in a Tibetan valley temple.”
“The asshole became a vampire and tried to kill me and Speedwagon…” Joseph grumbled.
“So you’ve told me. But what I don’t get here is why Lisa Lisa knows your grandmother. Or why Straizo has a baby there. Unless…” Caesar went quiet for a moment. “...Never mind, she would kill me if I assume something stupid. At least, she’d do it after she kills you for snooping through her luggage.”
Joseph closed the album and put it under his arm. “I’ll ask her about it before my duel with Wamuu. Maybe she’ll give me some sort of straight answer before I have to fight.”
“Right, that’s coming up. Are you nervous?” Caesar asked.
Joseph shrugged. “Maybe a bit, or maybe I’m just excited. What about you?”
Caesar’s eyes seemed to burn with the intensity of the sun itself. “I’ve never been more ready for anything else in my life.”
“Well, I know you’re gonna kick ass. Kars is easier to fight than Wamuu, and you beat me at least half the time in our sparring matches,” Joseph laughed. “He stands no chance against you, Caesarino.”
“Don’t call me that,” Caesar scolded with a breathy chuckle. He reached up to his head and undid his headband, taking a step towards the other man. “Hold still.”
“Hey, wait a sec!” Joseph questioned, trying to take a step back. But behind his leg was the edge of the bed, keeping him in place. “The hell are you doing?
Undeterred, Caesar stepped up to Joseph and wrapped his headband around the other’s forehead. “Per buona fortuna. You’re going to need it.”
“Buona for… ‘For good luck’? Is that what you said?” Joseph asked, and quickly got a nod from Caesar. He began to smile proudly at remembering one of the bits of Italian he picked up. “Don’t worry, we can do this. We’ll finish what our grandfathers started, both of us.”
As soon as those words were out of his mouth, Joseph could practically feel the ecstasy radiating from Caesar. He was smiling brighter than anything he’d ever seen before, as if he didn’t know whether to double over laughing or kiss Joseph. But it was a good sign, in Joseph’s own opinion.
Regardless of their exchanges earlier, he had the feeling that they had finally reconciled. Now, all that was left to worry about were the duels tonight.
As the roar of the vampires echoed off the arena, Joseph stood in a salute as he watched Wamuu’s head merge into the wind. Caesar’s headband was gone, burned in a final attack that finished off the proud warrior.
With the first duel over, Lisa Lisa and Caesar had come out from watching from the sidelines. Messina hadn’t come to the mountain arena, opting to stay at the chalet for a reason he wouldn’t explain. Joseph assumed he was going to be making sure civilians stayed out of this mess.
“Jojo! Are you okay?!” Caesar exclaimed, running to Joseph's side. His adrenaline high was starting to disappear, but he tried to look awake for Caesar’s sake. They weren’t out of danger yet.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Joseph assured him. “Sorry for burning your headband. I’ll get you a new one.”
“Don’t worry about it, I have more. What matters is that wedding ring around your heart. Is it gone now?”
He nodded. “It is.”
He reached out and grabbed Caesar’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze. He needed something to bring him back to reality after that long battle against Wamuu. Everything hurt like hell, and he was sure that he had some kind of internal damage by now, but he could finally take a break now.
His body, that is, not his mind. Caesar’s duel was next.
Lisa Lisa clicked her tongue as she overheard a trio of vampires badmouthing the deceased wind warrior. “Your underlings are so disrespectful, it makes me want to puke,” she told Kars, looking up at the platform where she, him, and Caesar had sat to watch the battle.
But Kars wasn’t there. The Ripple warriors heard the sound of a blade unsheathing, and the three vampires were skewered on a Light Blade. Kars drained them of their nutrients and threw their bodies off his blade.
“Now only I remain,” the Pillar Man coldly declared. In a single motion, he removed the turban to reveal his horns and purple hair. “But I alone will stand at the top!”
The remaining vampires began to get riled up. “Look at Master Kars!” one shouted. “Master Kars is…!”
“He’s ready to fight!” another yelled.
A small group of vampires reverently gathered around the Pillar Man, chattering excitedly and waiting for an order to attack.
“But Master Kars, there’s no reason to fight one-on-one!”
“Who needs rules? Let us take them!”
“We’ll turn them into sprays of blood!”
Joseph and Caesar went back-to-back to defend themselves, and Lisa Lisa effortlessly struck down two vampires that dared to lunge at her. “I told you!” she called out, taking the red stone from her coat and holding it up to show the group. The vampires quickly backed off at the sight of it. “It’s Caesar against Kars, one-on-one. But if you don’t like those terms, I’ll just smash it!”
“I’m a man of my word,” Kars assured, his expression cold and unflinching. “One-on-one. My promise still stands. That’s why I revealed my horn to you.” He turned away from the Ripple users. “As for my underlings’ behaviour, they’re already dead, as you can see.”
The humans’ gazes drifted to the group of vampires, where their bisected torsos were slipping from their other halves before the bloodsuckers even knew what was happening. Joseph grimaced as they splattered on the ground, it wasn’t a pretty sight at all.
“All I want is that Red Stone,” Kars continued, “however, Wamuu and Esidisi were my comrades for ten thousand years. I must honour both their deaths and their pride. I will fight you Ripple warriors fairly…and finish this with my own hands.”
Joseph’s anxiety began to grow at his words, or perhaps his body was finally starting to protest his wounds - either way, he forced himself to stay still and not start shaking. He had fought Kars when they first arrived in Switzerland, and what he lacked in power, he made up for in cunning.
“Caesar, was it? You were the one that first tried to fight us. I wonder if your skill will be enough to entertain me now.” Kars darkly chuckled, and Joseph could feel Caesar bristle beside him. He put his hand on his friend’s arm and opened his mouth to calm him when Kars called to them again. “Come! We will fight at the temple ruins over there.”
Kars began walking towards the exit of the arena, and after a brief glance at each other, the Ripple users began to follow him. The posse of vampires noticed this change and began to travel as well. None of the humans knew where Kars was taking them, but they stayed on their guard as they kept walking.
Lisa Lisa stepped up to Joseph's other side. “Hold still,” she ordered, placing a hand on his arm. Almost immediately, he felt her Ripple course through his body, soothing his body and knitting together his injured skin and organs. Just from feeling it, he could easily guess that her Ripple was thrice as strong as his own.
Joseph turned to Caesar to kill the silence. “Hey, did anything happen up on that platform while I was fighting Wamuu?”
“Not much. Lisa Lisa and Kars kept commentating, and I was trying not to worry over you.” Caesar frowned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a vial. “When Wamuu unleashed his Divine Sandstorm, Kars offered us poison to take so we wouldn’t have to fight him.”
“Wha?! You better not think about taking it!”
“I’m not! But I thought this could come in handy for later,” he explained, pocketing the vial once more. Joseph didn’t know what he was planning with it, but hoped that it wasn’t anything bad.
After ten minutes of walking, his body had finished healing as the group finally arrived at their destination. In front of them was a structure that looked like support beams being held together by only each other, like an arranged house of toothpicks. The ledges of stone in the dark night looked like an execution ground, like Montfaucon’s gibbet. Joseph winced at the connection made in his brain, he really didn’t need his history lessons coming back to bite him right now.
“Here we are, the temple at Piz Bernina,” Kars suddenly announced, and he climbed up to the top of one of the platforms in a few jumps. “Champions once came here to drink the blood of the fallen mixed with liquor. They thanked the gods for the joy of life.”
“Do we really need a history lesson right now?” Joseph muttered, but was elbowed by Caesar to shut him up.
Kars looked down at the humans from the temple. “It’s not an arena, but it will add to our fight,” he added. He opened his arms, inviting them to come up.
Lisa Lisa nodded at Caesar. “It’s time.”
“Right,” he nodded, his eyes darkening. A deadly fire was ignited within his soul, a dark determination buried deep beneath his strict discipline.
Joseph’s heart began to race as Caesar jumped up the structure to meet Kars. This was a fight that Caesar wasn’t going to hold back on, and not just because Kars was an enemy of humanity. Whether directly or indirectly, the leader of the Pillar Men had ruined his life.
Joseph watched as the blonde jumped onto the platform, right behind a pile of weapons. Kars pointed to the pile in front of him. “I will use my Light Mode. I would offend Wamuu if I didn’t offer you a weapon. Take your pick.”
Caesar swept the pile of weapons off the platform with his foot. “Kars! I’m going to wipe you clean off this earth!” he shouted. “I’ll do it, on my honour as a Zeppeli!”
“A ‘Zeppeli’? I’m afraid I don’t know what that is,” Kars dismissed, only enraging the young man more. He unsheathed the Light Blades from his arms and raised them with a small smile. “Now, let us fight.”
As bubbles began to foam up from Caesar’s gloves, Kars drew his body closer to himself and got into a relaxed fighting stance. On the ground, Lisa Lisa had a rare expression of worry on her face. “I don’t see any aggression from Kars’s stance. How can he fight without aggression?” she murmured.
“Caesar’s gonna kick his ass anyway…” Joseph assured, mostly to himself. He knew Caesar was strong, he just hoped it would be enough to bring Kars down.
Caesar fired a barrage of bubbles at the Pillar Man, only for the latter to twist his body at an unnatural angle to dodge the deadly stream. The Bubble Launcher surged past him and crashed into a stone pillar a couple meters away, destroying that part of the structure.
“Too slow!” Kars declared as his body started emitting light.
Caesar squinted his eyes as he was temporarily blinded, preparing for an attack while his vision was obscured. But no attack came, and when the light disappeared, Kars was gone.
“Wha-” Joseph tried tilting his head or standing on his toes to get a better look, but he couldn’t see Kars. “Where did he go?!”
“He used light to become invisible in the hotel. Maybe he used that,” Lisa Lisa hypothesized. “Or he could’ve used the light for cover to hide for a sneak attack.”
Caesar looked around frantically at first, but then schooled himself back into a focused state. He relaxed his body, adopting a battle stance and preparing to fight. The area was quiet, save for the low chattering of the vampires on the ground. The air was tense as everyone waited for Kars to reappear.
And reappear he did, slowly slipping out of a crack in one of the stone pillars. He suddenly leapt out at Caesar with his Light Blades extended, only for Caesar to suddenly jump out of reach. “What?!” Kars shouted as his attack missed the blonde.
“Non provare a fottermi! You think I didn’t expect this?! All my nerves are honed to a razor edge, I can even feel subtle changes in the air!” Caesar exclaimed, a crazed smile growing on his face. “This is the same feeling I felt in the slums! When you killed my father!”
Caesar landed back on the stone platform, and Kars growled as he prepared to charge the Ripple warrior again.
“I made an upgrade to my grandfather’s Ripple Cutter! Take this! Bubble Cutter Gliding!” Caesar sent a handful of bubbles at Kars, but these ones started narrowing into razor-sharp discs from the rotation.
This time, Kars dodged the minimal number of bubbles, and attempted to resume his charge at Caesar. But unbeknownst to the Pillar Man, the bubble discs had stopped moving near the other side of the platform they were sent to, and they reversed their course like a boomerang. Before Kars could reach Caesar, the discs burst through his chest, leaving powerful Ripple burns as Kars began to let out animalistic shrieks.
“Didn’t expect that, did you?! My Bubble Cutter Gliding’s movements are completely controlled by my Ripple!” Caesar’s arm became encased in Ripple energy as he ran towards Kars. “È la fine!”
Before Kars could get up, Caesar slashed at his foe with his Ripple-infused arm, leaving a burning wound that shone with a bright light in Kars’s chest. There was a scream, and the leader of the Pillar Men suddenly fell down, half-hanging off the platform. His body gave a few shudders, and then went completely still.
Caesar stared down at his fallen foe, still on his guard as he stared with wide eyes. His smile faded, and his expression clearly showed that he didn’t believe what was happening. “È questa la mia…vittoria?” he breathed, his voice light as if he were lost in a dream.
On the ground, chaos began to erupt. The vampires let out an uproarious cry of rage and horror, some of them calling for Caesar’s head while some expressed their dismay that Kars had died. But the Ripple users couldn’t be more ecstatic, showing it in their own ways.
“Yeah! He did it!” Joseph shouted, pumping his fist in the air. “Way to go, Caesarino!”
“I knew that boy was something special,” Lisa Lisa mused, a rare smile playing on her lips.
The vampires were starting to get rowdy among themselves, arguing over who would be the leader now that Kars was dead. But Joseph couldn’t care less about them right now; they would be taken care of when the sun came up soon. What mattered most was that they defeated the Pillar Men, the Red Stone was safe, and save for Caesar’s friend and Loggins, everyone made it out of this situation alive.
“Wait a minute…” Their teacher’s smile fell as she removed her sunglasses. “What’s that behind him…?”
“Huh?” Joseph looked back up at the temple ruins, where he suddenly noticed what she saw. His eyes widened as his blood ran cold.
A shadow was creeping up behind the distracted Caesar.
“CAESAR, LOOK OUT!”
Caesar immediately straightened up, looking around in confusion. “What?! Where are you- Kh!”
His strangled gasp of pain silenced those on the ground, human and vampire alike. Joseph could barely believe his eyes, he couldn’t understand what was going on.
Standing right behind Caesar was Kars. And sticking through Caesar’s chest was one of Kars’s Light Blades.
The “Kars” at Caesar’s feet began to dissolve as the burn of the Ripple continued to spread through its injuries. As its features began to melt off, its purple wig suddenly fell to the ground below the stone pillar structure. It let out a high-pitched shriek as it called out for its master.
Joseph stared up at the sight with wide eyes. “Kars is behind him. Then,” he looked to their feet, where the melting body finally dissolved into nothing, “who was b-below him?”
“Kars wasn’t the one fighting. It was a double,” Lisa Lisa deduced. Her grip on her sunglasses tightened, and Joseph could hear the bridge of the frame snapping in her hand.
Above them, they saw Caesar look down at his chest. “W-What the…?” he muttered, now in a different state of shock than a minute ago.
“What the hell is going on?!” Joseph cried out, taking a step closer to his teacher.
“So that’s why I felt no aggression from him. He never intended to fight Caesar himself.” Lisa Lisa stepped forward and shouted up to the top of the structure, “Kars! This wasn’t part of our agreement!”
Kars looked down at the humans as he pulled his Light Blade from Caesar’s chest. Caesar fell to one knee, grabbing at the stab wound in his chest as the reality of the situation sank in. As they heard Caesar cough and splutter as he tried to breathe properly, Kars turned to them with a Cheshire smile.
“How utterly stupid. Why would I fight one-on-one? All I want is the Red Stone,” he sneered at them. “My goal is to be the ultimate life form. I am not a warrior like Wamuu, nor am I a romantic.”
Kars turned back to Caesar and took a step towards the young man. “No matter the method, in the end…” He raised his Light Blade yet again. “…victory is all that matters!”
As he slashed downwards with his blade, Caesar suddenly turned around and met him in an upward strike with his Ripple-encased arm. Small Ripple-infused bubbles foamed up from his gloves, and he took a swing at Kars as he forced himself to his feet. Kars easily dodged his strike, but small bubbles that fell from his glove landed on Kars’s arm and caused small burns.
Kars hissed in annoyance and began slashing at Caesar, trying to put a quick end to their fight. Despite the stab wound through his chest, Caesar resiliently blocked every blow, though he had difficulty trying to find an opening to strike. But even from a distance, Joseph could see that the strength of Caesar’s Ripple was starting to leave cracks in Kars’s Light Blades.
Finally, Kars faked a slash at his stomach, and while Caesar’s arms had moved down to block the blade, the Pillar man used the blade on his other arm to stab Caesar through the shoulder. Joseph felt his throat tighten as he heard Caesar’s cry of pain, and almost forgot how to breathe as Kars roughly threw him off the blade and on his back.
The blonde let out a few more coughs as he tried to force himself back up, making it onto his side. His entire body trembled from pain and shock. Joseph had no idea how Caesar could still be trying to get up and fight, even in his condition.
Having dealt with Caesar, Kars turned back to the audience spectating him. “Now, all that’s left is for all of you to kill the woman and that annoying Jojo!” he raised his voice, addressing the vampires. “Then the Red Stone will be mine!”
“Jojo! Lisa Lisa! You have to run!” Caesar screamed. “Forget about me! Protect the Red Stone!”
Joseph grit his teeth as he looked around. He and Lisa Lisa were completely surrounded by vampires, there was no way they could escape at this point. They’d have to fight their way out, or at least hold out until the sun finally rose.
“Caesar! Don’t you dare try to move!” Lisa Lisa yelled back, and she removed the white skirt and jacket covering up her battle clothes as she channelled her Ripple.
Joseph looked back at his teacher. “Lisa Lisa! You have to break the Stone- Gyah!”
He was suddenly cut off when a vampire lunged at him, which he quickly punched away with a Ripple-infused blow. But while the vampires he hit were knocked back, his Ripple wasn’t hurting him like it was supposed to.
On the other hand, Lisa Lisa used her scarf alongside her Overdrives to eliminate her foes at an alarming speed. She was doing a whole lot better than Joseph was, but they were still heavily outnumbered. Lisa Lisa was defending herself to keep the stone safe, but Joseph’s goal was to get to Caesar, get him down, and run like hell.
All the while, Kars watched the madness unfold from above. “Jojo, you look worn out. Your breathing is ragged and your Ripple is weak,” he taunted. He looked over at his mentor next. “Lisa Lisa, you’re the only threat here. But even if you trained Joseph and Caesar, there’s only so much that one woman can do.”
He licked his lips as he watched the vampires slowly close in around the Ripple users.
“Will you last, I wonder…?”
Joseph looked around at the vampires leering at them and preparing to attack. Then he looked back up at the temple ruins, where Caesar was helplessly watching. He knew that Caesar would’ve tried to attack Kars again by now if it weren’t for Lisa Lisa’s order. He already tried to disobey her once in the afternoon, and he was punished for it. He wouldn’t try it again.
Joseph saw movement at the corner of his vision, and he turned to see a vampire jumping at him, arms outstretched. Suddenly, a purple light shone from behind Joseph, illuminating the vampire and dissolving it into ashes. The other vampires tried backing away before they got dissolved as well. Joseph gasped as he looked behind him, getting Lisa Lisa’s attention.
Standing in rank formation was a gathering of armies with ultraviolet lights attached to their shoulders, and in front of the armies were Messina and Stroheim. Joseph also spotted Speedwagon and Smokey standing off to the side, safely not taking part in the fight.
“What in the world?!” Joseph exclaimed, a relieved smile coming to his face.
“Listen up, vampires! You’re up against Stroheim and the German elite!” the man - could he even be called that anymore? - declared, standing proudly as he gestured to his army.
“And these are the Speedwagon Foundation Special Forces!” Speedwagon added. He kept an arm around Smokey to reassure the young man, who could only smile nervously in the situation.
“You’re right on time,” Lisa Lisa praised, turning to her servant. “Tell me, was this your plan?”
“Not mine, it was Caesar’s,” Messina admitted. “He used his connections to Stroheim and Speedwagon to arrange their armies to come as backup, and he told me to stay behind so I could guide everyone to where you were supposed to meet for the duel.”
Joseph blinked in surprise and looked back up at the temple ruins. Caesar wore a tired smile while Kars looked less than pleased at this new development, to say the least. Clearly, his little Caesar was more cunning than he thought - and in more danger than he could imagine.
“Sorry for being late. This guy-” Messina pointed at Stroheim, “-took forever, that prideful bastard!”
“Hey, I just got back from having my body repaired!” Stroheim protested. “We had to arrange the miniaturized UV lamps to fit with the rest of our gear too!”
“Even though my foundation was the one to manufacture them…” Speedwagon chuckled from the sidelines.
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore!” Stroheim took off his coat to reveal UV cannons attached to his back. “Now taste our anti-vampire weaponry!”
The armies began their charge with a battle cry, and humans and vampires were facing off across the barren battlefield. Messina used his Ripple rather than the UV lights, and led the charge against the bloodsuckers.
Above them, Kars watched the mayhem play out. “Crafty little creatures,” he muttered. But as he kept looking, he suddenly noticed something strange. “Where are Jojo and Lisa Lisa? They’re gone!”
The sound of a light scrape against stone behind him gave him his answer. Kars turned around with an amused chuckle as Caesar quietly gasped.
“You’re as quick as ever,” he mused. “I take my eyes off that Jojo for a moment, and he’s already come up with a new scheme. I only wonder why the woman with the Red Stone would come right to me though.”
Joseph stepped ahead of Lisa Lisa, glaring at Kars. “You crossed a line you shouldn’t have crossed,” he accused, pointing at the other man. “You said you’d fight fairly, but you cheated Caesar!”
“You can save your indignation, scum,” Kars scoffed. “The end justifies the means. All that matters is the red stone. You have to save effort, minimize danger, avoid risks, and move your pawns carefully. That is a real battle.”
Joseph’s anger flared at his words. “You little-!”
“He’s right, Jojo,” Lisa Lisa interrupted, putting a hand on Joseph’s shoulder to stop him from lunging forwards. “I should’ve seen this coming. I was only expecting that he’d have even an inch of the honour that Wamuu had.”
Joseph wanted nothing more than to wrench himself free from her grip and attack Kars with all his strength, but he knew that she wouldn’t let something like that happen. Not to mention that Kars was right earlier, he was almost completely out of energy.
Kars clicked his tongue when she mentioned his fallen comrade’s name. “I already told you, I am neither a warrior nor a romanticist. I have always been the master of the game, maneuvring my pieces across the board.” He began smiling wickedly as he took a step backwards. And now, I’ll maneuvre you into my hands and to your death!”
Before anyone could react, Kars turned around and grabbed Caesar’s legs, pulling his feet up to his level as Caesar let out a yelp. “This man’s wounds would be grave for anyone else, but he has the strongest endurance I’ve seen in any human. However, I intentionally injured him without killing him. Do you know why?” Kars asked, paying no mind to the man struggling in his hold. “Because he’s another one of my pawns…the pawn I’ll use to defeat you.”
Suddenly, Caesar kicked one of his legs free, aiming for Kars’s head as he infused his foot with his Ripple. Kars barely got out of the way of the strike, and he stomped on the blonde’s stomach in retaliation, knocking the breath out of him. As Caesar was overtaken by another round of coughing, Kars pressed the man’s ankles together and held them in one hand.
“It’s a pity. If Wamuu had lived long enough to join me in being an ultimate life form, I could’ve let him keep this Ripple user as a pet for his skill,” Kars laughed. Joseph grit his teeth, trying to bear his taunts as Lisa Lisa kept a firm hold on him. “Unfortunately, Wamuu is dead, and this one made that plan to bring those annoying humans with lights along. I wouldn’t let that go.”
“Tch… Vaffanculo…” Caesar hissed through his teeth, glaring up at the Pillar Man.
Without further ado, Kars unsheathed one of his light blades and stabbed Caesar through his feet. Joseph gasped and Lisa Lisa narrowed her eyes, with her tight grip on Joseph’s shoulder now bordered on painful. Caesar let out a strangled shriek from the pain while Kars took out some rope stashed away in the crack of a stone pillar, threading it through the holes in the blonde’s feet. He pulled the rope tight and tied it, and Joseph could hear hissed Italian profanities under Caesar’s breath.
“I’ve sewn his feet together with this rope! Why am I doing this?” Kars taunted, throwing the other end of the rope over a stone beam above them. Joseph and Lisa Lisa stared at him in confusion and anger, but not understanding his actions. “Here’s why!”
As Kars shouted his words, he kicked Caesar in the side, sending him falling from the stone structure. “Caesar!” Joseph cried, forcing Lisa Lisa’s hand off him and was about to rush forward.
“Jojo, the rope!” Lisa Lisa ordered, stopping him in his tracks. “The rope on the other side, you need to grab it!”
“He’d be a bad pawn if he falls to his death!” Kars cheekily added.
Joseph immediately reversed his course, and he ran to the rapidly-decreasing length of rope on the other side of the stone beam. Grasping it with both hands, the rope went taut as he held it tightly. Caesar’s weight made holding on a difficult task, but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t carried the man before. Right now, he was the only thing keeping his friend from falling onto the jagged crystals on the ground.
Kars let out a low chuckle. “Now you’re glued to that spot, Jojo. I can just walk up to you and slice you down while you can’t move.”
“Except you won’t.”
Lisa Lisa stepped in front of Joseph, tossing her scarf over her shoulder as it crackled with Ripple energy. Caesar looked up - or rather, he looked down, seeing as he was stuck upside-down - and tJoseph could see his look of horror at this predicament. Besides the obvious blow to his pride, his training partner and mentor were putting themselves in danger to save him. Joseph knew that wasn’t a good feeling to be stuck with in his position.
“It was only because Caesar wanted his revenge that I agreed that he’d fight you himself,” Lisa Lisa explained. “But it seems I have no choice. The one to challenge you will be me.”
Joseph grit his teeth and looked at his feet. Caesar was in trouble, he was stuck to the spot to save said friend, and Messina was fighting on the ground, leaving Lisa Lisa as the only one who could fight Kars.
Kars unsheathed his Light Blades again, quickly licking one of the edges. “Fine then. I’ll give you that one-on-one duel you wanted so badly!”
Joseph watched as Kars and Lisa Lisa charged at each other, blades and Ripple fully unsheathed. He could read between the lines of her words, as well as her movements: she was keeping herself placed between Kars and her students, as well as keeping a space open to retreat with the stone as a last resort. He wasn’t sure if she was trusting him to come up with a plan now, but he committed himself to do so regardless.
From the ground, he could hear people shouting towards the temple ruins. Based on the voices, he guessed they belonged to Speedwagon, Smokey, Stroheim, or all of the above. Unfortunately, they were too far away for him to make out what they were saying, which meant that Joseph couldn’t call for help. But even if he could, what could they do? Besides, Kars might hear and interfere.
Joseph could feel the rope’s rough fibres roughly rubbing the skin of his fingers, he was thankful that his gloves protected his palms from rope burn. But he still had to hold on to the other side of Caesar’s rope, and find a way to save both of them while Lisa Lisa fought Kars.
A sudden movement on the other side of the platform caught his attention, and he saw an odd liquid climbing up Caesar’s end of the rope. “Wha…?” he murmured, and stepped closer to inspect it.
The pink liquid smelled both sweet and bitter at the same time, and he could feel it teeming with powerful Ripple energy. He looked closer, and saw that there were small bits of red swirling among the pink colour, and the sweet-bitter smell had a metallic tinge up close. Joseph realized that the liquid must’ve been originally white, but had become coloured by blood.
He looked down the rope, where he saw a shiny blood-red trail leading up to the liquid. On the other end, Caesar held open a small vial as he gasped for breath.
“What the hell are you doing, idiot?! She told you not to move!” he hissed, and took a quick glance at the nearby battle to ensure Kars hadn’t heard.
“You’re up to something, I can tell…but you have no Ripple left…” Caesar panted out. “I…I infused the poison with my energy…and used a repelling Ripple to send it up the rope…”
“Caesar, you lunatic! Don’t you know what that’ll do to you?!”
“It’s in the poison… Jojo, take it from me…” As the vial slipped from Caesar’s hand, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. “I know you can…come up with…something…”
Joseph’s heart raced from worry, seeing how weak his training partner had become. Being upside-down, out of breath, and losing blood was taking its toll on Caesar, he had to act fast. “Don’t worry, Caesar. This Jojo always has a plan!” he assured, and he reached out for the poison.
The second his fingers touched the liquid, he felt powerful Ripple energy flow into his body. It wasn’t nearly enough to replenish what he had lost, but it was enough to keep him fighting for just a while longer. Once the energy had completely assimilated itself into Joseph’s body, the creeping liquid lost its form and washed back down the rope. Thankfully, the poison missed Caesar’s body and fell onto the crystals below.
“Grazie, Caesar. I feel stronger already,” he muttered to himself. “And you’ve coated about half of the rope in liquid as well - it’s a perfect Ripple conductor. I can work with this…”
Joseph looked further down the platform, where his mentor was fighting. As Lisa Lisa dodged a slice of Kars’s blades, practically gliding to the side, her scarf raised itself with her Ripple energy and served as a shield. The edge of the blade bounced off the Ripple-infused scarf, but this didn't deter Kars. He was a lot more competent than the doppelganger Caesar fought, and he jumped back as she slashed at him with her hardened scarf.
What mattered most was that Kars was distracted. Joseph looked behind him and saw the excess of rope on his side, and a plan came to mind. This rope was as dry as sawdust, so he just needed to move the liquid coating the surface of the rope to use it. Taking a page from Caesar’s book, Joseph sent the Ripple through the rope to repel the liquid up the rope, over the stone beam above them, and down towards the excess rope.
He looked back at the fight, thankful that neither of them saw what he did. But now he needed more time, as well as Kars to be reminded of his presence. It was the only way that he could lure Kars into a trap. But how…?
Joseph watched them fight, and he noticed slight cracks on his Light Blades. His eyes lit up when he saw them.
“Lisa Lisa! Caesar damaged his blades earlier with his Ripple! That’s his weak point!” he called over.
He couldn’t see her face, but she made no acknowledgement of his observation. Either she already knew and was annoyed, or she was keeping her cool and saving that advice for later. He had no way of knowing with that woman.
On the other hand, Kars wasn’t pleased at his weakness being called out. “Once I dispose of her, you’re next, Jojo!” he shouted. He quickly returned his attention to the Ripple master in front of him, who was starting to speed up her movements. Joseph remembered her telling him and Caesar that some Ripple users were fast enough to leave afterimages, but damn.
With no time to waste, Joseph began arranging the excess rope in the way he wanted around him. To the untrained eye, it looked like a simple mess, but what was the most deadly part was the middle, which had hardly any rope in anyone’s way. Once his trap was set, along with a plan in mind for another ‘preparation’, all he could do was wait.
He looked back at the fight as he forced himself to calm down. What Kars lacked in Ripple, he made up for in physical strength. He and Lisa Lisa were pushing each other back periodically, but Kars was starting to gain an advantage. Joseph knew that Kars’s fighting ability was nothing like Wamuu’s, but Lisa Lisa herself had described him as the most intelligent of the Pillar Men. There was no doubt in Joseph’s mind that Kars was coming up with a battle tactic to turn the tables.
His guess turned out to be right. Kars attacked her with both light blades, and when she used her hands to block them, he twisted his leg around his body and kicked her hard enough to send her flying past Joseph and into the stone pillar behind him. Joseph couldn’t help but be reminded of how Santana had kicked him into the ceiling and nearly knocked him out; he hoped that Lisa Lisa would recover quickly.
But in the meantime, Kars now had Joseph in his sights. “Now that she’s out of the way, I’d better deal with you first,” he decided, and began walking in the Joestar’s direction. “It’s better to kill you before you try anything, and killing you will kill Caesar too. Two birds with one stone.”
Joseph’s expression showed nervousness, but his eyes carefully watched as Kars began stepping around the masses of rope - through the centre, right where he wanted him. The reason why there were gaps in the middle of the rope was because there were two loops of rope surrounding the space: one with the rope’s surface covered in liquid and the other with its surface dry. And those loops were right beside Caesar’s rope, which led to the next step of his plan.
Kars slashed at Joseph a couple times, but he dodged by swinging on the rope. Eventually, Kars became irritated and put his Light Blade against Caesar’s rope. “Listen. I can cut Caesar’s rope whenever I please. And if you dodge again, I will!” he snapped.
Joseph sharply inhaled as he looked at the blade, and he spared a glance at Caesar below. The blonde had fallen unconscious by now and was unaware of his life being in danger. But Joseph had made sure that Caesar would be safe, no matter what outcome occurred.
“Is that alright? Should I cut the rope?” Kars taunted Joseph by pressing his blade further into the rope. “You want me to do it? You don’t, do you?”
“DON’T!” Joseph suddenly shouted.
The Pillar Man smiled. “You ran before. Now come to me, slowly.”
Suddenly, Joseph heard footsteps behind him. Lisa Lisa had recovered and gotten to her feet again, and she walked towards Kars. “Don’t think we’ve finished yet,” she told him, stepping in front of her student. She briefly looked back at Joseph, who gave her a quick nod. He hoped she understood that he had a plan, but he needed more time. His mentor was scarily intuitive like that.
Kars took a few steps back as she approached him, her scarf crackling with energy.“Are you really in a position to say that? Caesar was one of your students too, right?” he reminded, but still stayed within a meter’s distance from Caesar’s rope. “Perhaps I could be convinced to let him go, should you give up the Red Stone.”
Neither of them noticed that Joseph had quietly crept up behind Lisa Lisa, using her imminent attack and challenge as cover to approach the other rope.
“Are you saying that because you’re too cowardly to fight me yourself? I thought you only saw me as a mere woman before,” Lisa Lisa questioned.
Kars glared at her. “The end always justifies the means. I only agreed to let Wamuu duel Jojo because of that time bomb. Our deal was off once that matter was settled.”
“There was no time bomb.”
While they talked, Joseph quickly tied the end of the excess rope on his side to a lower part of Caesar’s rope. Since Caesar nearly weighed the same as he did, there was no way he’d be able to hold onto the rope with just one hand. For the first time in a long time, Joseph was thankful that he had learned how to grab and manipulate things with his feet - and right now, he was grateful that Wamuu removed one of his boots so he could use his feet.
Kars’s eyes went wide with shock, but narrowed as he recomposed himself. “I suspected as much, but I didn’t want to risk your bluff being genuine. You’re nearly as crafty as your student.”
“Students, not student,” Lisa Lisa corrected. “Don’t forget who orchestrated your army’s massacre on the ground.”
“Oh, I didn’t forget that. But you’ve forgotten that your little trickster can’t fight right now, and the rope is already close to breaking!” Kars laughed. “You can’t protect both yourselves and that rope at the same time!”
And with that declaration, he lunged forwards and slashed Caesar’s rope at the same time that Lisa Lisa stepped back towards Joseph. Caesar began to fall, and the excess of the rope began to move with him. Kars leaned to look over the side of the platform, chuckling as he watched on. Joseph was laughing under his breath too, but for a different reason.
All of a sudden, the gaps in the rope around Kars’s feet suddenly closed, tying up his ankles in their loops and almost knocking him to the ground. “What is this?!” he shouted, and looked down at his feet. Oddly enough, the rope around one of his ankles was wet while the other was dry. “When did this happen?!”
He looked over the side again with a gasp. Caesar had stopped falling, and Kars only realized now that the rope wrapped around his ankles was tied to the cut piece of rope attached to Caesar. As of now, while one end of the rope had Caesar on it, Joseph had gone from holding the middle of the rope to holding onto the new end of it.
“I get it…Jojo tied the end of his side of the rope to Caesar’s side while I was distracted, he set up the excess rope to become the new ‘middle part’ between himself and Caesar!” Kars realized. “And he set up those loops to trap me in the middle, counting on me to cut the rope! That cunning devil!”
“Right now, you’re the one holding Caesar up!” Joseph taunted, still holding onto his end of the rope. “You can’t keep yourself up and attack Caesar at the same time!”
Even Lisa Lisa was perplexed by this turn of events, but her small smile showed her pride. “I had a feeling that Jojo was planning something. You have a track record with winning fights with rope, if I recall correctly. All you needed was more time, right?”
Joseph let out a laugh at that, once again reminded of how amazing his teacher was, being able to predict his plan like that.
“It doesn’t matter! All I need to do is cut the rope attached to the loops here!” Kars raised his blade yet again, but Joseph acted first.
“You know, there’s a reason why some of the rope is wet! Eat this!” Joseph shouted, sending as much Ripple energy he could into the rope. “Ripple Overdrive!”
Even if the rope could conduct the Ripple through it, only the part of the rope coated with liquid would affect things outside of it. So when the Ripple energy was sent into the rope, the wet part of the rope lit up and burned into Kars’s skin. As his flesh was seared away, the Ripple-ignited loop of the rope tightened from the weight on it.
In mere seconds, the wet loop cut through Kars’s ankle, severing his foot from his leg. Kars swore in a language Joseph couldn’t recognize as he struggled to balance on his trapped foot. Lisa Lisa simply walked over and stomped on the severed foot, burning it to ash with her Ripple so Kars couldn’t reattach it.
“You…DAMN YOU!” the Pillar Man shouted as he unsheathed his Light Blades again, preparing to attack. Lisa Lisa struck first with her scarf, wrapping it around his blades as he tried to slash at her again and sending the Ripple into them. The cracks in the Light Blades finally gave way, shattering Kars’s weapons into pieces. As he staggered back from the recoil of the breaks, trying to stay upright, Joseph let go of the rope he was holding and pushed Kars over the other side of the platform.
As Kars began falling to the ground below the temple ruins, Joseph raced to the other side of the platform, where Caesar was being pulled back up by Kars’s weight. As soon as he had been lifted back to the platform, Joseph caught him in his arms and Lisa Lisa cut the middle of the rope. Caesar was safe, and Kars fell onto the poison-covered crystals on the ground.
Ignoring Kars’s screeching below, Joseph let out a sigh of relief as he held his unconscious friend. “We gotta heal him up.” He looked over Caesar’s wounds with a sharp inhale. The fact that he only fell unconscious minutes ago was unbelievable.
“Let me see him,” Lisa Lisa ordered, and Joseph quickly laid his body out on the stone platform. Lisa Lisa placed her hand on Caesar’s chest, and the spot glowed as she let her Ripple flow into him to heal the stab wounds he received. In the meantime, knowing he wouldn’t be any help there, Joseph went down to Caesar’s feet to remove the rope there.
After a minute of his chest being healed, Caesar’s eyes finally opened again. “Master…?” he murmured, and he let out a hiss of pain as he tried to sit up on his arms.
“Caesar! You’re awake!” Joseph exclaimed at the same time Lisa Lisa said “Don’t move.”
Caesar lowered himself onto his back again. “Sorry,” he sighed, and he looked around. “Did we beat him?”
“Yeah, we sure did. We kicked his ass,” Joseph assured him. He looked over the edge of the platform, where he saw Stroheim gathering up his division to surround the fallen Pillar Man. “Looks like Stroheim and Speedwagon’s guys are gonna get rid of him. Our work here is done.”
“Good, that’s good,” Caesar chuckled. “Forgive me, I couldn’t do it on my own in the end. I will need more training-”
“Enough of that. You’ve played a pivotal role in this fight where it matters,” Lisa Lisa interrupted. Caesar was cowed by her tone, but still tried to protest.
“But I-”
“You arranged for backup, damaged Kars enough to expose a weakness, and assisted Jojo even from your position. You’ve done enough.”
“I was pretty much just hanging onto you seventy-five percent of the time!” Joseph joked. “It was Coach that did all the work.”
“Is this a game of who gets the most credit? Both of you be quiet and catch your breaths. We’ll return to the ground once Caesar is able to walk.”
That shut the young men up, and Caesar closed his eyes as the pain of his wounds slowly began to numb. Joseph finally let himself lie down beside Caesar, centering his breathing to heal the rope burns on his fingers and the strain in his arms. Now that the threat of the Pillar Men was gone, they could finally take a break from everything. Dealing with the aftermath could wait.
Joseph heard an odd rustling of clothing, which only grew faster. He looked up and noticed Lisa Lisa checking the pockets of her dress, her face twisted in worry. “Hm? What’s up, Coach?” he asked.
“It seems I’ve forgotten which pocket I’ve put the Red Stone in,” she replied in her blasé voice, but her expression spoke volumes.
Eventually, she found a certain pocket - or rather, what used to be a pocket. The fabric that normally held items had been ripped off her dress, with only loose threads and seams showing that a pocket used to be there. As soon as her hand touched that spot, her entire body froze up.
Joseph’s eyes found where she was touching, and he wondered why an entire pocket was missing-
On the cliff outside the chalet, Kars smiled mockingly as he ripped the Red Stone from Stroheim’s pocket, taking the fabric in the process-
Joseph’s hand went to his mouth. “Kars took it,” he gasped out. Caesar and Lisa Lisa’s heads whipped around to look at him. “He must’ve done it while you were fighting him. I didn’t even notice-!”
He scrambled to look over the side of the platform, where Kars laid on the ground. He was surrounded by the armies, with Stroheim and a few other soldiers prepping a UV cannon to fire. If he had the Red Stone, and if it were to be exposed to the sun, or at least to UV lights…
Joseph was wrong after all. The threat wasn’t gone. In fact, it never left.
“Shit! I told you to break the stone!” Joseph snapped at Lisa Lisa in a fit of panic, then leaned over the edge of the platform. “DON’T FIRE! DON’T FIRE THE CANNON!” he screamed. “HE HAS THE STONE!”
Joseph was sure his voice was going to go hoarse with how loud he was. However, the soldiers didn’t even react to his voice. Like how he couldn’t hear voices properly from the ground earlier, he realized that they either couldn’t hear him or understand him. He could see the purple light of the UV cannon begin to glow, and Kars turned his head. He squinted closely, and saw him wearing a stone mask, the Super Aja placed in its forehead.
Joseph pulled himself away from the edge and hit the platform under him. “Fucking dammit! We were so close!”
“There’s no time to waste!” Lisa Lisa stood up. “Caesar, can you stand?”
“Y-Yes, Master,” Caesar replied, forcing himself to his feet with a hiss of pain. His wounds hadn’t been fully healed yet, and his feet had received the least amount of treatment so far. Even his shoes and socks had to be discarded due to the damage and blood. But if Joseph knew anything about Caesar, he was nothing but a resilient bastard.
The three Ripple users raced to find a way safely down from the temple ruins. Joseph had slowed down to run alongside Caesar, making sure he wasn’t left behind, so Lisa Lisa led the way towards the ground. When they reached the bottom and ran to join the armies, Lisa Lisa suddenly halted. Joseph skidded to a stop as well, and put a hand on Caesar’s arm to stop him.
Kars had risen to his feet. His foot had been regrown, and his hand had transformed into a squirrel, then a butterfly. The sun was starting to come up…
“What have we done?” Lisa Lisa breathed. She sounded more scared than Joseph had ever heard from her before.
The sunlight didn’t kill Kars, he had become an invincible being. But Joseph felt damned if he just let Kars do as he pleased, even like this. If he did nothing, a lot more people would be hurt or killed.
That was why he snatched the Red Stone and ran for the cliffs, with Caesar pushing himself to keep up with him barefoot. He heard Kars’s declaration to kill him from afar, and he hoped Caesar could put his trust in him one last time.
The first time Joseph directly risked his life, he was thirteen years old. Sure, it hadn’t been his first kidnapping, but Speedwagon had been put in danger too. It was Joseph’s idea to crash the plane and jump out while using some seats as cushions. Only sheer luck prevented him from falling to his death.
That was five years ago. Now, he laid on the surface of a volcanic rock as it began its descent from the upper stratosphere. He was thankful that fate allowed him to do something in his life that he could be proud of before it reasserted itself.
Kars had been on the rock too, but he was hit by smaller volcanic rocks and banished into space, where Joseph hoped he would stay forever. And on his right was Caesar, who also laid on the rock as the pain of his injuries caught up with him. Joseph hadn’t wanted him in that position, but at least he got to see the defeat of the monster that plagued his bloodline.
As for Joseph himself, his body was littered with wounds, his kneecap was melting, and his hand had been cut off. He was pretty sure he was concussed again at this point - it wouldn’t have been the first time - but at least he had Caesar by his side. He thought of his Granny Erina, Speedwagon, Smokey, and Lisa Lisa. He never got to say goodbye to them, but he accepted that this was the best outcome.
At this rate, the only survivor of the incident on the volcano island would be Stroheim. Joseph allowed himself a short, breathy chuckle at the thought; he was sure nothing could kill that crazy asshole at this point.
Joseph looked over at his friend, weariness shared in their eyes. “Caesar…thank you,” he panted. “You’re always there for me…always…”
“It’s alright, Jojo. It’ll be over soon,” Caesar cooed, as if he was trying to hush a child. “This is for the best. It was meant to be this way.”
Somehow, Caesar was more able to speak than he was. The endurance level of that man was insane.
Joseph smiled as he reached towards him with his remaining hand. Caesar grabbed his hand, holding onto his fingers tightly as he traced his thumb over Joseph’s knuckles. Even the small action was enough to comfort him.
“Don’t wanna die…” Joseph’s voice was practically a whisper as waves of exhaustion crashed over him. “I was prepared…but…”
“Me neither. But I’m sure we’ve both earned heaven now.” Caesar’s eyes started filling with tears. “We can see our families. We’ve finished their work. I can introduce you to my parents and siblings…”
Joseph gently squeezed his hand. “Not alone…”
“You’re right. I’m not alone anymore. And neither are you.”
The rock began descending faster, and Joseph finally closed his eyes. Unconsciousness began to take him over, and he was sure that he’d never wake up again. But before he finally sank into the darkness, he heard the crackle of Ripple energy and Caesar’s quiet yet resolute words.
“I’ll protect you, Jojo.”
The light was bright against Joseph’s eyelids, and he squeezed them tight to try and darken them again. But all it did was make him more uncomfortable. He let out a quiet groan, but the use of his voice suddenly revealed how sore his throat was. He started coughing, and his hand tried to go to his neck. His hand was wrapped in something, preventing him from moving his fingers. Even moving his body showed just how sore he was.
He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself lying in a steel-framed bed in a different place. He wasn’t sure how he got there, or what he had been doing last, but it looked familiar. He looked around at the red walls, the stone floor, the gothic décor, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it…
Suddenly, he remembered. This was Air Supplena, he was in one of its many rooms. Which begged the question, how did he end up at Air Supplena? Now that he thought about it, this didn’t look like one of the trainees’ dorms. This was the infirmary in the communal building, which was used more often than the rest of the rooms. It had cabinets for medicine and multiple beds, it was like a nicer version of a hospital.
Now that he got a bearing of where he was, the familiarity comforted him. He’d only been in this room a couple times, either for scrapes or that time he accidentally hit his head hard when he passed out. In the early days of that month of training, he passed out a few times when the strain on his body became too much. Only that one time, there was blood, and he woke up that evening in the infirmary. He got the day off the next day to recover, where he was looked after by Suzi Q and occasionally checked on by Caesar.
Speaking of Caesar, he was in the bed right next to him, with a chair moved into the space between their beds. Caesar was covered in bandages all over, but he was still breathing. Joseph felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sight. His friend was okay, and someone was looking after him.
That thought pulled him up short. Right, someone had moved them into here and was taking care of him. Now that he had a chance to look down at himself, he was covered in bandages too. Both of his arms were wrapped up in cast-like bandages, and his right leg was bandaged and elevated with a sling. The bandages were clean, so he guessed they must have been changed recently.
The door to the infirmary opened, and Suzi Q pushed a small cart inside. The cart had a bowl of fruit, bandages, a transparent bottle full of pills, some cloths, a water pitcher and some glasses, and a pot with its lid on. She hummed to herself as she pushed the cart to their beds, and the door swung shut behind her. He wondered how long she’d been taking care of him and Caesar so far.
“Hey, Suzi Q,” Joseph weakly greeted, but his words dissolved into another round of coughing.
Suzi gasped and hurried to his side, still pushing the cart. “Hang in there, Jojo!” she exclaimed, pouring water into a cup. Her other hand slipped under his back and pushed him into enough of an upright position. She gave him a chance to catch his breath before putting the cup to his lips, slowly letting him drink.
She eventually pulled back, carefully lowering Joseph back into bed again. He could still feel how sore his throat was, but he wasn’t in as much pain as…
It all began to come back to him. The duels, the chase to the volcano island, the moments on the rock. How the hell was he alive after all that? Joseph had no clue, and the fact that Caesar was in the next bed was nothing short of a miracle. But he trusted Suzi Q with his life, and he’d rather not be in the hands of anyone else…well, maybe someone less ditzy.
“How’s Caesar?” he croaked out, but was shushed as his head was gently pushed back down into his pillow.
“Shh… Taci, Jojo. Save your strength.” Suzi put a hand to his forehead, pushing his hair back. “Hm, your temperature’s gone down.”
“Do Lisa Lisa and Speedwagon know I’m here?” he weakly questioned. “Is Kars still up there?”
Suzi blinked in surprise. She stuck a few fingers close to his face. “Hey, how many fingers am I holding up? What’s the weather outside? What colour is my dress?”
“Dammit, woman, not so fast…” he grumbled. “Uh, three fingers, it’s sunny, and blue.”
“Oh. So you’re lucid now.”
A moment of silence passed.
Suzi suddenly bent down and wrapped her arms around him, crying her heart out. “Jojoooo! Meno male! You’re alive!” she wailed, holding him tightly. “I told you to come back in one piece, but look at you now!”
“Don’t worry, it’ll take more than some Aztec bodybuilders to kill me,” Joseph chuckled. Truth be told, she was pressing up against his wounds and making them sting, but he didn’t feel like telling her to move. He wanted the comfort, even if he'd never say it aloud.
“You stupid jerk! You’ve been unconscious for the past two days! You were dying when they found you!” she shouted, tears in her eyes.
“Hey, come on! I’m not the only one who was dying!” he protested. “What about Caesar over there? Why am I the only ‘stupid jerk’ here?”
Suzi let out a scoff, wiping her eyes. “Ever since he came to Air Supplena, that cacchio had a death wish. I know that reckless meanie well enough that I wasn’t sure he was going to come back…”
She didn’t finish her sentence and looked over to the other Ripple user, who was still unconscious in bed. Joseph grimaced as the air seemed to get tenser. But now that she was here and he was awake, this was the perfect time to get some answers.
“So, how are the others doing? Do they know we’re here?” he repeated. And then he paused. “Wait, how’d we get here anyway?”
“Oh, be quiet! You’ll wear out your throat at this rate!” Suzi scolded him sternly, shutting him up. As she wet a cloth from the cart to wipe down his body, she began to retell what happened:
“Two days ago, some Venetian fisherman found you two floating on some broken pieces of rock, and they said it was being kept afloat by large bubbles - I’m sure that was Caesar’s doing. He had a gem in his hand too, the Red Stone of Aja, but they couldn’t pry it from his grip. They brought you guys to shore, and some locals identified Caesar to the authorities almost immediately. Some people recognized you as the guy that was with him for the past month, so they were able to identify you too. They rushed you both to the hospital and patched up your wounds.”
Joseph nodded, encouraging her to keep going.
“Since they identified Caesar, they called me to pick you up, and I took you back to Air Supplena. Your broken bones and bruises just need time to heal, so I’ve been mostly keeping an eye on your head injuries, blood loss, and keeping away infections since then. You’ve been fading in and out of consciousness, but Caesar’s been out cold the whole time. His state is a lot worse than yours. I’ve only taken you off the IV recently, but he’s still not safe yet.”
He turned his head to look at his friend again, squinting to take a closer look at him. Now that he was more awake, he could see what she was talking about. He looked paler than normal, even with the blood bag hanging next to him, and his breathing sounded weak. Normally, Ripple users healed faster than normal people because of their Ripple in their bodies, but just based on what Suzi said, Joseph knew that Caesar had pushed his Ripple past its limits to keep them both alive.
But, in his opinion, there was no need to stress Suzi out further than she already was.
“So, you’ve been playing Florence Nightingale for us since we got here? Aw, you’re too kind,” Joseph drawled with a wink. “But hey, I kept my promise in the end! And those ugly wounds of yours healed up too! Nice, nice!”
That got him slapped with a washcloth, which he admitted he deserved. But at least it got the reaction he wanted, she was smiling despite it all.
“You’re a meanie too,” Suzi huffed, putting the washcloth back on the cart. “Anyway, you should eat something since you’re up. Here, I made some stracciatella alla romana.” She pulled the lid off the pot and brought out a bowl and a spoon. “Here, I’ll feed it to you. Say ‘ahh’!”
While it was a bit embarrassing to be fed by someone else, especially since his arms were too weak to move right now, he couldn’t complain when it was a cute girl doing it. Playing the role of a good patient, he accepted the soup without a fuss, especially since there was something heavier on his mind right now.
“Hey, you don’t need to worry about me much. I’ll be fine. Mr. Casanova, on the other hand…”
“I’m getting to him next. But as for you, mister, I’m gonna gag you if you don’t rest your voice!” Suzi threatened. “I’ll find your old training mask and stuff a cloth into it for good measure!”
“Oh no! How cruel!” Joseph fake-whined. Although his dramatics made Suzi giggle, he seriously hoped she wouldn’t follow through on her threat. That mask was a tool from hell, in his personal opinion.
Finally, she turned her attention to the unconscious Caesar, using another washcloth to wipe down his body and clean him up some more. Joseph’s smile faded as he watched her treat his friend.
Every time he looked at him, he felt his heart twist. Caesar had nearly lost his life several times over, and looked like he was on the brink of death now. Nearly walking into a lion’s den was one thing, but the injuries sustained from the battle with Kars and using up all his Ripple twice over had left him in this state. It didn’t help that he used his Ripple to save him.
For all he knew, Caesar could very well die in his bed. And just like at the chalet, Joseph could only see himself as the one to blame.
What was so special about him that Caesar had to save more than himself? Was it because he was a Joestar? Or was Caesar that obsessed about his family’s legacy that he wanted to sacrifice himself too?
Joseph grit his teeth as he thought about how hypocritical that sentence was; it wasn’t as if Joseph hadn’t pushed himself past his limits to save Caesar on the temple ruins without a second thought. Hadn’t assuming things about his best friend nearly cost him? But Caesar rarely volunteered information about himself, Joseph had to bug him to get anything…
The feelings churning in his gut were starting to become painful. Suzi was doing her best taking care of them, but he hated just being stuck doing nothing.
He needed to do something, anything. But what?
Joseph began retracing his steps, mapping everything out in his head. He and Caesar were at Air Supplena, being treated by Suzi Q. They came after falling from the sky on a rock, which was right after defeating Kars. He had chased them to Volcano Island, which was where the rock came from, and Stroheim had somehow snuck into a side hanger of the plane…
Right, he remembered Stroheim. He was probably picked up by his division by now, and delivered the news of the battle to Speedwagon on the mainland. Last he checked, Speedwagon was keeping Smokey and Lisa Lisa safe with him, but if they got the news of the battle from Stroheim…
Now that he thought about it, Lisa Lisa owned Air Supplena. But if she wasn’t here, then did she know that her students were alive? Probably not, so he needed to let her know - send her a message. Send them a message telling the others that they’re alive, that’s what he could do.
Hell yeah, Joseph’s thought association wins the day again! He mentally cheered his genius once again, and he took a deep breath.
“Suzi?”
She whirled around angrily, holding up her washcloth threateningly. “What did I just tell you-?!”
“Just one thing,” he quickly interrupted before she could hit him with the cloth. “Could you send out a telegram? Just to tell everyone we’re alive and under your care.”
“Si, si. Now, if you don’t rest, then so help me-”
“I got it, I’ll shut up,” Joseph chuckled, leaning his head back to rest on the pillow.
With a small huff of annoyance, Suzi finished cleaning up Caesar’s body and readjusting some of his bandages. She began to push the cart towards the door. “I’ll be back in a few hours, please get some rest before then. Buon riposo.”
With those words, Suzi finally pushed the cart out of the infirmary, closing the door behind her. Once again, Joseph was alone again, with only Caesar’s unconscious form as company. Stuck with him, yet all alone.
He was already used to being lonely, it was a sensation he had gotten used to throughout his life. But when his month of training started, he was sent to a place he wasn’t used to, had a destiny he didn’t know thrust upon him, and was isolated from everything he knew. The loneliness within him became tinged with fear, cutting into him like a knife.
When he walked back from the hotel, he realized that he had learned compassion. Caesar helped soothe the ache that his revelation and blame had brought. It was always Caesar that helped tame the new feelings inside of him. Was he even aware that he was doing it, or did he know what the brunette was going through? There was no way for Joseph to know.
Caesar wasn’t awake now. Suzi didn’t know anything about what happened in Switzerland. He’d have to tell her eventually, but he needed to rest first.
Right now, there was nothing else he could do. Nothing could help him now.
With a small sigh, Joseph closed his eyes. It didn’t take long for sleep to claim him again.
Joseph remained in bed for two more days as his natural Ripple healed his body. A doctor came to Air Supplena a few times, the same one that had given Joseph an X-ray to confirm where the rings were placed a month ago. He was pleased to find that the brunette had survived, and he had Suzi monitor Joseph’s rapidly-improving condition for him.
Finally, the doctor freed him from his bed rest order, and Joseph was more than happy to get the casts of bandages off his hand and feet. He still had to keep the stump of his arm wrapped in bandages and monitored until they could find out what to do with it. He was on new orders now, to not overwork his body and to minimize his daily activities.
Now that he was out of bed, only Caesar needed ‘round-the-clock monitoring. To Suzi’s worry, Caesar had still not woken up yet or showed any signs of waking despite the blood bag and constant treatment. So to reassure both himself and Suzi, Joseph decided to take some of Caesar’s treatment into his own hands.
Caesar’s injuries were healing slowly because of his lack of Ripple - so Joseph began to lend him his own Ripple to “be the missing link,” to quote Caesar himself. Joseph sent his own Ripple into Caesar’s body, healing his body and promoting the circulation of his Ripple when he couldn’t do it on his own. As Joseph kept doing this multiple times a day, he could feel Caesar’s body starting to warm up.
He was tempted to go find a training mask so he could keep a constant Ripple going - he was stopped by the fact that he still didn’t know how to remove the mask. That, and he hated the stupid thing. So that was out of the question.
One afternoon, Joseph sat in the chair between their beds as he continued another Ripple-transfer session. He still hadn’t moved out of the infirmary, promising Suzi Q that he’d keep an eye on Caesar when she couldn’t.
He watched as Caesar’s chest rose and fell, and he kept a hand on the blonde’s stomach as he channelled the Ripple through his palm. The transferred Ripple was kept weak so it wouldn’t shock Caesar’s system, he didn’t want to accidentally make it too strong and stop his heart - like how Caesar did with Mark.
Joseph pinched his leg, trying to force the memory out of his head. He couldn’t lose control now, not in this kind of situation.
Right on time, Suzi Q pushed her cart into the room again. “Any changes?” she asked, same as always.
“He’s looking a lot less pale, the blood bag’s doing some wonders,” Joseph reported. “And he’s getting warmer. Other than that, nothing else.”
Suzi sighed as she grabbed some bandages off the cart. “Pazienza. Any progress is better than none.”
“You sound like my granny,” Joseph joked, snickering at her annoyed pout.
She began to change Caesar’s bandages as Joseph continued to use his Ripple, both caring for the man in bed in their different ways. Besides the occasional chatter or question between them, there was still a heavy tension in the air of what was left unsaid between them.
Suzi broke it first. “Jojo…what exactly happened in Switzerland? It must’ve been bad to get you both like this,” she wondered.
Joseph sighed, there was no point in putting it off any longer.
“So, we got to customs, and the Germans got to the stone first. Turns out Stroheim survived and got his body made out of metal, and some fancy upgrades that held back Kars when he showed up. Kars nearly got the stone then, but I chased him off a cliff and got it back.” He chuckled at the memory. “Caesar saved my ass that night. Shame I accidentally repaid him by pissing him off the next day. It was my fault, I screwed up and hurt his pride, badly.”
“You did what?” Suzi gasped.
“I didn’t know what his past was like, honest! But Coach told me everything, and I apologized to him. We’re good now,” he assured. “Anyway, we went into Kars’s lair, and found that Wamuu came back and they made an army of vampires! We got out of that situation by arranging duels, me against Wamuu and Caesar against Kars. I beat Wamuu, as you can guess. But Kars, that bastard…”
“What did Kars do?”
“He sent a double to their fight. Caesar completely destroyed the double, but Kars snuck up and stabbed him through the chest. Caesar didn’t go down easy though, he got some hits in and had to be stabbed again. Kars went back on his word and had the vampires attack up, but Caesar was a sneaky son of a bitch and had Speedwagon and Stroheim bring their armies to save us. We went up and fought Kars, and all three of us worked together to take that bastard down. We saved Caesar, but…”
“But?”
“He got the Red Stone.”
“Che cosa?!”
Joseph sighed as he looked at the ground. “We weren’t careful, and he turned into the Ultimate Being. But Caesar and I lured him to a volcano with a plane, Stroheim snuck along somehow, I got my hand cut off, and we caused an eruption big enough to blast that asshole into space. That’s when we started falling on some rock, and we blacked out. You know the rest of the story from there.”
“Oh, goodness…” Suzi looked between him and Caesar with a look of pity. “You two have really been through- Wait, what?”
“Huh? What is it?” Joseph asked.
She was staring at Caesar’s face. “I thought I saw his eyelids moving… I guess I must’ve imagined it,” she sighed. “Oh, Caesar… I wish you’d wake up soon.”
“Don’t you worry, Suzi Q. Do you really think he’d be able to refuse any kind of request from a cute girl?” he joked.
“Who, me? Caesar wouldn’t refuse me anyway!” she chirped, purposefully avoiding the soft ball he threw her just to mess with him. But at least she was smiling. “He wouldn’t want to upset you either. I’m sure he’ll be fine, maybe…”
“Are you kidding? He’ll take it like a champ and wake up, and the first thing he's going to do is get mad that I don’t have my training mask on!”
“Haha! You’re right!” she giggled. “Oh, I’m just glad you both got out of this alive. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do!”
“Aw, would you miss this handsome face that much?” Joseph smiled with a small laugh of his own.
“Hm…” she leaned closer to pretend to inspect him, then pulled back. “...You still have weird lips.”
Joseph let out a squawk of dismay as Suzi’s laughter filled the infirmary, and he was about to complain when a sudden coughing sound caught their attention.
They turned towards Caesar in his bed, where they saw his body wracked by a fit of coughing. Suzi immediately hurried to his side and rubbed his chest to soothe his pain. His coughing subsided, but Joseph noticed how Caesar’s muscles kept flinching, as if they were trying to move. And like Suzi must’ve noticed earlier, his closed eyelids were twitching.
“He’s awake,” Joseph realized, removing his hand from Caesar’s stomach. “He’s been trying to wake up for the past few minutes.”
And so, ever the master of eloquence, Joseph forced one of Caesar’s eyes open like he did under the colosseum. The other man’s eye tried to close in resistance, but he adjusted to the light and stopped his struggling. Joseph let go of his eye, and Caesar’s other eye opened. Caesar groggily looked around at the infirmary, but Suzi wasted no time in shoving her hands in his face.
“Caesar! How many fingers am I holding up?!” she exclaimed. Joseph gave her a look, and she quickly defended, “I have to make sure he’s lucid, Jojo!”
“Don’t…don’t worry…” Caesar hoarsely tried to reassure, but sent himself into another fit of coughing. Suzi hurried to get him some water, while Joseph wrapped his arms around Caesar’s torso to move him into a sitting position. Caesar obediently drank his water with Suzi’s help, and Joseph laid him back down once he was done.
“I can’t believe it,” said Joseph in an annoyed voice, but it was clear to anyone that he was beyond ecstatic that Caesar was awake. “You were out for almost five days, you moron! Do you know how worried you made Suzi Q?!”
Caesar stared at him emotionlessly, then turned his head as he began to lightly laugh. Joseph suspected that he was laughing at how he excluded how worried Caesar had made him, but he still huffed at the perceived indignity of it all.
Suzi’s eyes filled with tears as she pushed Joseph out of the way, and she tightly wrapped her arms around the other man with no hesitation. “Caesaaaar! Sono così felice che tu stia bene! Don’t ever do that again!”
Joseph ran to his other side and caught both Italians in a hug, holding them tightly as a wave of emotion began to overwhelm him. His heart jolted when he heard Caesar whimper in pain from the weight, trying to squirm out of their hold but only making the pain worse for himself. Joseph and Suzi quickly pulled back, and Joseph grabbed Caesar’s hand and sent a dose of Ripple into the other’s body. Caesar sighed as the pain began to numb, his body relaxing.
Joseph lightly squeezed Caesar’s hand, trying to make sure that it wasn’t just a dream. He received a reassuring squeeze back, and he looked up to see Caesar’s smiling face. It finally began sinking in that Caesar was awake, he was going to be okay.
Suddenly, the weight of the building stress over the course of the month, the anxiety he had felt over the past few days, and the relief at Caesar’s safety crashed down on Joseph’s shoulders. He couldn’t help the tears coming to his eyes, and trying to breathe only resulted in a choked sob coming back out.
Joseph fell to his knees as he held Caesar’s hand tightly in both his own, helpless to stop the cries from coming out of him. He could hear Suzi’s worried questions as she hovered over him, but all that mattered to him was the pulse in the hand he was holding. He knew she wasn’t used to seeing him upset, he’d have to make it up to her later.
He’ll have to make a lot of things up to her, now that he thought about it. After all, she was the main caretaker while he and Caesar were incapacitated.
Joseph let go of Caesar’s hand, opting to wipe off his tear-streaked face. Suzi noticed this and quickly went to grab a cloth to clean him up, but her attempts to get close were waved off as he choked out another sob.
He felt a hand suddenly snake into his hair, gently running his hand through it. He lifted his head and met Caesar’s eyes, who looked at him with concern. Joseph closed his eyes and leaned into the Zeppeli’s hand, relaxing in his touch. As he fought to get his breathing and emotions under control, he felt Suzi finally come close and start cleaning up his face. He didn’t try to stop her this time.
It took a few minutes, plus lots of assurances from Suzi Q that everything would be alright, but Joseph was finally able to rein in his emotions again. He didn’t think he’d cried as hard as that ever since he declared war on Straizo. He felt a bit embarrassed to have suddenly started crying like that, but that was something he could deal with later. Besides, Caesar had seen him in worse states.
Speaking of, Caesar’s arm hung limp over the side of the bed. Even if he was awake, Joseph knew very well that there was no way he had any energy right now. When Suzi finished changing Caesar’s bandages, Joseph put his arm back onto his bed and pulled a blanket over him.
“You’d better cooperate for Suzi Q and let her take care of you,” Joseph ordered. “If you try anything stupid and screw your body over, I’ll kick your ass, you hear me?!”
“Jojo! Don’t be harsh with him!” Suzi scolded. “He needs his rest. You should leave him be.”
One thing Joseph was impressed by was how Suzi Q’s ditzy demeanour could change in the blink of an eye where professionalism was involved. If things were incredibly serious, she could become incredibly perceptive and carry out her duties without error. There was definitely a reason why she was hired as Lisa Lisa’s maid.
“Alright, alright. But I want to help take care of him too. It’ll take some of the problems off your shoulders, won’t it?”
Suzi let out a small laugh. “Jojo, you couldn’t even hang up laundry for me without making the whole basketload dirty again! Taking care of people is a lot harder, you know!”
“Of course I know that! I’ve taken pretty much almost all the first aid courses in England!” Joseph hesitated, but reluctantly added, “...Got kicked out from all of them though.”
“Dio mio…” Suzi took a deep breath. “Alright then. Only because you two were looking after each other last month and haven’t died yet.”
His eyes lit up. “Nice! So, what do I do?”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re asking me, Signor ‘Took-All-First-Aid-Courses’?”
“Oi, I meant what I need to focus on! Jeez, what a pain…” Joseph groaned.
“Well, he still has a slight fever and some of his wounds nearly got infected, and he’s probably dizzy from the head wounds,” she listed. “I’ll need you to make sure he takes one of each pill from the ledge over there when I bring food.” She pointed to the windowsill, which had three pill bottles resting on it.
“Got it. Anything else?” Joseph asked.
“Si, I’ll need some help with washing him when I’m changing his bandages. You’re stronger, so you’ll be able to turn him over and make sure he doesn’t get bedsores.”
Joseph nodded. “Capisco. I’ll keep an eye on him,” he promised. Once again, he internally preened at the small bits of Italian he picked up.
Pleased with his cooperation, Suzi left the infirmary to make a call to the doctor, hoping to update him on Caesar’s condition. As for Joseph, he got up from the chair between his and Caesar’s beds, hoping to walk around the building as some light exercise. What the doctor didn’t know surely wouldn’t hurt him, right?
But as he was about to leave, he heard movement from the other bed. “W…Wait…” Caesar wheezed out, trying to sit up.
Joseph walked back and slowly pressed on his chest, lowering him back down. “Hey, don’t do that. Suzi’s gonna be pissed.”
Caesar grabbed his arm, his eyes half-lidded and barely focused. “Don’t leave, t-ti prego…” he rasped as he slowly lost his grip on his second language. “Non posso stare qui da solo…”
His hold on Joseph was weak enough that the other man could’ve shaken it off had he so wanted, but his voice was so frail and desperate that Joseph was frozen to the spot. Caesar’s face was flush with fever and his body trembled, it was easy to see that he was pained and tired.
Joseph quickly changed his mind, pulling a chair up beside him. “Hey, I’m not going anywhere,” he reassured, putting on one of his trademark smiles. “You don’t need to beg like that. Where’d your pride go, Mr. Casanova?”
“S-Stay…” Caesar muttered, and his hand’s grip on the brunette began to falter. Joseph readjusted his grip to hold Caesar’s hand better, giving it a small squeeze.
“Damn, maybe you’re not as lucid as we thought…” Joseph mused. “Well, that woman didn’t properly do that test with you like she did with me. I guess we both missed it, whoops!”
The blonde still looked pained as he quietly stared at him, and Joseph never let go of his hand. If he had to be honest, he was more concerned about Caesar’s begging than the fever right now. He knew Caesar was delirious right now, but why was he so desperate to not have Joseph leave? Maybe it was just the pain, he thought he’d have to suffer through it alone.
Suffer through it alone…
A memory came to Joseph’s mind. Lisa Lisa’s story about Caesar’s past, how he had been left all alone for six years. All those years, he lived in the streets as a hopeless delinquent. All because Mario Zeppeli left, and then he was taken away from his siblings. And according to Lisa Lisa, he watched his father die in front of him.
It made sense, Joseph realized. That’s why Caesar doesn’t want to be left alone. The fever wasn’t just hurting him, it was bringing back bad memories.
“Hey, Caesar, listen,” Joseph began, leaning forward. “I’m not gonna leave, alright? Suzi Q’s taking care of us, and we can’t go anywhere. We’re safe on the island, so you’d better go to sleep. You’ll get better soon.”
As he kept uttering reassurances and small promises, Caesar’s eyes slowly slipped closed again. He didn’t know when his friend was going to fall asleep, or when he was going to wake up again, but Joseph Joestar always kept his promises, one way or another. Even if the situation was boring as hell…
With a small sigh, Joseph fished around for a book on a small shelf near the beds. The only books there were medical books, but hey, it killed time reading them. For the next few hours, he ended up reading four medical textbooks until Suzi returned with fresh bandages and a pot of hot soup.
Notes:
this chapter was titled "caesar gets ides of march'd" in my google docs
my dumb ass should have split this fic into more than 3 chapters with how much shit i gotta write. i'd ask why i'm doing this to myself, but i know this is because of joseph. gdi
Chapter Text
The next day, Joseph hummed to himself as he walked down the hall to the infirmary. In his hand, he carried a plate with a small loaf of fresh bread that he made himself.
Over the course of the few days he’d been healing here, he noticed that Suzi had been using the same pot of soup to make sure that he and Caesar were getting fed, refrigerating it well each time. Joseph wasn’t picky about the soup, and he knew Italy was hit harder by the Depression than New York or England had been, but seeing Caesar being given reheated leftovers made him want to do something about it.
So, being as stubborn as he was, he tried baking some bread himself instead of asking Suzi to feed Caesar something else.
When he got to the door of the infirmary, he was about to push it open with the elbow of his other arm, but suddenly stopped. He heard Caesar and Suzi Q talking together inside. Thanks to his Ripple healing, Caesar had become more lucid now but was still bedridden. Curiosity got the better of Joseph as he heard their voices.
Joseph quietly waited behind the door and listened in on their conversation. He hadn’t seen those two interact much, with Caesar being as busy as he was during their month of training, so he wondered what they talked about. Was it their favourite operas or shops, did they like shit-talking him, would they discuss the Pillar Men incident…?
“I’m telling you, Caesar, it’s terrible!” Suzi’s voice fretted. “They deported the vendor on the corner, the one who sold the fertilizer I liked! He was such a nice man, he always gave the best directions to places too…”
“Mamma mia, Italy is becoming more and more like Germany every day. Focusing more on petty things than dealing with the food problem.” Caesar let out a sigh, and Joseph heard the bed creak a bit.
“Caesar, I know you’ll hate hearing this, but we need to leave. Madam Lisa Lisa and Signor Speedwagon can help us.”
“You want to leave? What about Michele?”
“Fratello isn’t leaving, he’s trying to get in contact with his parents and use them to get into some job position.”
The brunette squinted in confusion. “His” parents? But he was her brother - he remembered hearing the word fratello before from Loggins, who joked that Caesar was like that to Joseph - so wouldn’t it be “their” parents instead? Well, he had his own family problems, this wasn’t any of his concern.
“How ridiculous. Him staying is only going to get him enlisted for the war.”
“I know, but-!” Suzi suddenly cut herself off. “Hey, what about you? Aren’t you worried about a draft?”
“No, I’m far too injured now to be considered, and then there’s my agreement with Stroheim,” Caesar chuckled. “But…I am thinking about dropping out.”
“Che cazzo?! But…but you were having so much fun at university! Lisa Lisa praised your grades! You could just take a leave of absence and come back later-”
“It’s too dangerous now. There’s men in suits, they were eyeing up the students - they might’ve been mafia, or Mussolini’s dogs, so this is the best way to avoid being hurt. I was already considering this by the time Signor Speedwagon called in a favour from me.”
“Oh… What will you do next then?”
“I don’t-” Caesar’s voice abruptly stopped in the middle of his sentence. “Hm, do you smell something?”
“Huh?” A brief pause, then Suzi spoke again. “It smells like…baking? I think?”
Joseph cursed himself from behind the door. Of course the bread would’ve given him away, what was he thinking?! He was more surprised that they hadn’t detected him before, but then again, the kitchen was all the way across the building from the infirmary. And Air Supplena’s buildings were massive.
But regardless, it was useless to eavesdrop for much longer. Joseph quickly straightened up and put on his best smile, and he pushed the door open with his elbow.
“Caesar, Suzi!” he loudly greeted, pretending that he had just arrived. “I made you something!”
With a small “ta-daa!”, Joseph held the plate of bread in front of him for them to see. The Italians looked back and forth at him and the bread with a mixture of shock and confusion on their faces.
“It was a little tricky to do this with one hand, but nothing’s impossible for Joseph Joestar!” he proclaimed with a proud smile. “Not bad for a first try, eh?”
He was met with only silence. His smile began to grow nervous as he looked down at the bread on the plate. Okay, so maybe it was a little burnt…
Scratch that, maybe a lot burnt.
But he had still done his best trying to make them something, and the silence was a little off-putting. Weren’t Italians supposed to be encouraging when it came to food, or something like that? Joseph was starting to feel his pride start to lessen in his chest. Did it look so bad that they didn’t even want to try it? Maybe he should’ve gotten a proper cookbook out instead of trying to imitate what Granny Erina did.
Suzi cleared her throat a bit. “I can go get a knife, we can get the char off-”
“Hey, Jojo. Could you rip a piece off for me?” Caesar requested. “Just enough to fit in one’s hand. I’m not supposed to have heavy foods right now.”
Joseph let out a huff and put the plate on Caesar's lap, but couldn’t contain the small smile he had. “Do it yourself, unless you want me to balance the plate on my knee to get you your bread.”
“Don’t you dare! Don’t you know how expensive these plates are?!” Suzi cried, making Joseph laugh in response.
While they bickered about the worth of a single plate, Caesar had ripped himself off a chunk of bread and began to eat. Joseph heard his hum of delight, quickly dropping the argument and turning to him.
“So, um…you like it?” he hesitantly asked.
Caesar nodded his assent. “Only a bit of the top layer is burnt. The rest is cooked perfectly fine. A little dry, but it’s only your first time.”
The weight of disappointment on Joseph’s heart disappeared immediately as he began to smile again. Caesar couldn’t eat much right now, he knew that, but it felt like his approval meant the world right now.
Deciding with Caesar’s opinion, Suzi looked at the bread again and broke off a piece, popping it in her mouth as well. “He’s right, this isn’t bad,” she remarked. “You’ve got a lot to learn though!”
“Huh? Come on, you can at least say I did a good job!” Joseph pouted, to the amusement of the Italians.
Adjusting himself in his bed, Caesar reached to ruffle Joseph’s wild and fluffy hair, like he always did when he was teasing the younger man. “I suppose even a rich kid can learn to take care of himself.”
“Bite me,” Joseph huffed, looking away.
But despite his words, Caesar was in a stationary position, and Joseph chose to remain within hair-ruffling distance. When Caesar pulled his hand back, it felt like it happened far too soon.
Suzi took another piece of bread, but Caesar nudged the plate to her, urging her to take it off his lap. She quickly complied, putting it on the cart. “Oh, I just thought of something!” she exclaimed. “Maybe you can dip it in your soup! It seems like it’d go well with it!”
“Maybe I should try doing that,” Joseph considered. A sudden thought occurred to him. “Hey, how do you make this soup? Granny might like it.”
Suzi blinked in surprise. “I can get you the recipe. But I didn’t think you’ve tried cooking before now?”
“Nope, never in my life. I know I kinda burned it a little, so I thought you guys didn’t want to even try it,” he sheepishly admitted.
“Ehi?! Don’t make that face, we said it wasn’t bad!” Suzi quickly tried to reassure him.
“Wait, I’m not upset! Calm down, woman!” Joseph reassured right back. He then noticed Caesar being strangely quiet, watching the scene with a small smile. Now that he thought about it, something was odd. “Hold on a second. You pretty much ate it with barely any hesitation. Are you just not a picky eater or…?”
Joseph was preparing a joke about Caesar having so much trust in him, but the other man waved his hand dismissively at the first question. “Figurati. I’ve eaten worse.”
Caesar was so nonchalant about it that it was disconcerting, and Joseph began to realize why. No matter what they’d been served during their month of training, and even when the Germans served them a meager dinner before leaving, Caesar never complained even once.
He remembered Lisa Lisa's words from the chalet, Caesar lived in the streets for a good part of his life; he had to take what he could to survive. It all made sense to Joseph now.
His face grew serious, and he put a hand on Caesar’s bed. “I’m gonna make you the best goddamn food you’ve ever tasted, mark my words.”
Sure, he was jumping into this cooking thing feet-first and on a whim, but that’s how he began most of the things he was interested in anyway. He knew Erina wouldn’t be able to take care of herself forever, and after some disastrous incidents involving hired caretakers more interested in sneaking out their possessions than looking after Erina, Joseph didn’t trust anyone except himself and Speedwagon (and Smokey now, he supposed) to look after her.
So why not try learning how to cook? The worst he could do was burn down the house, and even then, his money would be able to cover the damages. At best, he could further help his grandmother and spoil Caesar with good food. Not that Suzi Q wasn’t doing that already.
From his bed, Caesar looked nothing less than amused at Joseph’s declaration. “Pfft. Consider them marked.”
“Alright, you two,” Suzi interrupted. “We should change these bandages now, then we have to let Caesar rest.”
“Fine. Where’d you put the washcloth?”
While Joseph was hunting for the cloth and bowl of water, Suzi undid Caesar’s bandages and took them to discard them. While she was busy putting the old bandages in a bucket and measuring out new bandages, Joseph began washing Caesar’s body with the cloth. The other Ripple user looked away from him, his face red and distressed.
“To think I can’t even take care of myself right now,” he sighed. It was like all the life deflated from him in his humiliation, something Joseph couldn’t stand for.
“You can’t help it. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t helped me when I was struggling with my training or my mask,” Joseph pointed out, finishing up with washing Caesar’s legs. He moved up the bed and wrapped his arms around Caesar, sitting him up. “In a way, this is helping to pay you back.”
Caesar flinched as Joseph began to wash his back. “You don’t need to do that just to repay me. I can’t even tell if you’re thinking of me or yourself while doing this,” he groaned. Joseph didn’t need to see his face to tell that he was still embarrassed, but irritated now too.
“Says the one who overused his Ripple just to save me. You didn’t need to do that either,” he shot back. “Who was the one going on about heaven and stuff?”
“I saw an opportunity to save you, and I took it.”
“You put your damn life on the line - for MY damn sake - and it nearly killed you!”
“You did the same damn thing at the mountain, you little-”
“Both of you, stop it!” Suzi snapped, breaking the men out of their argument. “We still have to do our cleaning. Can you two not fight while we’re supposed to be doing first aid?”
Caesar backed down immediately, shooting an apologetic glance at Suzi. “Forgive us, signorina.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Joseph added.
He knew Suzi had been under lots of stress taking care of them, the least he could do now was try and cooperate. It was a new thing, but he had asked to help, so he had to try.
The room fell silent again as Joseph and Suzi Q did their respective work, cleaning and changing bandages. But between these three, no silence could ever last long. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Joseph who broke it this time.
“I didn’t expect you to be the caretaking type,” Caesar noticed as Joseph laid him back down. “What, are these some natural skills you had hidden away?”
Joseph knew that he was trying to get some sort of rise out of him. But he wasn’t really in a joking mood right now, not when he was trying to concentrate on finishing his task as fast as possible, plus the topics they had been discussing.
“No, I just took pretty much every first aid course in England that I could. I never finished any of them, but I’ve learned enough of first aid and nursing stuff,” he answered honestly. “I wanted to learn it for Granny Erina and Speedwagon, especially when he started having heart problems. I didn’t want to lose them. They’re the only family I have.”
“…Well, that explains it.” Caesar looked down as his chest was wiped down. “You’re doing quite a thorough job.”
“Well, I have to. Bedsores can appear anywhere,” Joseph answered. A mischievous smile crept onto his face as he put the cloth down. “Maybe they can also be here!” he joked, reaching to ruffle his blonde hair.
“Ack, Jojo-!” Caesar protested, squirming to pull his head away as Joseph snickered. He could consider that payback for earlier. Suzi quickly pushed him out of the way to wrap clean bandages around Caesar’s body.
With all their work done, Suzi put the bucket with the dirty bandages on the cart. “Caesar, the doctor told me to start weaning you off the pain medication. So next time I bring food, you won’t be taking as many pills with it,” she informed.
“That’s alright, I can use Ripple healing if it hurts too much,” Caesar assured.
“Except you won’t, because I’ll be the one doing it,” Joseph reminded him. The other man just let out an annoyed huff in response.
Like every time, Suzi left to put the dirty bandages in the incinerator and update the doctor over the phone. She’d likely be cleaning the island afterwards, but Joseph himself didn’t have very much to do. Despite the all-clear from the doctor, his body was still healing, and he no longer needed to train (or come up with ways to escape training).
“Hey…” Caesar quietly got his attention, and Joseph turned to look at him. The blonde man was looking away, a blank expression on his face. “Thanks. For saving me.”
The other man went silent for a moment, then began to smile. “Same here. I guess we paid each other back after all.”
“Guess so.” Caesar was smiling, but still wasn’t looking Joseph in the eye. All Joseph could guess was that Caesar was embarrassed about being cared for, or maybe felt ashamed for getting in another argument. For Joseph Joestar, people were easy to read, but could be hard to decipher.
But now that he knew more about Caesar, he was starting to get past his guard. “Do you want me to stay here again while you rest?” Joseph asked, already dreading the medical textbooks he’d use to relieve the boredom. He could always go to the library, but that was too long of a walk for him right now.
“Only until I fall asleep,” Caesar answered. Joseph let out a small sigh of relief, he could finally distract himself properly! That is, without adding strain to his body, or else he was sure Suzi would kill him herself.
As Caesar closed his eyes, Joseph slipped his hand into the other man’s. He wished he could do more, but his hands - or rather, hand - was currently tied. And even if he found something to do after Caesar fell asleep, the novelty of whatever he did to distract himself would inevitably wear off. But when Caesar started feeling better, Joseph planned to keep talking to him to take his mind off everything.
And one day, Joseph swore he was going to crack his code.
Sitting on his infirmary bed, Joseph impatiently watched as the doctor inspected Caesar’s injuries and checked his body over with his medical tools. Suzi stood off to the side nearby, waiting for the doctor to finish.
Finally, the doctor stood back up. “These abilities that you and Signor Joestar have are quite new to me, but healing is still healing,” he sighed. “Your injuries have healed enough that you no longer need to stay in bed. However, you must limit your physical activities as your body is still recovering.”
“I understand,” Caesar nodded. “And what about my medication?”
“You’ll no longer need to take the three bottles, but I brought along a stronger variant of painkiller. It only comes in one bottle, and you’ll still be taking it on the reduced schedule I gave you yesterday. Do you understand?”
“Si, dottore. Grazie,” the man answered. After receiving the doctor’s instructions, Suzi went to retrieve the pill bottles from the windowsill to put back in their cabinets, replacing them with the bottle the doctor had procured.
Almost immediately, Joseph tackled Caesar back onto the bed with a hug. “Finally! We’re not going to be stuck in these beds anymore!” he cheered.
“Yes, we can go back to our rooms,” Caesar chuckled, which turned into a wheeze as his chest was compressed. “Now get off me, dammit!”
“Jojo!” Suzi hurried to help Caesar pry the excited brunette off him. Joseph reluctantly let go of Caesar, pouting as she began to scold him. “Really, you shouldn’t be putting all your weight on him in this state! He’s not fully better yet!”
“Don’t act like you’re not just as happy as I am!” he argued, crossing his arms childishly.
Caesar smiled as the two of them began to childishly bicker yet again. “I really don’t mind the excitement,” he interrupted, “so long as it doesn’t try killing my lungs. But right now, we need to-”
He was cut off as Suzi suddenly slammed into him, wrapping her arms around him. But because she weighed significantly less than Joseph did, her presence on his front barely affected Caesar.
“Woah, woah, woah! What do you think you’re doing?!” Joseph protested. “You just told me to not bother him, but now you’re doing the same thing I was doing!”
“That’s because I’m lighter, I won’t hurt him,” Suzi shot back, sticking her tongue out for good measure.
Joseph opened his mouth to give her a snarky remark, but his words died on his tongue as Caesar shifted Suzi off his lap and into the space next to him. “Honestly, you’re both children,” he huffed. “Did you forget that the dottore is still here? We need to listen to his instructions.”
“Oh, right!” Suzi exclaimed, and she quickly turned to face the doctor. Joseph rubbed his forehead in irritation as he did the same.
For his part, the doctor wasn’t bothered by their sudden shenanigans. While they were distracted, he had procured a pair of crutches from his equipment. “Grazie. Now, Signor Zeppeli, you’ll need to use these to walk for a while. These were supposed to be for Signor Joestar, but his healing prevented him from needing them.” He looked over at Joseph, who looked away with a sheepish smile. He turned back to Caesar. “I will update you on your condition with them during your recovery. If your condition ends up getting worse though, I will arrange for a wheelchair to be sent here instead.”
“Capisco. Is that all, dottore?” Caesar asked.
“Wait just a minute, doc,” Joseph interrupted. “You were the one who did that X-ray when I first got those rings inside me. I took the antidotes for both of them, but I don’t know if that was a lie or if the metal is still there. Can we set something up for that?”
“Si, I will check for a time when an appointment for that will be available and call you again. But it will cost extra,” the doctor warned.
Frankly, Joseph didn’t care how much his and Caesar’s recovery cost anyway. The bills for the expenses were being sent to the Speedwagon Foundation anyway, and there’s no way his uncle would refuse to get him treatment. Not to mention that the foundation was already covering Lisa Lisa’s expenses in the first place.
“I understand,” he chose to say instead.
“I guess that’s it for today?” Suzi asked with a smile. “I will wait for your call later. Grazie, dottore.”
The doctor nodded and said his farewells, and he left the infirmary with his equipment. The atmosphere became a lot less tense as he made his way to leave the island.
Suzi turned to Caesar next. “I know you were just taken off bed rest orders, but you should probably take a nap. You’ve spent enough energy today,” she suggested. “I can help you get to your room-”
“There’s no need for that. I can use my crutches,” Caesar replied, reaching for them. Suzi handed them to him immediately, and he slowly got to his feet and put them under his arms.
The maid let out a sigh of relief and stood up, but suddenly felt a hand grip the back of her dress. She was suddenly lifted in the air as she let out a small squeak.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Joseph demanded, effortlessly holding the maid above the ground. “The one who needs to go to bed is you, you’re the one who’s been doing the most work around here anyway!”
Suzi kicked her legs futilely as she dangled from the back of her dress. “Jojo, that’s literally my job-!”
“Nope, no excuses! You’re going right to bed, and you’re going to sleep until you get a lot of energy back!” he declared.
“Jojo! You don’t pick up a signorina like a cat!” Caesar tried to scold, but he looked like he was ready to double over laughing at the antics.
Joseph marched over to one of the unused infirmary beds and lowered her onto it, then went back over to his bed to take the blanket off and put it over her. She was too stunned to resist as he tucked her into bed, and he stepped back to admire his handiwork.
“Good, you’re all nice and bundled!” Joseph smiled. “Okay, sleep.”
“You think I can just sleep on command?” Suzi huffed.
“Would you rather I use my Ripple to help you?”
“Nope, I’m good!” she quickly responded, closing her eyes.
Within minutes, she was softly snoring in the infirmary bed, and Joseph and Caesar shared a quiet laugh about it as they helped each other get to their rooms in the trainees’ building.
In the kitchen, Joseph grumbled to himself as he dried a plate with a cloth. His lack of a second hand meant that he had to place the plate on the counter while he dried off its surface with a cloth, but he used the bandaged stump of his hand to keep the plate still.
All of this was because he had asked Suzi Q how to do the dishes, and drying them was part of his lesson. She decided to start him off with that step first before she trusted him to handle wet plates without dropping them. He knew better than to ask if he could have cooking lessons anytime soon, he needed to figure out how to do basic chores to help out first.
The worst part was that he couldn’t even complain about this, since he had asked for lessons on this. But everything was so hard to do with one hand, he didn’t think he’d ever get used to it.
Joseph put the plate he was drying in the cupboard, and he turned back to Suzi. “Alright, where’s the next one?”
“Right there.” She gestured to a pile of wet plates that had yet to be dried. She worked pretty fast, to his chagrin.
With a sigh, he got started on the next plate from the top.
He still hated hard work, but what he disliked now was his lack of experience with anything. Choosing which problem to fix was a double-edged sword, but he was determined to try and learn whatever he could now. After all, if he’s inexperienced with things, then he could make a situation worse.
Whether it’s simply washing the dishes, or trying to handle the emotions of an enraged friend…
Well, it was still frustrating for him to not be good at something regardless. One of those things was trying to block out bad memories. He’s sure he’d get better at that in time as well.
While he was distracted, the wet plate he was stabilizing with the stump of his hand slid against it, nearly falling to the ground. Thankfully, Suzi noticed it in time and caught it, putting it right back on the counter.
“Thanks, Suzi,” Joseph said. While the frustration with the situation showed on his face, the gratitude was at least present as well.
Suzi walked over to a different counter and grabbed a small bowl, filling it with some food from the fridge. “Jojo, I’m going to go make sure Caesar’s eaten something. Will you be alright alone?”
“Yeah, don’t worry! That plate thing was just a fluke, I’ll get the hang of this stupid thing…” His voice dissolved into a grumble as he struggled with a plate again.
“...If you say so. But if something goes wrong, yell for me,” Suzi reminded him, and she hurried out of the kitchen.
Joseph sighed as he got back to work. He didn’t like this, but he had to try. It wasn’t to take care of people though - although he did make that promise to Caesar, whether the man took it seriously or not. But all Joseph wanted was to distract his mind, to keep the reality of everything away from him. The busier he was, the more he focused on anything in front of him, then his overactive mind could stay in denial.
No, his missing hand wasn’t a problem. No, he wasn’t worrying about his friends and family. The Pillar Men were gone, everything was safe, no one was fighting, and everyone was happy. Everything was going to be okay. If he kept trying, it would become more true. Just don’t focus on anything else.
He repeated those thoughts like a mantra.
He heard some shuffling and clacking in the distance, which he recognized as Caesar’s crutches. They came closer until they stopped somewhere close to the kitchen, but not near enough for the sound to be entirely audible.
“Oh, Caesar! I was just looking for you!” he heard Suzi exclaim, though her voice was a bit muffled by the closed door.
“Oh, were you bringing that to me? Ah, grazie. I was just coming here to get something to eat,” Caesar confessed.
Another clacking sound occurred; Joseph guessed that Caesar was adjusting the position of his crutches.
“How’s Jojo doing? He’s with you, right?”
“Yes, but, ah…” Joseph’s glee when he heard Caesar checking up on him was soon diminished by Suzi’s awkward tone. “I’m trying to give him those lessons he wanted.”
“Hm. I suppose they’re not going well?”
“He’s nearly dropped two plates in the past five minutes, and I’ve only got him started with drying things and putting them away! I know Jojo’s never done anything like that before, but that boy’s seriously going to give me a headache at this rate.”
Joseph’s heart sank at those words. He knew she was stressed and he shouldn’t take it too personally, and it wasn’t as if he hadn’t heard his teachers talk about how hopeless he was as a student before. But he didn’t need the reminder that he wasn’t doing this well, he was already frustrated enough.
“Relax, amoruccio. Jojo might be a handful, but he never does things half-cocked. You’ve seen how he was helping you, right?” Caesar replied. “He was already determined to try to do this, it’s better if you keep guiding him so he doesn’t make it worse for himself. His heart’s in the right place, even if his coordination is, ah, shaky at the moment.”
“I guess having one hand will do that to you,” she agreed. “Alright, I’ll keep trying with him. He’s bound to get somewhere eventually.”
He let out a sigh of relief as he smiled. They hadn’t given up on him after all. That was a lot more leniency than his teachers or the authorities had ever given him, but it somehow meant more than that coming from his friends.
Their conversation became more muffled as they walked away from the door, but Joseph tuned them out as he kept trying to dry the plates.
The attic of Air Supplena’s storage building had a hidden hatch that led to the roof. Joseph remembered when Suzi Q had shown him that hatch when she was helping him retrieve training tools for Loggins near the beginning of his training. Through the course of the month, he found that Caesar used that spot for taking breaks.
Just like back then, Caesar was up there when Joseph went up there today. His crutches were set further to the middle of the roof, and Caesar was smoking a cigarette as he gazed out at the ocean. He looked like a man truly at peace, like he belonged in a painting there.
Upon hearing Joseph climb up from the hatch and onto the roof, Caesar sat up but didn’t turn around. “Buonasera, Jojo. What are you doing up here?”
“Just taking a break. Suzi’s got me learning how to sweep, but this place has too many damn rooms,” Joseph replied, closing the hatch behind him. “I needed some fresh air.”
The blonde finally twisted his body around to face him, his face and posture completely relaxed - about damn time, in Joseph’s opinion. “Come,” he patted a spot next to him, “sit down.”
Joseph snorted as he went to sit beside Caesar. “What, are you going to call me ‘good boy’ next? Didn’t take you for that type, Caesarino!”
“Get your mind out of the gutter. And don’t call me that,” the other man told him off. But he was still smiling, so Joseph considered that a success.
His eyes took in how Caesar looked right now, with his feet wrapped in bandage-casts and traces of bandages peeking out from under his shirt. He wasn’t fully healed, but he was at least recovering well. But what was the most jarring to Joseph was that Caesar had a headband on, his pink-purple one he donned during their training.
He looked out at the sea as he felt a twinge of guilt. “Sorry for burning your other headband. I know you liked that one.”
“Jojo, didn’t you already apologize for that?” Caesar let out a breathy chuckle. “I told you, I have more. And if I run out, I can always sew a new one.”
“You can sew?” Joseph suddenly perked up in interest.
“Of course, who do you think was the one who mended your sweater after Wamuu ripped it to shreds?” Caesar shook his head. “Honestly, Jojo…”
“Wait, that was YOU?! I thought you gave it to Suzi Q, or, or…” Joseph’s brain struggled to think of any answers as Caesar laughed. When he finally caught his breath and quieted down, Joseph could tell him, “Thanks for that.”
“It’s no problem.”
Caesar looked back out at the ocean, taking a long drag from his cigarette. Joseph’s nose wrinkled at the smell of the smoke, but even the scent was a familiar comfort over the course of their month together. But that comfort felt a whole lot better now that they’ve survived and defeated the Pillar Men together. Joseph had the rings out of him, Caesar avenged his family, Suzi was continuing her daily life below them, and the rest of their family and friends knew that they were alive.
All in all, it was an absolute victory. But after that, what would come next?
“Hey, Jojo. What are you planning to do after this?” Caesar asked him, as if he was reading his mind. “You’ve got a family to go back to, surely you’ve thought of your future by now.”
“Well, yeah. First thing I’m going to do is hug Granny Erina and Speedwagon, and pray that I don’t get locked in my room for the rest of my life. Though she knows I’m alive, so she’ll at least have a lecture for me,” Joseph chuckled, leaning back on his hands. “Being a pilot’s out of the question now, with a missing hand and all. But I’ll think of something.”
“Wait, they know?”
“Yeah, I told Suzi Q to send a telegram telling them we’re alive.”
“Ah.” Caesar nodded. “They shouldn’t be too worried then.”
Joseph smiled and turned his head to Caesar. “What about you? Got any plans?”
Caesar’s smile turned sad as he looked down at the ground. “Not at all. I never really had a plan for what to do next. Now that the Pillar Men are gone and I’m dropping out of university, I suppose I just don’t know what to do with myself now,” he confessed.
“I know what happened with your parents now, but Coach said you had siblings, right?” Joseph asked. “You should head back to them, or get them the hell out of Italy before the war starts.”
Caesar stayed quiet, only shaking his head. He took another drag of his cigarette and closed his eyes.
Joseph stared at his face, taking in the silent melancholy. He knew there was something Caesar wasn’t telling him, something definitely bad. He rarely ever talked about his home life or family during their training. But he didn’t want to screw up while trying to find out and risk Caesar’s temper again.
The fear in his inexperience started constricting him again. Caesar’s family was a topic that needed to be treated gently, right?
Alright then, Joseph could do gentle. Even if people didn't think he could. Because he could.
“Your siblings, um, are you still in contact with them? Or did something happen-” Caesar seemed to wince, and Joseph quickly backpedalled. “Ah, never mind, never mind. You don’t have to tell me.”
On second thought, maybe he couldn't-
Caesar sighed. “No, it’s alright. You kept asking me about my family all through our training, and I never answered. But not knowing about it led to our…disagreement.”
“Just say ‘fight,’ jackass,” Joseph grumbled.
That got Caesar to smile, even as the mood grew heavier.
“My mother died from an illness when I was young, and my father left, so I had to take care of four siblings. But then a relative stole all the money left for us,” he began to explain. “I…wasn’t really a good caretaker. I kept trying to wander around to find food or money, but if anyone tried to get on my case for my missing parents, I beat them up.”
“Serves them right,” Joseph nodded. At least Caesar had better reasons for getting in fights than he did, and he was the one that got arrested seven times.
“Sometime after the neighbours and my father’s friends took in my siblings, some people took me away to that orphanage. You know the rest of my story from there.”
Caesar took a few deep breaths and tried opening his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Not wanting to rub salt where Caesar was most vulnerable again - he wanted to avoid that - Joseph waited for him to continue.
“…While I was living in the slums, my father asked Signor Speedwagon to do a search with his foundation to check on his children. He agreed since he was friends with my grandfather, he wanted to provide money and support to the Zeppeli family. But besides me becoming a missing person case, my siblings…I got Father’s papers about them when I arrived at Air Supplena. Master said that it was something I’d want to know.”
Joseph wasn’t stupid - well, he wasn’t a complete dumbass. He could tell what Caesar was trying to say, that his siblings were all dead.
“I’m sorry,” was all he could find the words to say.
“It’s alright. I’ve already come to terms with it a long time ago,” Caesar replied. “I never had anyone for a long time, and now I have no one to go back to.”
“I think I get it. I told you before that my mom and dad are dead, right?” Joseph watched the other man as he looked at him curiously. “So I know how tough it is to be alone. I know I’ve never been completely alone like you were, but I think I can understand your feelings a little.”
“Jojo…”
The other man sat up properly, extinguishing his finished cigarette and tossing it off the roof. Behind a nervous smile, Joseph grit his teeth just in case Caesar was going to hit him. But to his surprise, he just moved his hand over Joseph’s.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to figure you out. Just trying to balance your childishness and seriousness during our training was a handful, and here you are, suddenly with more maturity than I expected,” Caesar confessed.
“Yeah, well, I nearly lost you,” Joseph answered. “We fought and you nearly got yourself killed, and now everything feels like it’ll break any second now. Like I’ll drop it and it’ll shatter and it’ll be all my fault.”
“What?”
For some reason, being on this roof gave him the feeling that he was in a soundproof room, like he was far away from training and the threat of imminent death. He could confess anything here, and there wouldn’t be any judgement. He supposed that was why Caesar liked being up there so much, and why he felt like he could talk about his family.
It was just…safe. There was no other word that he could describe it as. And Caesar was here and listening, so he could let himself be honest.
Joseph sighed. “I don’t really have many friends, especially since I moved to New York. Smokey’s really the only one that stuck around longest, and that’s saying something. But no one really got to know me until this past stupid month. You took care of me and let me rely on you, and you made the lonely feeling go away. So losing you, it kinda scares me.”
Caesar blinked in surprise, then began to smile again. “But I’m still here, aren’t I? You don’t need to treat me like you’re…ah, what’s that phrase in English? ‘Walking on glass’?”
“Walking on eggshells,” Joseph corrected.
“Yes, that. We’ve been through hell together, and now we’re recovering. The nightmares you have probably won’t ever leave you, but the feelings will slowly go away…maybe. Only time can help you.” Caesar briefly reached into his pocket to grab another cigarette, but swore under his breath when he found the box empty. He continued, “You don’t need to worry, Jojo. If it’s about our fight, you’ve already made up for that. I’ve forgiven you. No one’s going away. All we can do is figure things out from here.”
Although Caesar looked satisfied with his argument, Joseph knew that mere words couldn’t make the fear in his chest disappear. But Caesar was right, only time could heal all wounds. So maybe he’d need to find something else to keep his mind off everything, or drag Caesar up here to talk more, or…well, he’d figure it out. He always did.
“Thanks, Caesarino. You’re always looking out for me, aren’t you?” he remarked. “I guess you’re really the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Caesar rolled his eyes at the nickname. “What can I say, it seems my past gave me the ability to be drawn to lonely people. When I see someone like that, I can’t just leave them alone.”
“Is that how you pick up all your girls? My, what a shameless casanova,” Joseph teased as a mischievous smile slipped onto his face.
That smile only got wider when Caesar pushed Joseph sideways in retaliation, and they got into a playfight in the middle of the roof. It didn’t occur to them that they could’ve fallen until they nearly knocked one of Caesar’s crutches off, to which they decided to just go back inside again.
Joseph was also forced to go back to his chores, but not without many complaints on his part.
The next morning, Suzi cooked up a nice casserole, which the men dug into quickly. Suzi was delighted by the few minutes of silence, she was of the belief that a quiet meal meant the food was good. Neither of them were about to dispute her logic, especially considering that it was good.
After the first few minutes of silence, the morning discussions about sleeping well, medication, and possible plans for the day started unfolding. Joseph never really cared for them much, but with his new resolve to keep his mind busy, he started participating just a little more.
“I was thinking of going to the mainland, but I don’t think we need anything. Maybe I should just browse the market then?” Suzi wondered aloud. “But I don’t want to pass that one restaurant, the one with green walls inside. They play war songs way too loud!”
“They’re probably just playing from the radio,” Joseph shrugged. “That restaurant looks cheap anyway. Did you think they’d play Paganini or something?”
“Pfft-! How on earth do YOU know Paganini?” Caesar snorted. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Because I’m English? Well, Mozart’s Austrian, and everyone’s heard his music!”
“No, dumbass! You can’t convince me that you can stay in one place to listen to classical music!”
“Granny made me take violin lessons, of course I know Paganini! Just give me a violin, I’ll play something that’ll knock your socks off!”
“We don’t have violins here, rich brat! The instruments wouldn’t do well on a small island anyway.”
“What, it’s not like you have to take them outside. Unless you were planning to serenade a certain someone?”
“Porca puttana, non dire cazzate, tuo-”
Suzi sighed with a laugh as she watched the men bicker. “It never ends, does it…”
The argument was broken up when they heard the phone start ringing, and Suzi quickly stood up to answer it. Both men stayed quiet as she put the receiver to her ear.
“Pronto, chi sei? …Si, per favore aspetta un momento.” She turned to Caesar. “It’s for you. Looks like it’s the German army.”
Caesar swore under his breath as he stood up to get to the phone, and Suzi hurried over to Joseph and led him out of the room.
Once they were another room away, Joseph sat down in another chair. He didn’t really know what Caesar was dealing with right now, and frankly, he didn’t really care. Dealing with Stroheim twice- no, three times was already too much for him.
So he decided to switch topics. “Hey, do you have any English-Italian books in the library? I never really got a chance to check out that place,” he wondered.
“Ah, yes. Lisa Lisa collected them when she first came to Italy, it’s how she learned,” Suzi answered, the surprise apparent on her face.
“She’s not Italian? Huh, never would have guessed,” Joseph muttered. “Anyway, I was thinking I’d try to learn a bit now that I don’t have a death sentence on me.”
“Oh, really?” Now her expression was a mixture of surprise and delight. “Well, you can find that section of books at the back, near the pillar with the grandfather clock next to it.”
“Sweet, thanks!”
Suzi smiled in that oh-so-sweet way that made Joseph’s heart flutter every way. “I never expected you to want to learn it. What brought this on?”
“Well, I guess it just interested me? It’s easier to learn something when you don’t have a month left to live,” he replied, waving his hand flippantly.
He wasn’t lying or exaggerating, even he was surprised that he was doing this off a whim. But he lived with five Italians for that month, who thankfully spoke English around him so he could join in on conversations. From what he knew, they also wanted to practice their English while they were at it. When his instructors didn’t want him to hear something though, or when Suzi and Caesar wanted to say something in private, they switched back to Italian, annoying him to no end.
And besides, it would give him something to do. Chores weren’t enough to drive off all his thoughts, he needed mental stimulation to keep his problems away. People might say that he couldn’t run from all his problems, but he sure could try. And besides, maybe he’d be able to eavesdrop on Caesar and Suzi better.
He did learn the entire dictionary of Italian insults from living with Caesar, which gave him another thought.
“Maybe this means I’ll be able to insult Caesar back in his own language! Imagine the look on his face!”
“And there’s the catch,” Suzi giggled. “And here I thought you wanted to learn for the sake of learning.”
“I do want to learn it, don’t get me wrong. I hope the books are easy enough to read, I’m not really good at learning,” he chuckled.
“Oh, who would have guessed?” she joked, getting a cry of indignation from the Brit. “Relax, I only barely finished my education, and that’s because of Lisa Lisa. She made sure I was able to keep going to school, even while I was working for her.”
“Oh, really? Damn, how old were you?”
“Fifteen when she hired me. When Caesar was brought to be trained, I was seventeen.”
“Wait, you’re older than him? You sure don’t look like it.”
“Taci, ragazzo, flattery gets you nowhere. Anyway, I was at least able to attend a proper school. He’s always been jealous of that. Lisa Lisa had to hire some tutors from the Speedwagon Foundation to catch him up on eight years of education within two years.”
“Hold on, I thought it was only six? Lisa Lisa said that he went to Rome when he was 10, and he was sixteen when he went to find her…” Joseph began to count on his fingers.
Suzi rolled her eyes. “The six years he missed, plus the next two years of formal education while he was being tutored.”
Finally, it clicked for Joseph. “Oh, right. Forgot about that.”
The maid giggled as Joseph let out a fake-exasperated huff, slumping down in his chair. His act didn’t last long though, he was sitting back up with a smile within the minute.
That being said, the talk about their education reminded him of one of the conversations he’d eavesdropped on. Caesar valued his education, yet was dropping out of university. He wondered if he should offer to ask Speedwagon to help Caesar enroll in a different one, he had more than enough money for it. Joseph remembered hearing the surname “Zeppeli” quite a few times ever since he was a young boy, he knew that his uncle was trying to track down the family.
He didn’t know then what happened with his grandfather, Caesar’s grandfather, and Speedwagon; he only knew the aftermath.
Speedwagon had definitely set up a fund for the family to use. Now that Joseph thought about it, maybe that’s where the funds were coming from now. So maybe he didn’t have to ask after all. Well then, what a pointless train of thought that was, in his opinion.
Wait, had Suzi gone to college or university at all? He’d have to ask, maybe his grandmother could help her if he begged-
All of a sudden, a loud bark of laughter from the other room startled them out of their conversation.
“Caesar? What the hell’s up with him?” Joseph wondered as he got up, moving back to the dining room with Suzi.
The phone was hung up, and Caesar was leaning on the table they were eating on, doubled-over and absolutely howling with laughter. Joseph looked at Suzi in confusion, and she quickly stepped closer to Caesar.
“Hey, Caesar? What’s going on?” she asked, rubbing his back to help him breathe a bit.
Joseph couldn’t hear the words Caesar was forcing out very well, he only managed to catch the words “Stroheim”, “Ripple”, and “tests” that he wheezed out. But whatever Suzi managed to piece together, it made her eyes widen like saucers.
“Did Stroheim figure out the trick?! Now, of all times?!” she exclaimed. Caesar could only nod in response, and Suzi became furious. “No! Dannazione! Testa di cazzo!” she yelled, and kicked Caesar in the shin. The man forced himself back into a chair before his upper body collapsed on the table, practically crying with laughter.
Joseph looked between them, now even more confused than he previously was. This was definitely not a side of them he’d seen before, not even at his own embarrassing moments. “Hey, what are you talking about? What’s going on?” he questioned.
Suzi puffed up her cheeks and stomped her foot childishly. “I owe Caesar so much lira that it’s not even funny!” she whined.
That…did not answer Joseph’s question. But it had something to do with Stroheim, a trick, and a bet. Alright, something was definitely up.
“Wait, so…someone tricked Stroheim? Is that what Caesar’s laughing about?”
“Caesar did. He’s been doing it for two years now,” Suzi explained, childishly crossing her arms. “We’ve had a bet going on about whether he would find out before Italy went to war. That bastardo just won.”
“Hold on, Caesar’s been tricking Stroheim?!” Joseph didn’t know whether to be shocked, amused, or scared for his friend’s life right now. So he settled for being even more confused instead.
His exclamation sent Caesar into another round of hysterics, so the long-suffering maid was forced to tell the story:
“When Caesar started university, Stroheim approached him and offered him a job. It was pretty well-known that Caesar was Lisa Lisa’s student by then, and I guess word spread to the Germans. Since Italy’s allied with them and all. They had found the Pillar Men’s resting place and were researching them too, and they found out that the Ripple could harm them.”
“Right, that’s why the Santana incident happened. Stroheim said they wanted to find a way to destroy them…” Joseph recalled.
“The job was simple, just let the German army study his Ripple, both for the project and the war effort. In return, they’d pay him and he’d get a legal exemption from being drafted.” Suzi stopped in the middle to snicker. “But here’s the catch: Stroheim had to go to Italy to find Ripple practitioners to cooperate, meaning that no one in Germany could use the Ripple. Caesar didn’t know how to train someone else anyway, so their Ripple research for the war would be useless. Only Ripple users can use it.”
“Oh shit…” Joseph covered his mouth to hide his small smile growing. “I thought Caesar was just working for them because of the alliance thing.”
From the table, Caesar shook his head. “No…” He was trying to force back his laughter. “It was…it was just convenient…using them as tools…”
“So for the past two years, Caesar’s been showing off his Ripple, getting paid for it, got a get-out-of-war free card, used his connection to them to keep tabs on the Pillar Men, and they didn’t get anything in return. He’s been reporting as much as he could to Signor Speedwagon and Madam Lisa Lisa too, so they’re pretty informed about what’s been happening politically,” she finished.
“So, did Stroheim just figure out that all the research that was done is useless?” Joseph asked, and received a nod from Suzi.
He looked back at Caesar, who was drinking a glass of water as he tried to recover himself. Sure, Caesar might have picked up quite a few tricks over the course he’d known Joseph, but even Joseph himself couldn’t have guessed what occurred behind the scenes. Sure, Joseph could come up with tricks on the fly, but Caesar had fooled everyone for two years for the sake of his revenge - and he succeeded.
AND he got free money out of it, on top of Speedwagon funding him too.
What was Kars’s speech again, about moving pieces across the board? If anything, Caesar was the master of the game here. Kars could go eat his heart out.
“Damn,” he muttered, half-parts impressed and concerned. There was no way Caesar wasn’t in trouble now, even with how humorous he found the situation.
Caesar cleared his throat, having pulled himself together. “The aftermath of that wasn’t as bad as I was expecting,” he began. “For one, he’s not going to interfere with my draft exemption. He’s saying that it’s on account of helping to save the world.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” Suzi sighed. “Anything else?”
“I have a complete ban from Germany now. Stroheim says he’s going to hit me if he sees me again,” he chuckled. “The Germans are going to officially cease their research on the Ripple. They’re covering everything up by claiming that it’s not needed anymore since the Pillar Men are gone. Plus, they lost the Red Stone.”
“Right, Suzi said you had it on you when we were brought here. You used it to amplify your own Ripple to protect us, didn’t you?” Joseph questioned. “You must’ve made a barrier around the rock with your Ripple, then when we hit the sea, you used your bubbles to keep it afloat. That’s what you did, right?”
“That’s right. There was some leftover energy from Kars striking the Red Stone, so I added my own on top of that.”
“I’ve put the Super Aja away in Madam Lisa Lisa’s vault. I’ll have to bring it to her eventually,” Suzi Q interrupted, which Caesar replied to with a small nod.
Caesar looked back at the other Ripple user. “Oh, by the way, Jojo,” he began, and Joseph tensed up. That was the voice Caesar used when he was relaying a message from their instructors or about their training in general, a promise of something good or just straight-up pain. Caesar noticed him tensing and laughed. “What’s that for? Come on now…”
“Just get on with it,” Joseph complained as he forced his shoulders to relax.
“You recall how Stroheim got a new body, yes? And you’ve been having problems trying to do things without both hands. Forgive me for not consulting you, but I arranged something to help you.”
“You’re gonna give me a robot body?!” Joseph yelped, holding the stump of his hand close to his chest protectively.
“No, imbecille, just your hand. I arranged to get you a metal hand, and Stroheim agreed to send one of his doctors for that. He’s less mad at you than he is with me,” Caesar laughed, closing his eyes briefly and taking another sip of water.
Everything seemed to slow down a bit as Joseph took in this information. And then everything sped up again, and Caesar was tackled in a hug before Joseph’s mind could catch up with him again. If his mind had been there, perhaps Caesar’s chair would not have been knocked over in the process.
“Jojo!” Suzi shouted, and she ran to the men on the floor to make sure they were alright. “Hey, you’re crushing Caesar! Come on, move!”
As much as she tried, Joseph would not separate from the other man, even as Caesar was bitching about spilling water onto both of their clothes. Right now, he could not possibly give any less of a damn about his soaked shirt or the way multiple hands tried to move him, this was probably the best news he’s gotten since…well, since Caesar woke up.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t been in this much of a good mood in a while now. When on earth did he get so serious? Was the battle really that shocking that he couldn’t even maintain his air of nonchalance? Sure, the past few days have been stressful and he had to deal with the whiplash of everything…
Joseph decided to put those thoughts out of his mind. If he was this happy now, then he was going to savour it while he could.
Caesar eventually gave up on trying to move the giant manchild on him, to Joseph’s relief, and Suzi evidently followed his lead. “Well, at least you got out of that safe and sound,” she told Caesar, all while rubbing circles on Joseph’s back.
Caesar sighed. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that, bella,” he began to explain. “Even if Stroheim says I’m safe, getting blacklisted by Italy’s ally and generally interfering in research means the government might retaliate against me. I need to heal quickly, I have to flee before Italy joins the war.”
And with those words, the delight at getting a hand back gave way to the fear for Caesar’s safety. He was right, there was always a catch to everything.
Joseph must have held his friend a little tighter because he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. “It’s alright, Jojo. I expected something like this would happen. I have connections everywhere, I’ll be able to get out safely,” Caesar reassured him.
Joseph sighed and said nothing else, trying to navigate the feelings inside him. Sure, he did want that hand, but above all else, he wanted to make sure the ones he cared for were safe.
That afternoon, Suzi kicked the men off the island so she could clean the floors without their interference. She gave them a curfew of four in the afternoon, and sent them on their way.
Which was good timing, as Joseph was forced to march himself into the doctor’s office on the mainland. Caesar followed behind on only one crutch now, staying to support Joseph while he got his X-ray done.
While Caesar waited in the lobby, Joseph was made to lie on a table as they scanned his upper body with their machine. He scrunched up his eyes tightly, trying to focus on the cold metal on his back instead of the feeling of being watched as doctors hovered over him with their machines. Unfortunately, he knew that it was going to take longer than last time; they were going to check for any remaining traces of the rings.
All he could hear were the hum of the machines, footsteps, and the quiet murmurs of the doctors. His chest and throat felt like they were getting tighter with his anxiety. What if the antidotes hadn’t worked? Or worse, what if the antidotes removed the poison but not the metal casing of the rings? The rings would have released their poison by now if it was the first case, but he needed to confirm that the second wasn’t a possibility.
After what felt like forever, Joseph was finally instructed to get off the table and wait in the lobby while they developed the photos. He obeyed the instructions and hurried back to Caesar at his first opportunity.
“How’d it go?” Caesar asked him.
Joseph laid his head on Caesar’s shoulder, looking down at the ground. “We’ll find out when the pictures come back.”
“I meant the scanning process, Jojo.”
“I don’t care about that.”
Thankfully, Caesar decided not to get into a bickering match with him right now. Joseph knew that his body was completely rigid, and Caesar wasn’t telling him off for having bony elbows or anything. Once again, his training partner was looking out for him. He was always like that…
A few minutes later, the doctor finally came into the lobby. Caesar sat up immediately. “Buonasera, dottore. Are the results here?”
“Indeed. It’s a curious case, I had no idea how the rings were put into your body when you first came.” The doctor handed the photos over to the men, whose eyes widened as they looked at the results. “And somehow, not even a trace of them remain! Even modern science can’t understand it.”
“That doesn’t matter!” Joseph stood up from his chair. “Fucking FINALLY! They’re out! I’m not gonna die!”
The doctor and his assistants watched in silence as he nearly started running around the room, whooping and cheering like a child. Caesar got up with his crutch and grabbed Joseph by the shoulder as he ran past, stopping him with a yank on his clothes.
“We’ll be leaving now. Grazie,” Caesar addressed the doctors, and he began taking Joseph out of the building. Perhaps the ability to drag a nearly six-foot tall muscular man behind him while walking with one crutch was a miracle of science in itself.
Another minute of walking later, Joseph and Caesar walked beside each other on the sidewalk. “Finally, I don’t have a death sentence on me. Man, this feels great!” Joseph drawled, smiling widely as he stretched his arms.
“Don’t be so loud,” Caesar chided. He couldn’t fool Joseph with his tone though, he wore a smile too. He was just as enthused with Joseph’s safety as he was.
The sky was clear and sunny, as if the heavens themselves were rewarding them for ridding the world of the Pillar Men once and for all - well, that’s what Joseph liked to think. Even now, just walking around Venice with Caesar was a reward in itself, regardless of their injuries. It was proof that they had survived.
“Sooooo, what’s next on the agenda? Suzi’s kicked us out until four, we still got a couple hours to go,” Joseph remarked, looking at a clock in a shop nearby.
“Well, I should probably make good on my promise, first and foremost. Who knows how much time we’ll have left for that?” Caesar suggested.
Joseph’s mind blanked for a moment. “Eh? A promise…?” They had made so many promises over the course of the month that Joseph didn’t know which one was being referred to.
“You asked me to take you to my favourite place to eat if we won our fight,” the blonde reminded him. “So, I’m taking you to a proper Italian bar.”
Now it came back to him. They had been on the storage building’s rooftop when they started talking about food they liked, and Caesar had promised that he’d make sure Joseph tried lots of Italian food to expand his “childish palate.”
“Ooh, how fancy! You’re in a good mood today!” Joseph laughed. “I thought you’d never even take me into a post office!”
He conveniently skipped over how he had been in a post office before, and he and Caesar nearly got arrested there.
“That’s because you’d act like a buffoon no matter where you go. This is just a special occasion,” Caesar huffed.
“You never said that whenever you took my grocery shopping,” Joseph teased back. He was ninety percent sure Caesar was going to hit him with his crutch at this rate, but it would be worth it.
Instead, the blonde just gave one of his classic world-weary sighs and kept walking ahead. “It’s close now, don’t fall behind.”
As promised, Caesar led him to a building with a sign with the word “BAR” printed in large letters. Joseph briefly wondered how mad Suzi would be if he came back to the island plastered. Oh well, he could blame Caesar for this anyway.
To his surprise, the interior looked more homely and with significantly less alcohol than he expected to see. “This doesn’t really look like a bar,” he idly commented.
“It’s not a bar like you know it,” Caesar corrected. “I think the closest word is, um, café? Wait, no, that’s French…”
“Hey, I know that word. I get what you mean.”
“Ah, good. Let’s go order then.”
Caesar walked them up to the counter and began speaking to a worker there in Italian, and Joseph sat back and let him take the lead like this. Normally, he was unable to understand even a single word in Italian, but those books Suzi directed him towards seemed to help him - he could pick up a few words now.
He managed to use context clues from the words he knew to guess Caesar’s order: two coffees, one being extra sweet. He didn’t order them any food, Suzi’s been cooking large meals ever since their stomachs could hold heavier foods again.
Within minutes, their cups were served to them as they stood at the counter. Joseph didn’t get why there were different prices for sitting and standing, nor why Caesar wanted to stand even with his injured feet. But hey, he didn’t really care about minor details so long as his drink was in his hand. He trusted his extremely-limited knowledge of Italian and took a sip.
“How is it?” Caesar asked him, gazing over at him from his own coffee.
“It’s sweet!” Joseph happily exclaimed, and ignored Caesar’s chiding to keep his volume down as he took another sip from his cup.
The other man ran a hand through his hair with a laugh. “Mamma mia, looks like the sugar has kicked in already.”
Joseph’s muffled “shut up” only made Caesar laugh a little harder.
“At least I can tell Suzi that being upside-down for a while didn’t mess up my brain. I could remember your…come se dice, your ‘sweet tooth’?” Caesar guessed, and got a nod from the enthusiastic Englishman. “Then it looks like the extra I paid for the added sugar in your coffee was worth it.”
“Aw, you’re too good to me, Caesarino,” Joseph cooed. “Hehehe, and your next line is ‘Yes, and I don’t know why.’”
“Yes, and I don’t- Dio mio, you’re insufferable,” Caesar huffed, shaking his head at Joseph’s old trick. “Now chiudi la bocca and drink your coffee.”
Joseph was more than happy to oblige, drinking down the rest of his sickeningly sweet coffee. Nobody who knew him could understand how he could eat so much sugar and still look like he had a body chiselled out of marble - except maybe Granny Erina, she chalked it up to his grandfather’s genes. But he didn’t expect Caesar to understand it anytime soon either.
When Joseph drained his cup, he handed it to Caesar, who took care of their cups while Joseph waited. After a brief talk with the worker at the counter, Caesar finally began to move towards the door, with Joseph trailing after him.
“You know, I thought you’d bring me to this place to eat. You know, since it’s technically a restaurant and all,” Joseph idly commented.
“Absolutely not. Your table manners are awful,” Caesar bluntly replied, leading to yet another squabble between the two.
With the amount of walking they had to do, from the doctor’s to the Italian bar, plus the walk from the bar to the harbour, there was half an hour left before their curfew. Caesar was a stickler for the time, claiming he didn’t want to make Suzi Q worry (though Joseph suspected it was a leftover habit from being a teacher’s pet), so the remaining thirty minutes were for the amount of time it would take for the boat to reach Air Supplena.
As the boat made its half-hour journey towards the island, Joseph leaned against the side of the deck and watched the waves pass. He occasionally glanced over at Caesar, who sat near the front of the boat, and got lost in his thoughts.
Caesar would have to leave Italy soon, so maybe this was one of the last times he could see Venice. Joseph could take him to New York, he thought. He could meet his grandmother, see some landmarks with him, Joseph could show him what Coca-Cola tastes like - well, maybe not that last one. Caesar liked bitter things, from coffee to cigarettes. How any girl he charmed wanted to kiss him was a mystery, his kisses had to taste so bitter-
Joseph snapped himself out of his thoughts and stared at the sea with wide eyes. Did he really just think that kind of thing? Caesar was his best friend, not to mention him only liking women. He did NOT need to get his emotions all muddled before he had a chance to take a break.
When the boat finally reached Air Supplena’s docks, Joseph immediately excused himself to walk to Air Supplena’s main building, while Caesar went to his room in the trainees’ building to rest. Wanting to avoid getting hit by a washcloth for messing up the floors, Joseph quickly located an empty basket and went back outside to take dried clothes down from their hangers. He was getting better and better at handling chores lately.
As he held the basket between his hip and the stump of his hand, his actual hand took off the clothespins and put the clothing in the basket. As he worked, he began to think about earlier. Unfortunately, this was not the first time he had less-than-platonic thoughts towards his fellow Ripple student.
Sure, Caesar was an amazing friend. Despite his strict attitude, he always kept an eye out for Joseph. He quietly shared tricks that made some exercises easier if Joseph was really struggling, and sometimes helped guide him through the proper breathing for his Ripple. He wasn’t so above it all either, he could play dirty or catch onto Joseph’s tricks if needed. They played off each other during training, each getting stronger and craftier as the month went on.
Joseph remembered when he had woken up from a nightmare and started choking from his breathing mask. It had been the middle of their training, and seeing the benefits of their unity to their training, Lisa Lisa had moved her students into a shared bedroom. Caesar had woken up from the noise and held Joseph to his chest, using the rhythm of his breathing to guide Joseph into getting air back into his lungs again.
They had laid down after that, with Caesar too sleepy to remove him from his arms, and Joseph had fallen asleep feeling completely safe. It had been the first time he felt that kind of feeling since he arrived in Italy, or perhaps even for several months, and that feeling made Joseph greedy to get more of it. He woke up when Caesar had to untangle their bodies in the morning, but there was a change now.
Every single kind action from Caesar became more noticeable, whether it was during training or during their breaks. Joseph had thought that he wouldn’t have minded living the rest of his life with those actions, but he had stopped thinking it when he considered that the training might actually be the rest of his life, should he be killed by the Pillar Men.
Now that it was all over, he’s noticed that Caesar’s a lot more relaxed when it comes to him. He freely let Joseph have treats or didn’t push him away, it was like he was getting softer. Joseph briefly wondered if Caesar was coming around to liking him - but, of course, reminded himself that Caesar was a shameless casanova.
But Caesar’s actions and words towards him were a lot more sincere than towards the ladies he seduced. So maybe Joseph didn’t mind not being seduced by him after all.
He didn’t think it was weird to think about another man like that. As far as Joseph Joestar could remember, he had eyes for both women and men alike. He was pretty sure it stemmed from Erina’s strict reminders that he study his history, along with buying history books that he asked for. He had learned the tricks and guidelines of geniuses like Sun Tzu, and he had also learned about the societies these geniuses had lived in. Warriors and kings took lovers and consorts, and love between men wasn’t condemned. So if the ones who built the foundation of society did it, then Joseph assumed it was just natural.
But in current society, the only encouraged relationships were between men and women, and even those had some restrictions that had to do with religion, race, or other things Joseph couldn’t care less about. Those who deviated from this had to do it in secret, lest they be persecuted. Joseph had seen all kinds of hatred back in England, and he wasn’t surprised to find it in America too. It just gave him an excuse whenever he got into yet another fight.
Frankly, Joseph didn’t see the problem with that kind of love. It wasn’t anyone else’s business, so what was the big deal? Even he could admit when a guy looked handsome…though he didn’t think Speedwagon would ever let him live down what happened in Mexico. In hindsight, maybe flirting with the mostly-naked Pillar Man as a conversation starter wasn’t a good idea after all.
Santana was definitely not receptive to his flirting, but on Joseph’s part, neither was anyone else. No matter if it was flirting, or just even meager attempts at friendship, he was never able to keep people around him for very long in his life. His entire youth was spent with an aching loneliness in his heart, one he could only put a name to when he came to Air Supplena and was isolated from everything.
A traitorous voice in his mind unhelpfully reminded him that Caesar was drawn to the lonely types - perhaps that’s why he was so soft on him.
Joseph put that thought right out of his mind, glaring at the clothes he continued to take off the clothesline. No, he didn’t think it was weird to be attracted to men. What he thought was truly weird was the fact that he thought these things about Caesar, of all people. He definitely wasn’t attracted to him, not with the way he flirted with women.
And besides, Caesar was just a friend, not someone he was in love with. Joseph had a feeling that if he tried to find out whether he loved Caesar or vice versa, that would be another attempt at friendship ruined, another severed bond that would leave him lonely again. So it was better not to find out.
Before he knew it, all the dried clothes were in the basket. Humming a showtune he heard on the radio, he turned on his heel to go find Suzi Q and ask where she wanted him to put the basket.
The sunlight was bright on his eyelids as Joseph slowly woke up. He recognized the feeling of the rough sheets beneath his body before he even opened his eyes. How did he get to the infirmary again? God, Suzi was going to kill him for whatever he did this time.
But to his surprise, Suzi and Caesar were both beside his bed, chatting to each other in Italian. Joseph’s movements caught their attention, and Suzi Q had a glass of water at the ready as Joseph sat up in bed.
“Jojo, here, drink this,” Suzi requested, putting the cup to his lips for him. Joseph was a little annoyed at the babying, but he obediently drank the water. How much trouble was he going to be in?
Once the cup was pulled back, he looked around again. Nothing was out of the ordinary, and he was in his ordinary clothes. Crop top, pants, socks, grey glove, presumably his shoes were somewhere- Hold on a fucking moment.
Joseph looked back to the “glove” on his left and felt his breath catch in his throat. He didn’t have a hand, he couldn’t wear a glove. That grey thing was a hand. And it was attached to his arm.
He carefully reached out with his right hand to touch it. It was made of metal.
“Oh my god!” he yelled, making both Italians jump at the sudden noise. “What the fuck?! How did that get there!”
“Jojo, please calm down!” Suzi cried, reaching out to grab his shoulders.
“How am I supposed to calm down?! I-I don’t know how-” Joseph looked back at the metal hand. “I just woke up, how did it-!”
“Wait, you can’t remember anything?” Caesar realized. He let out a small snort of laughter. “Wow, the doctor wasn’t lying. Anesthesia is strong stuff.”
“Oh, shut it! Just tell me what happened!” Joseph whined, looking back and forth between his companions and the metal hand. He raised his arm and inspected the contraption. Like he did so many times, he reached for the instinctive motions to move his fingers. The hand’s fingers began to move, clicking and bending in an unnatural way that made him yelp in shock.
“We will, but you need to calm down and breathe first!” Suzi ordered, though her voice sounded more squeaky than intimidating.
After lowering his metal hand and stretching his arm to keep it as far from him as possible, Joseph took some deep breaths and quieted himself at the promise of information.
She nodded, and then explained, “Stroheim’s doctor finally came over with the metal hand, but your arm was cut in a way that the opening didn’t fit well. So we brought you to the infirmary, the doctor gave you a heavy dose of anesthesia to keep you asleep, and he did a little bit of kinda-surgery to make it fit. So…ta-da! You have two hands again!”
Joseph blinked in surprise and looked down at his metal hand again. Anesthesia, huh…that explained why he couldn’t remember. He’d probably remember everything clearly when the medicine wore off, but if Caesar and Suzi were looking after him, that probably meant that he was fine with the surgery and agreed to it.
“Alright…okay then,” he nodded. He just knew his face was betraying all his confusion, but he hoped it wasn’t betraying his distress as well. Too many things were happening all at once recently, wasn’t he supposed to be taking a break while healing?
Caesar stood up from his chair, putting his crutch under his arm. “Cheer up, bambino. You’ve got two hands again, things will get better,” he reassured. He turned to the door and began to leave.
Joseph straightened up quickly. “Wait, where are you going?”
“I’m telling the doctor that there are no complications with your waking or your hand. I’ll be removing him from the island,” he answered. Accepting no further questions, Caesar left the infirmary to find Stroheim’s doctor and send him on his way.
When the infirmary door closed, Joseph leaned back in bed and sighed. “Ah shit, how am I going to get used to this…?”
“It’s alright, Jojo. We’re here for you, Caesar and I,” Suzi assured him, putting her hand over Joseph’s flesh one. He turned his hand over and gently squeezed her hand.
“What- What am I going to tell Granny Erina? And Speedwagon too? My hand…” he fretted, looking over at the metal hand. “It only looks a little weird, so I’ll get used to it. But I don’t want to make them worry.”
“Hm…” Suzi covered her mouth as she thought, and quickly perked up. “When Caesar first came here, his hands were covered in marks, so he covered them with gloves until they healed. I don’t think his will fit you, but I can buy some for you at the market!”
“Oh my god, you’re the best,” Joseph exhaled, squeezing her hand a little tighter. It was just as Caesar said, things would get better.
“Alright, so I have to show you how to control your new hand. The doctor wrote down instructions…wait, they’re in German. We might have to wait for Caesar to come back so he can translate it,” Suzi nervously chuckled.
“Just pass them over, I don’t need Caesar’s help,” he requested. This whole incident was making him slightly grateful for all the language lessons he’d been put through, not that it helped him much in Italy. Though he was learning the language on his own.
She was passing over the papers when another thought came to mind. “Oh, you probably can’t wear your fingerless gloves anymore, can you? You’ll have to use regular ones if you want to cover up your hand.”
“Oh no! I forgot about that part!”
“Wait, you want us to go swimming?” Joseph repeated.
“Not me, the doctor does,” Suzi replied, holding a pair of swimsuits over her arm. “Well, it’s for Caesar really, but I didn’t think you’d want to be left out.”
“Damn right I don’t!” Joseph turned to the other Ripple user in the room, who was reading in a chair. “Caesar! We’re gonna go-!”
“I heard her the first time, Jojo.” Caesar shut his book and reached for his crutch.
“Wait, do I even have a swimsuit?” Joseph wondered.
He thought back to their training, where they were made to swim around the island in their regular clothes. He hadn’t packed anything like swimwear for the trip to Italy.
“One of our instructors’ swim shorts might fit you. Or maybe you can see if one of mine does,” Caesar suggested.
Joseph was more than happy to run to the stairs of the trainees’ building to Caesar’s room; there was absolutely no way he wanted to hunt through their instructors’ swimsuits for any that fit him. It took him a little while to rifle through Caesar’s dresser to find a swimsuit that wasn’t too loose around his waist, but he sprinted back downstairs once he had it on.
By that time, Suzi and Caesar had changed into their own swimsuits and were waiting for him.
“Alright, let’s go to the beach!” Joseph called over.
“What do you think we’ve been waiting for?” Caesar sarcastically replied, getting up with his crutch. Suzi giggled as she ran to grab Joseph’s hand, pulling him in the direction of the door. Caesar caught up with them as they walked quickly out the door and towards one of Air Supplena’s rare beaches.
Most of the perimeter of Air Supplena were just rocks and platforms, but there were a few places where the ground sloped and created a beach. Joseph barely had any time to see them, but he did find a hidden beach while he was trying to hide from his training instructors. That hidden spot happened to be where Caesar was taking a smoke break, which got Joseph caught immediately.
Suzi dragged him down a path to one of the beaches, and she kept holding Joseph’s hand as she looked over at Caesar. “Remember, this is supposed to be physical therapy! Don’t even think about pushing yourself too hard!”
“Don’t worry about me, bella. Master didn’t raise a fool,” he promised with a tired smile.
Suzi looked over at Joseph. “You should be careful too, you haven’t fully healed yet,” she added.
“I’m more worried about if this thing might rust or something,” Joseph replied, holding up his metal hand. “The doctor said it wouldn’t, but that quack could’ve been lying.”
When they arrived at the beach, Joseph wasted no time in running up a small hill nearby and jumping in. He let out a loud whoop as he hit the water, and he could hear the Italians on the beach laughing at him. He wiped the water off his face and looked over at them with a large smile. Caesar rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he waded waist-deep into the water. As for Suzi, she stayed near the shallows and hunted for shells.
“Hey, Caesar! You look like you’re about to fall asleep in the water there!” Joseph called over. “Come on, let’s see who’s faster!”
“Scusami, il dottore gave me orders,” Caesar lazily replied, opting to just relax and float in the water for a bit.
Unfortunately, relaxation is hardly ever an option around Joseph Joestar, and Caesar was met with a splash of water in the face. “You’re no fun!” Joseph whined as Caesar spluttered and wiped the water off. Thus began a chase all around the water, one Joseph was very satisfied with until Caesar’s muscles tired and the blonde stopped to rest near the shore.
Joseph decided to head there as well, but only because he wanted to collect seashells for his own collection. But as he rose from the water and walked towards the shore, he spotted Suzi Q staring in his and Caesar’s direction with captivated eyes. It was clear from her blush that she’d been watching for more than just their antics.
Joseph, of course, never passed up an opportunity for some teasing. “Like what you see, Suzi?” he called over, flexing his arm for her. Now it was his turn to be splashed in the face with seawater. “Pth, gah! What the hell?!”
“Ha! As if!” Suzi teased back, and she splashed him again. “Wait a hundred more years, cattivello!”
“Gyah! Why you-!” Joseph splashed back as she laughed, and they began to chase each other around in the water. Splashing each other, hollering playful insults, Joseph never felt more alive than he’d been in the past month.
For just a moment, it felt like everything was normal and he was on vacation - that was exactly the lie he told Speedwagon to feed his grandmother. But unlike then, he was in no more danger.
While Suzi kept running, Joseph stole a look over at Caesar. That man was wisely staying out of their playfight, and Joseph could see Ripple energy crackling around his shoulders. Just for fun, Joseph kicked some water over at Caesar, but the water was instantly repelled before it could hit him. Safe in his Ripple barrier, Caesar flipped him off. Joseph kicked more water at him for good measure.
As he got back to chasing Suzi, Joseph couldn’t help but be thankful that his Ripple therapy idea had worked. By now, Caesar’s Ripple was circulating well and his body was almost healed. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he was discharged from using crutches altogether. He wouldn’t know what he’d do if he had to watch his friend-slash-maybe-something suffer in the infirmary longer than he already had.
His thoughts began drifting again, this time to Suzi Q. Now that he thought about it, Joseph felt weird to think those things of Caesar while he was messing around with her. He couldn’t deny it, he’d been attracted to her from day one, and who could blame him? She was cute and sweet, it didn’t matter to him that she was scatterbrained. She had a sense of humour too; whenever he was teasing her, she gave as good as she got.
But beyond their teasing and one-sided flirting, Joseph remembered his final test, the night and morning when Esidisi launched his attack. Before he attached himself to Suzi Q’s body, she had told Joseph that he was “pretty hot.” Joseph took that in itself as an invitation, and her eyeing him (and Caesar, he supposed, but forget that) up pretty much confirmed it.
He was into her, she was attracted to him too, so he felt like he could absolutely shoot his shot if he wanted. Societal standards wouldn’t have an issue with it, but most importantly, above anything and everything else, Granny Erina would be delighted to see him find someone who could make him happy.
But how could he ask her to be his girlfriend, especially with Caesar right there? He cared for Caesar as a friend, but he cared for Suzi as one too. He might’ve had a crush on her, but he had spent a lot more time beside Caesar, to the point where he started getting anxious when he hadn’t seen him for a few hours.
So what made his feelings there any different from what he felt for Suzi? Was he actually thinking about love after all, or had he spent so much of his life feeling lonely enough that he couldn’t tell the difference between friendship and love? Which was it? Could he really make a decision when he couldn’t even put his own pieces together?
He decided that it was all too confusing to think about, his head was starting to hurt already. His mind was meant for illusions and tricks, not figuring out his own emotions. He decided to stop chasing Suzi and go sit down in the shallows to finally hunt shells for his collection.
Five minutes later, Joseph was waiting for Caesar to heal his fingers after he got them pinched trying to pick up a crab. Suzi giggled at his misery as he sulked.
In the dead of night, Joseph sat in the living room of the trainees’ building. Across his lap was one of the Italian-English translation books Suzi had recommended, and he squinted his eyes to study the words in the dim lighting.
“Posso prenotare un tavolo…” he slowly recited aloud, using the pronunciation guide to aid his speaking. He looked over at the other side of the page for the translation. “Can I reserve a table… Posso prenotare un tavolo?”
Joseph smiled to himself as he quietly repeated the sentence under his breath. Over the course of a few days, he’d been slowly transitioning from simple words to short Italian phrases, albeit ones that he’d only have to use while he was in Italy. For now, he decided to not focus on anything he wouldn’t immediately need.
He tried turning the page, but the fingers of his prosthetic hand started bending in ways he didn’t want them to. He had taken off his gloves for the night, so the metal reflected the dim light he had turned on for the occasion. Joseph sighed as he tried to get his prosthetic under control, to just turn to the next page.
A small tearing noise immediately informed him that he made a rip in the page, and he immediately let go. “Fucking hell,” he hissed as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. Even if it hadn’t been long since he received his new hand, he hated how difficult it was to control it. It was new to him, and he kept messing it up. It only served to make the sting of his inexperience even deeper.
Now that he thought about it, why was he scared of handling new things? This wasn’t like him, it shouldn’t take a stupid argument in the Alps to smother his tenacity. But every time he thinks about it, he freezes up - never mind that he forces himself to keep going anyway.
What the hell was wrong with him? At this rate, Speedwagon was going to redirect him to one of his foundation’s counsellors once he got back home.
With a sigh, Joseph decided to just give up on reading for the night. Slamming the book shut, he stood up and turned off the light. He figured that maybe a bit of sleep would lessen his maddening frustration.
As he walked up the stairs to his dorm, he passed by Caesar’s door and froze. The door was slightly open.
During their month of training, Joseph learned that Caesar never left his door open when it was time for them to sleep. He even sealed it with a sticking Ripple so no one would come in, which the blonde claimed was a “safety measure” of sorts. It didn’t stop Joseph from knocking on the door in the middle of the night to ask to come in, and Caesar eventually did away with the Ripple measure altogether until Joseph was inside.
This did not change when Lisa Lisa moved them to a shared bedroom. Caesar closed and sealed the door, just as he did normally.
So why was it open now?
His own frustration be damned, Joseph went to the door and opened it a crack more, peering inside. He thought maybe Suzi had come over from the servants’ building and she forgot to close it…
But that wasn’t the case at all. What he saw was Caesar lying motionless on his bed, curled up in an uncomfortable position. His blanket had fallen to the floor, and his body wasn’t facing the door. A light from a small lamp illuminated the whole scene.
“Oh shit,” Joseph muttered, opening the door all the way and stepping inside. Taking a deep breath, his demeanour instantly changed to something more familiar to both of them. “Caesaaaaar, I can’t sleep,” he loudly whined, walking over to the bed and kneeling next to it. “Let’s play some poker. I swear I won’t cheat this time.” He gently prodded Caesar’s shoulders.
Every time Joseph tried expressing concern for Caesar during their month of training, be it the ravenous way he ate or any aches he suffered through their training, the other man would snap at him and brush him off. Joseph could read people like a book, and he learned that he had a better chance of prying things out of Caesar if he acted as he always did.
Even with his personal space being invaded, Caesar didn’t move or say anything. Now Joseph was starting to worry. “Caesar?” he asked, and he went around to the other side of the bed, where Caesar was facing. Caesar’s eyes were unfocused as he stared off into space, as if Joseph wasn’t even there. At least he didn’t seem to be hurt, Joseph couldn’t find any trace of wounds.
Joseph poked Caesar’s cheek, and his eyes slowly regained focus. “Jojo…?” he murmured, eyes moving up to meet Joseph’s. He still wasn’t moving.
“Your door was open,” Joseph explained, looking Caesar over. “Isn’t that careless? Come on, I might steal your cigarettes while you’re sleeping! Well, no I wouldn’t, those things are disgusting. I don’t get why you even-”
“Jojo.” Joseph fell silent as Caesar began quietly speaking. “Do you know…why people choose to live?”
The brunette stared at the other man with a dumbfounded expression. “...What?”
“I believe you call it a ‘raison d'être’? The meaning of life, the reason why people try to fit into their roles or life and love, even if it’s difficult.” Caesar was quiet for a moment. “Jojo, what do people usually live for? Do you know…?”
Joseph didn’t know where this topic suddenly came from, or why Caesar was asking it to him, of all people. But the blonde looked troubled as he watched the Joestar carefully, waiting for an answer. At least he knew what the man before him had been through now, these were probably some bad thoughts stemming from exhaustion late at night.
Upon further reflection, even Joseph was surprised how “compassion” and experience helped further his reading of a person. Now that he knew what it was, he wasn’t able to just read their movements, but their motivations as well. That was how he and Wamuu parted in mutual respect as fellow warriors.
“What people live for?” Joseph parroted the question back. “I think it’s happiness. Mostly happiness for themselves, but in some cases, happiness for others too.”
“Happiness…” Caesar began to smile as his eyes turned sad, and his gaze fell away from Joseph. “All the plans and roles I had were all for the sake of going after the Pillar Men, from the training to my connections. I didn’t think I was going to survive the fight against them. It didn’t matter to me, there’d be no one left to grieve for me.”
“That’s not fucking true. Me, Lisa Lisa, Suzi Q, our instructors, hell, even Uncle Speedwagon would’ve cried for you if you died,” Joseph immediately refuted. “Don’t you remember how desperate Lisa Lisa and I were to save you? Don’t you ever say shit like that again, dammit!”
Caesar’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden harshness, but they relaxed as he looked back up at him. “Because I made killing the Pillar Men my only goal, I never thought about what comes next. What do you think I should live for from now on?”
The brunette shook his head as pity began to ensnare him. “I don’t know. I don’t think I can decide that for you. You’d get mad at me in the morning if I did anyway.” Of course, he couldn’t resist adding a small joke. Caesar didn’t react to it.
Clearly, Joseph decided, Caesar had been awake for long enough. He wasn’t sure how to break him out of this funk, so he stood up and planned to go get Suzi. She had known him for longer, she’d know what to do. As he took a step away from the bed however, he noticed a small book sitting on Caesar’s nightstand.
“Huh? What kind of depressing crap were you reading before bed?” he huffed, picking the book up. “I swear, I should toss this thing in the incinerator…eh?”
As he held it up, the light from the lamp illuminated its cover.
“Is this a bible?” Joseph questioned, opening it to check inside. He closed it right after its confirmation, and he looked back at Caesar. So it wasn’t just memories and bad thoughts plaguing him right now. This was a whole other problem that he was dealing with right now. He didn’t know anything about religion either, he never paid attention when Erina used to take him to church.
Joseph didn’t expect to be helping his best friend through an existential crisis tonight, but here he was. Damn, he should’ve found Suzi.
He went back to kneeling in front of Caesar. “Why were you reading this so late?” he asked. “Does this whole ‘reason’ thing have to do with religion or something?”
“Not anymore…maybe…I don’t know,” Caesar quietly admitted. “I thought killing those bastards would free me from my sins and the pain.”
Joseph remembered the story Lisa Lisa told him, about Caesar’s misunderstanding and subsequent hatred.
“But why is praying making it worse now? I was told it would make the pain stop, but why isn’t it over? I don’t get it.”
Caesar looked and sounded so weak, curled up in his bed. He was always so strong, but that was when he had a goal to work towards. Thanks to Joseph and his efforts, there wasn’t anything left to distract him from himself.
“I…I don't want to be hurting anymore.”
He was still stuck in the past, Joseph realized. For someone who held his beliefs and family pride so close to his chest, so much that he’d charge to his death honourably rather than look at things logically, it was impossible for him to focus on the future. That was only one of his problems though.
Joseph really didn’t know how to help him. But he wanted to try, he owed Caesar at least that much.
“I don’t really think this thing is gonna help you. I mean, if it does, then by all means, keep using it.” He held up the bible, then placed it back on the nightstand. “You were asking me what I think you should live for from now on, right?”
Caesar stayed silent, but kept listening to him.
“Maybe you should try doing what I do, just living in the moment,” he tried suggesting, going back on his earlier words to not do so. “I don’t really know what my future’s gonna be like, I’m not a prophet or anything. But if nothing’s left for you, if praying’s not working, maybe you should try it…?”
Joseph kept waiting for Caesar to inevitably get out of bed and kick his ass, maybe drag him by his hair out of the room while he was at it. He did not expect Caesar to pull himself onto his elbows from his position.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, uh, you’ve done a lot of things, don’t you think you deserve to rest a bit? To do things without judgement or rules or things already set in place by something or another.” Joseph shook his head. “I don’t know jack shit about religion or heaven stuff, but you just saved the world from being turned into vampires and eaten by the Pillar Men, doesn’t that much outweigh anything that happened in your past? I mean, you,” he pointed at Caesar, “said it yourself too, that we ‘earned heaven together’ while we were falling out of the sky.”
Caesar fixed him with a deadpan look, and Joseph winced as he smiled nervously. Both of them knew damn well that he had no clue how being religious was or how difficult it would be to change one’s beliefs.
“I mean, that’s just what I think,” he quickly added, getting ready to back up in case Joseph took a swing at him.
Their gaze held for a moment longer before Caesar sighed, closing his eyes.
“I…suppose I could try it, just for now. At least until I figure something out,” he replied, sleepily rubbing his eyes.
Joseph blinked in surprise and backed up. That was not a response he was expecting, Caesar had to be really out of it right now. But that was okay, he just needed to do what he always did: take control of the situation by bullshitting through it.
“I mean, you’ve got lots of time to think about what you’re going to do in America. Maybe you can be a travelling performer, with those bubbles of yours,” he teased, playfully tapping Caesar’s nose.
“What, like a circus act?” Caesar scoffed, moving his head away.
“I dunno, oooor maybe you could see if being a casanova is a professional job?” Joseph drawled with a wide smile. “Maybe there are lonely gals that pay men to go out with them- Gwah!”
Before he could finish, Caesar had sat up and hit him with his pillow. “Isn’t that just calling me an escort?!” Caesar snapped, hitting him again with the pillow. “Che cazzo stai dicendo?!”
“Ow! I’m sorry, I- Owww! Caesaaar!” Joseph whined, blocking the pillow barrage with his arms over his head. Through the gaps, he could see Caesar starting to smile as he began slowing down.
A few moments later, Caesar put the pillow back on the bed. He was tired but smiling, just what Joseph had hoped for. Joseph quickly put his hair back into place, then stood up to lean over the bed. “Alright, that’s enough of that. Come on, you gotta sleep. You’ll be a grumpy asshole in the morning.”
“...Don’t people usually add the phrase ‘if you don't’ at the end?” Caesar muttered. The other man pretended to not hear that.
Joseph rolled him onto his back, making sure his head was on the pillow. He then went to the other side of the bed and picked up his fallen blanket, draping it over Caesar's limp body.
“I don’t usually do this to anyone but Granny, you know,” Joseph huffed, but made sure to properly tuck him in.
“My, I’m honoured,” Caesar sarcastically replied, closing his eyes and letting out a long exhale.
The brunette looked down at his friend as his breathing finally slowed. “You know, Caesar…” he began. “No matter what you choose, you’re still a respectable person. You have a good heart.”
“Jojo…?” Caesar opened one eye.
“So I’ll be right behind you, just as always.” Joseph turned off the lamp and made for the door. “‘Night, Caesarino.”
Without waiting for a reply, he closed the door behind him as he stepped into the hall. He hoped Caesar would be able to sleep well now.
Going back to what he originally planned, Joseph went back to his room and got ready for bed. But as he changed into his pyjamas and took his prosthetic off for the night, he couldn’t help but think.
Was the outcome of the encounter really a good one? Had he said the wrong thing? His heartbeat began to quicken.
Joseph knew how little he interacted with people in his life, and only realized his strange, newfound fear at being inexperienced a few days ago. He could read people’s actions and even their motivations now, but he still didn’t fully understand what made them tick. He already messed something up with Caesar once…once more, he kicked himself for not getting Suzi to help. But how could he have just left Caesar alone like that?
He sighed, knowing that he’d have to swallow his pride again and try apologizing in the morning, or at least ask Suzi to give him a hand with helping him. He didn’t even know how to apologize properly, he never had to. The aftermath of the battle was changing a lot of things in him, clearly.
At least one feeling was familiar in him, and that was his worry for a loved one.
Caesar was worried about his purpose and connected it to religion, Joseph recalled. He knew that Caesar was Catholic, he’d seen him praying before meals and at night at the start of their training. But as the month wore on and the work became more gruelling, he stayed praying less and less. Joseph didn’t know when it stopped altogether, but he didn’t remember Caesar praying at all when they shared a room.
Was he feeling guilty that he hadn’t been praying? But Caesar had said that praying made the pain of his memories hurt worse now, so the guilt wasn’t the problem. At least, he didn’t think it was. Joseph wasn’t sure. But there was still the issue of Caesar not knowing what he could do next, that was the biggest source of his pain.
The wheels of Joseph’s mind slowly turned…but couldn’t find a solution, not this late at night.
He sighed and turned off his light, lying himself down on his bed. It felt like his blood was boiling, itching under the surface of his skin and compelling him to do something. He wanted nothing more than to make anything that could hurt the people he loved disappear, but he didn’t know what to do when the problem came from the person’s own mind. Joseph didn’t want his friend to be hurting, not after what he'd done for him.
Caesar was a person who seemed to fit into many roles: a friend, a rival, a training partner, an older brother, even a lover - even he was surprised by that one. But Caesar seemed to have done everything to keep his heart from being in pain during their month of training, from his pieces of advice to letting the Joestar stay by his side when he was scared. The night when he had a nightmare and suffocated, Caesar had held him close and instilled a sense of safety that overpowered his dread.
But for Caesar, a Catholic, to be doing so many intimate things like that, what meaning did that carry?
As he stared up at the ceiling, contemplating all his worry and his memories, it slowly began to dawn on him. Maybe he didn’t just see Caesar as only a friend. All those roles he remembered Caesar filling, those were all things that overlapped in Joseph’s definition of him. And he ended up caring for him more than he could’ve ever known…
…Maybe he was in love after all.
Joseph laid one of his arms over his eyes with a small groan. How long did it take for him to reach this conclusion? How did he even reach this conclusion in the first place?
He didn’t even know if Caesar loved him back either, but he guessed not. Whether it was because of his womanizing or his religion, he surely wasn’t attracted to men, or maybe just not to Joseph. But he couldn’t disregard the tension and closeness he could feel during their training.
“The reason why people try to fit into their roles or life and love-”
He could remember Caesar saying that. Why had he brought up love in the first place? Was he questioning his own preferences, or…?
The question to a topic he couldn’t breach, he decided to discard it. He couldn’t risk ruining their friendship. He just couldn’t.
Joseph let out another sigh and sat up, turning on his lamp and reaching for another translation book. He wasn’t going to sleep tonight.
Morning came quicker than Joseph expected, and so was Suzi Q’s report to the men that the doctor was coming over again. He shovelled his food into his mouth and went to find a book to take to the infirmary. He stayed there and read until mid-morning, when the island’s residents came in with the doctor.
“Oh, hey! The doc’s here!” he exclaimed, putting down his book. “Is this gonna be our last checkup?”
“I’ll have to properly assess your injuries before we jump to any conclusions,” the doctor replied, moving towards Joseph to check him first.
After some prodding of Joseph’s body, asking him a few questions, and a scan with a small machine, Joseph’s turn was done. It was Caesar’s turn next, and he was a lot more cooperative than Joseph had been. His turn was over before they knew it, and the doctor was finally left to write things down in his notes and make a decision.
“How is it, dottore?” Suzi asked, having patiently waited on the side during the checkup.
The doctor nodded once and looked up from his notes. “I still have no idea how someone could heal this fast, but nevertheless, both of your injuries have recovered well,” he decided. “You can move freely as long as you don’t put any heavy strain on your body for the next month. Signor Zeppeli, you no longer need any crutches, but please be careful.”
“Si, dottore. Grazie,” he replied, letting out a sigh of relief. Suzi squealed and suddenly hugged Caesar, and the doctor took the man’s crutch from his bedside to take with him.
Before he left the room, Joseph called out, “Hey doc- Dottore, wait a sec!”
The doctor turned towards him, surprised. “Y-Yes, Signor Joestar?”
“Um, I just have a question.” He raised his prosthetic arm, opening and closing his hand to show it to the man. “Do you know how I could get used to this thing?”
“Dio mio, that’s the highest grade prosthetic I’ve ever seen,” the doctor breathed, staring at the hand with wide eyes. “How did you- Ah, never mind. You’re connected to the Speedwagon Foundation, it probably came from them.”
“Nope, not this time. Caesar here just knows a guy,” Joseph shrugged. “Anyway, I’m still not used to using this. You got any tips?”
The doctor cleared his throat. “For one, only take it off at night. The more you keep using it, the easier it’ll be to get used to it. And second, practice small exercises like opening and closing your hand, turning it over, picking up and putting down objects - don’t rush this process. Make sure you can control each individual finger, your balance, and your hand-eye coordination. Once you’ve got that done, you can move onto bigger things, like small everyday tasks.”
Joseph nodded. “Alright. Thank you.”
“It’s no problem,” the doctor replied, and the man finally left the room to get off the island.
Joseph watched him leave, but was distracted by Suzi suddenly tackling him in a hug next.
A few hours after getting the all-clear for their injuries, Joseph was playing solitaire in the living room. He had already gone through the Klondike and Pyramid types of solitaire, got bored of them, and was starting a game of Spider next.
As he shuffled the deck yet again, he spotted Caesar walking past the door with a towel over his shoulder. He looked up from his game and frowned.
“Oi, Caesar! Are you going swimming at a time like this?” he questioned. “It’s really cloudy, not good weather for the beach at all.”
“It’s not just swimming, Jojo. Just because the Pillar Men are gone doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t stop training our Ripple,” Caesar answered. “Mine’s not strong enough. I need more training.”
“Ehh? Your Ripple took out a vampire in one go! The hell do you mean ‘not strong enough’?!”
“It couldn’t bring down Kars. I’ve failed in my training, and I need to make up for it.”
Caesar began to head for the door, not listening to Joseph’s protests saying otherwise.
“Hey, wait, you’re still recovering-!” Joseph stopped yelling as soon as the other man crossed the doorframe. He sighed and turned back to his cards. “Oh well. He won’t say I didn’t warn him when Suzi hits him with a broom.”
About half an hour later, true to Joseph’s prediction, a soaked Caesar was being marched back into the trainees’ building by an irritated Suzi, broom in hand. She ordered something to him in Italian and pointed to the stairs, where he reluctantly began heading. Joseph snickered to himself at the sight.
His smile faded as he watched Caesar leave his sight. He still remembered what occurred last night, but Caesar was acting like it never happened. Had he been faking that he was okay all along, or was it just a moment of weakness?
Regardless, Joseph couldn’t bring himself to stand up and go after Caesar. He wanted to apologize, but a straightforward approach made him nervous. He needed a different tactic to help him.
Suzi was still in the hall, so he stood up and walked over to her. “Suzi Q, could we talk?” he asked.
“Huh?” The confused maid looked up at the brunette. “Of course, do you need something?”
“I need your help. It’s Caesar, he’s not feeling well at all. He’s just pretending to be fine.”
She shook her head. “That boy is molto stupido. He’d always try to keep things to himself, even if it’s killing him. He once managed to hide his shoulder injury from Lisa Lisa for a whole week! Can you believe it?”
“And how’d that turn out?”
“It was an old injury that healed wrong, but Lisa Lisa was pissed that he didn’t inform her or get healing. He was taken off physical training for a week and had to focus on only schoolwork as a punishment, and it’s why he has his shoulder strap now,” she recalled. “But never mind that. What’s he trying to hide this time?”
Um, something like an existential- Wait, you don’t know that word, do you? Okay, um…” Joseph thought of how to rephrase his words. “He doesn’t know what his life’s purpose is, he’s got some kind of dependence on religion connecting to that, and being unable to rely on that connection is hurting him.”
Suzi nodded slowly. “I…think I get what you’re saying. And you need my help with that?”
“You’ve known him for longer, right? I don’t really know how to help Caesar with that. I can’t relate to his problems, I can barely even comfort anyone. Please, help him,” he quietly begged. He hoped that she wouldn’t hear the desperation he was forcing back from his voice.
After a moment, she let out a sigh. “Okay, I’ll go talk to him. It’s going to be difficult, but I think it’s better that you leave this to me,” she agreed.
“If it has to do with religion, I’m definitely not going to be able to help,” Joseph admitted. “I tried talking to him last night, I think he was too tired to process what I said.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t try handling something like that alone.” Suzi rubbed her forehead in irritation. After a moment of getting her bearings back, she began to explain, “I might not be too religious, but Italy’s culture is heavily tied to religion and tradition. Even I pray before meals or cross myself in front of a church. It’s just a habit from how I was raised…but I guess Caesar’s background makes this more complicated.”
Joseph resisted the urge to make a snarky comment at the last sentence. Of course his past would make things more complicated, that’s a no-brainer. And she was missing the point of Caesar’s problem, but he guessed she would learn it soon enough. He didn’t know much about Italy’s culture anyway, Lisa Lisa barely let him leave Air Supplena Island at all during his training.
“I’ll go talk to him. But in the meantime, could you head to the mainland and do some shopping for me?” she asked. “I’ll give you a list. Take your time with it, some of these things are tricky to find vendors for.”
She took the list from a pocket of her dress and quickly pressed it into his hands. “Come on, the market won’t be open all day!” she urged, gently pushing him towards the door.
“Alright, alright, I’m going!” he cried, and he walked towards the building’s door.
“Oh, and Jojo?”
He turned around to look at her. “Yeah?”
Suzi was looking back with an expression he couldn’t read. “…You shouldn’t hide your problems either,” she told him. She quickly turned on her heel and went towards the stairs soon afterwards.
Joseph sighed and turned back to the door. Logically, she was right. But he couldn’t focus on that right now. If he were to choose whether to solve his own problems or the problems of the ones he cared for, he’d choose them over himself every time.
But just this time, he had to admit to himself that he couldn’t solve every problem on his own, even if he wanted to. This time, he decided to put his trust in Suzi Q. He could only hope it was the right decision.
A couple hours later, the boat finally arrived at Air Supplena’s docks. Joseph stepped off with many bags hanging off his arms, all the things Suzi needed him to retrieve for her.
The people at the market seemed to be more friendly when Joseph used the meagre Italian he learned to buy from them, and the ones who recognized him asked how Caesar was doing. He was more than happy to give them the news of his friend’s healing, and they gave him some small discounts.
Now that he had arrived, he carried the bags into the main building. He put the food into the fridge and the cleaning supplies into the giant walk-in closet reserved for them. And throughout all of that, nobody came to greet him. In fact, he hadn’t heard any kind of sound yet.
So after he was finished putting things away, he decided to go hunting for his friends.
After only a few minutes, he began resenting how large Air Supplena’s buildings were yet again. He couldn’t seem to find them anywhere in the main building. It took a few minutes for him to remember that he last saw them in the trainees’ building, not the main building. He quickly changed course and headed there instead.
He headed outside, and he passed by the windows of the building as he looked for the door. But as he walked by a certain window, he heard a choked sobbing noise from inside and froze. Taking a few steps backwards so he wouldn’t be visible from the other side of the window, he moved to the wall to listen.
As he guessed, Suzi and Caesar were still in the trainees’ building. But they had evidently moved to the living room while Joseph was away.
“That’s Caesar’s voice…” he muttered to himself, and he continued to eavesdrop on the Italians inside.
He could hear the sounds of Suzi trying to shush Caesar while he cried. That in itself was enough to alarm Joseph; Caesar never cried, not even when they were about to die or when he talked about his dead family.
They were speaking in Italian to each other, which did make sense to him. They only really switched to English when he was around. But a month in Italy and his reading of translation books helped him pick up more phrases than he expected. He learned fast, almost too quickly for his own good sometimes.
“It’s alright, let it all out,” Suzi’s voice softly instructed inside.
“I-I don’t know what to do…” Caesar sounded like he was forcing out his voice between chokes and gasps. “I gave myself to Him to find peace, but- But even so, I-!”
“Don’t forget to breathe. I’m here for you.”
“Jojo- He said that I should disregard religion, as if I-”
“Jojo said that?”
“Well, ah, he didn’t ‘say’ that. But he basically did…!”
“Whatever Jojo said, he probably didn’t mean any harm. You know how he is.”
“…I do.”
“He cares for you a lot. And so do I.”
“ ...Why? Why do you even bother trying?!”
“Caesar, calm down-!”
“Ever since I was a child, He must’ve abandoned me! If He can’t be bothered to care, why would you…”
“Hey, look at me. I think I have an idea to help you.”
Suzi lowered her voice after that, and Joseph couldn’t hear her anymore. His mind could barely translate Caesar’s panicked shouts as is, and his words were starting to go too fast. Joseph sighed and turned to walk back to the main building.
He didn’t want to just leave this alone, but what other choice did he have? By his own admittance, he couldn’t help with this problem. If he interfered, he’d make it worse. And he did make it worse, if Caesar mentioning him was any indication. By not knowing anything, he hurt Caesar. He couldn’t do it again, he just couldn’t.
With no other option, he left the problem in Suzi’s care. If he couldn’t do anything about it, then there was no need to act.
When Joseph saw the two for dinner later that night, he didn’t comment on the redness of Caesar’s eyes. And when Suzi asked him to pull a spare mattress into Caesar’s room so she could spend the night, he didn’t bat an eye.
“Straight flush,” Caesar declared, showing his hand.
“WHAT?!” Joseph slapped his cards down on the table in frustration. “Oh no! You’re definitely pulling a fast one on me!”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Caesar smiled as he reached for the deck of cards.
Joseph slapped his hand down and pointed at him. “As if I’d believe that! You’ve rigged something, I can tell!”
“I did not cheat, Jojo.”
“You liar!”
Mid-morning card games have become something commonplace on Air Supplena, usually taking place in their break between morning training and lunchtime (after which, preparations for afternoon training would commence). But even when training was out of the question now, neither of the men were willing to break tradition.
Joseph leaned back in his chair with a huff as Caesar finally took his cards and began to reshuffle the deck, fidgeting with his prosthetic hand as he eyed the deck carefully. He was slowly getting used to the new hand thanks to the doctor’s suggestions, but the delight of that was heavily outweighed by his need to make sure Caesar didn’t fucking cheat at their card game.
Caesar dealt the cards soon afterwards, and after Joseph made sure that he didn’t try second dealing, he sat up straight and looked at his cards. He had a couple pairs, but he wasn’t sure that it would carry him through the game. Still, it was a foothold to gamble on.
Across the table, Caesar relaxed in his seat as he looked at his cards. The man looked tired, but he had a small smile on his face as he took three cards to change out. Joseph had a feeling that whatever Suzi Q said to him yesterday did some sort of wonder, he actually looked like he was feeling a little better. But he wasn’t too sure of that.
Joseph changed out two of his cards, keeping the pairs. After a few more seconds of looking at their hands, both men showed their cards. Joseph had a two-pair, but Caesar had a three of a kind. The brunette groaned as the man across from him began to chuckle.
“Better luck next time, eh?”
“You little-!”
Their argument was cut off when they heard the door opening, and they turned to see Suzi come in with a small tray in her hands. She approached and put them on the table, where they could see its content better. Some snacks, painkillers, and glasses of water. Joseph took his share quickly, then began digging into the snacks.
“Ciao, bella. Did you need something?” Caesar asked her.
Suzi tugged at Caesar’s headband, giggling as he protested. Joseph knew that this was their way of teasing by now, but he didn’t really get how.
Suzi suddenly gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, I forgot! I got a call from the post office, they said there’s a package coming to the island later today. I think it was those dresses and suits that Lisa Lisa ordered for that party,” the maid quickly informed. “B-But I still have so much cleaning to do in the storage building, I won’t be able to hear the mail boat pull up-”
“Alright, I’m guessing you want me to receive the packages for you?” Caesar quickly asked, dispelling her imminent fretting. “I’ll wait outside then. I need some fresh air anyway.”
“Wait, you guys have parties here? I thought this place was hit harder with the Depression than we were,” Joseph wondered. “But it looks like you won’t be attending it, with you leaving and all.”
Caesar clicked his tongue. “It’s a shame to let them go to waste in the end.”
“We might need them in the future, we’ll still be keeping them,” Suzi replied.
“You mean, when you can choose between two of them?” Joseph unhelpfully contributed. Suzi stuck out his tongue at him.
Caesar stood up and left the room, having the common sense to not get involved with their nonsense when there were things to do. The two of them watched him go, and then reached for the snacks as they laughed.
“His patience is so thin, he’s never going to settle down,” Suzi joked as she bit into a melon.
“Have you seen him on the streets? He’s never going to settle down because he flirts with every woman he sees,” Joseph scoffed. A moment of silence passed between them, but it wasn’t long before a piece of curiosity burned into him. “Hey, how come he always greets you like that?”
“Like what?” Suzi’s cheeks were stuffed with melon, making her look like a chipmunk.
“Every time you walk into a room, he always says ‘ciao, bella’ and then never goes further. That damn womanizer makes no sense sometimes…” he sighed, shaking his head.
Suzi finished her melon quickly. “Oh, that’s just a joke! He tried to pull some moves on me years ago, but we both think it’s kind of funny now,” she explained.
“Wait, on YOU?! And Lisa Lisa didn’t put him in the ground?!”
“Well, we hadn’t met her at the time.”
Joseph was listening now, his head resting on his hand as he let the maid start rambling. A story of the past that did have a happy ending wasn’t something he was going to turn his nose up at. He’d already heard way too many sad stories from Erina and Speedwagon - hence why he adored his comics.
“I think it was 1934 at the time, and my family had lived in Rome all our lives. But the Depression made things get harder…” Suzi sighed. “Our parents couldn’t feed themselves, my brother, and I, so they took us on a trip one day. They brought us into the slums and said they’d stay by a sign, and they told us to collect broken pieces of firewood and not to return to them until our arms were full. It was kind of like that story, Nennillo and Nennella.”
“I’m sorry, which one?” Joseph asked.
“You know, a woodcutter makes a pair of siblings go into the woods, one of them leaves a trail of breadcrumbs-”
“Oh! Hänsel and Gretel, that’s what you mean.”
“That’s what it is in English? Well, anyway,” she got back on track. “When we went back with our arms full of broken wood pieces, we couldn’t find them. Turns out they broke the sign and took it with them so we couldn’t find our way back home. My brother and I dropped our firewood and started looking for them, but we only got ourselves even more lost in the streets. And then we ran into a gang.”
“Oh shit.” Even though he knew the story had a happy ending, Joseph couldn’t help the small comment from slipping out.
“They tried to rob us, but my brother pushed me away and told me to run. I was scared, so I ran while he was fighting them. I was sad and scared and hungry, and I couldn’t see that someone was in front of me until I ran straight into them and fell down.” Suzi fidgeted with her fingers. “Caesar was just taking a smoke break, but I saw what he was wearing and the wrench on his belt, and I thought he was going to kill me. I could hear footsteps behind me, but they kinda skidded to a stop and started running away.”
Joseph remembered what Lisa Lisa had told him. Everyone had feared Caesar at the time, hadn’t they? Just how strong was he back then?
“Caesar was probably just as confused as I was, especially when I started bawling my eyes out at his feet. But he knelt down and said ‘Ciao, bella. Are you lost?’ and that’s when I started telling him what happened. I was sobbing my story to a complete stranger, it was so embarrassing… But then he pulled me against him and kissed me!”
“He WHAT?!”
“It was my first kiss too! I think it was to make me quiet, but I’m not sure. But he was holding me really close to him, I think he was trying to comfort me…? Neither of us really know nowadays,” she giggled. “But I think I touched some kind of soft spot he had with my parents abandoning me, because he ended up leading me out of the slums and to Piazza Barberini, and I could find my way home from there.”
He recognized that name, it was hard to forget the place where you had to wait in a hotel for eight hours with a grumpy Ripple user and your exasperated uncle. He didn’t believe in the phrase “it’s a small world,” but it had to be fate or something for all three of them to be connected with that damn fountain.
“But by the time he left, I checked my pockets and my wallet had gone missing! That stupid jerk swiped it while he was holding me close to him!”
Ah, there was the catch.
“I got home safely, and so did my brother a few hours later. I think Caesar rescued him after hearing my story, but my brother was robbed clean. Caesar denies saving him and robbing him, but I’m sure he did at least one of those things! But either way, I started working for Lisa Lisa that year, and then she took in a student a year later. I recognized him when I saw him, but I had to remind him of that kiss for him to recognize me!”
“Pfft! Talk about embarrassing!” Joseph laughed. “Jeez, so his first thought of trying to comfort you was seducing you? What the hell was he thinking?”
Their talk was cut off when the whistle of the mail boat suddenly cut through the air. Suzi immediately shot out of her seat as her face grew pale. “Oh no! I need to hurry and clean the storage building. How long have I been here?”
“Relax, it’s only been a few minutes since Caesar left,” he replied, glancing over at the clock. “I mean, unless that clock is broken and all.”
“It’s broken?!” Suzi wheeled around to look at the clock. “Wha- Hey! It’s not broken at all, idiota!”
“Now, your next line is ‘Forget it, I’ll go get the package from Caesar’!”
“Forget it, I’ll go get the package from Caesar!” Suzi huffed. She froze upon realizing that she fell for Joseph’s old trick again. “Really, Jojo?!”
Joseph couldn’t help but laugh at her grumpy expression, and she turned around and left the living room to get to the docs. Joseph pulled himself together quickly, leaning back in his chair as he savoured the brief moment of peace.
But the information he learned…well, he didn’t have to worry about his feelings anymore! After all, you don’t have to think about your feelings for your friends when they’re likely more interested in each other than you.
The brunette sighed, lying his forearm over his eyes as he tilted his head back. It was painful to think about, but Suzi and Caesar had known each other for much longer than they’d known him; of course they’d be more likely to fall in love with each other. How could he have missed it?
It was so simple in hindsight. Suzi knew just how to comfort Caesar when Joseph told her about his problem, and Suzi had even said that Caesar had hidden problems from her years ago. Caesar was already protective over her, he was the one who went to her side and later bandaged her wounds after Esidisi’s final defeat. Hell, it took both him and Lisa Lisa to convince Caesar that the Suzi Q crying wasn’t the real one during that incident!
So it didn’t matter that he was in love with them, because they clearly were in love with each other. That’s one less problem to worry about! Now all he had to do next was try to get over his feelings and hope they kept in contact with him when he got back to America.
He could only hope that he wouldn’t relearn the pain of loneliness again before then.
Caesar’s room smelled like soap, sweat, cigarette smoke, and citrus cologne. But that smell turned into something comforting to Joseph over the course of their training, something that could put him at ease. Even when they were moved to another bedroom to share, the smell stuck to Caesar’s clothes and made sleeping beside him easier.
Which meant that Joseph couldn’t be more at ease as he was lying on Caesar’s bed in the afternoon. After having cooking lessons with Suzi all morning, he was able to relax for a little while before she would ask for more help with chores. As for the room’s owner, he was doing some paperwork at his desk, ones that would finalize his dropping out of university.
Joseph’s translation book was resting on his chest as the brunette looked up at the ceiling, arms behind his head. “Alright, gimme another one,” he called over.
Caesar didn’t even look up from his paperwork. “Ho bisogno di un dottore.”
“I need a doctor,” Joseph translated.
“Good,” Caesar replied. “Il ristorante chiude a mezzogiorno.”
“The restaurant closes at, uh, mid-day? Oh, noon!”
Once again, Joseph was proud of the small progress he was making with learning Italian. Having Caesar test him on basic phrases was one of his better ideas, if he had to say so.
Caesar nodded. “Salvare capra e cavoli.”
“Um…to save goat and cabbages?”
Caesar put down his pen and covered his mouth as he tried to hold in his laughter. “Scusa, it’s an expression. It means ‘to solve a tricky situation’,” he explained.
“Whaaa? So you were tricking me?!” Joseph glared over at the blonde, who just shrugged.
“Settle down. I can teach you some expressions later,” he chuckled.
“Hell no! I’ll just ask Suzi.”
Joseph crossed his arms and turned on his side, pretending to give Caesar the cold shoulder. Caesar let out a snort of laughter before going back to his paperwork, and Joseph eventually started giggling as well. His gaze started drifting as he rested on his side, taking a small break from the quizzes.
His gaze drifted to Caesar’s nightstand, and then to his bookshelf. The bible he saw the other night wasn’t there.
“Hey, Caesar,” he called over. “Do you remember the talk we had the other night?”
Caesar’s pen stopped moving. “Why do you ask?”
“You were talking a lot about purpose and religion. Do they not bother you anymore or something?” he idly asked.
“They still bother me. I won’t deny it.”
The blunt response pulled Joseph up short. “Oh.”
“But Suzi and I had a bit of a…a discussion, let’s say. I can’t throw religion away entirely, like you suggested I do.”
“I didn’t suggest that, I said-!”
“But I also can’t fully embrace it either. It’s just- It’s complicated.”
Caesar sighed, rubbing his forehead. He didn’t know that his friend had been eavesdropping for part of that “discussion”, and Joseph intended to keep it that way.
So he just nodded and asked, “So, what did Suzi do? Is she helping?”
“She’s having me practice the way she practices.” Caesar put his pen down. “Prayers before meals, crossing myself, casual things like that.” He gestured his hand around as he spoke.
“Oh, that’s not so bad.”
“She says it’ll be some sort of transition phase until I can figure it out for myself. She says to not follow all of the rules set, to just do what doesn’t make me hurt. But I’ve been trying to follow them for four years. I kept trying and screwing up, but at least I tried. Whether I follow them or not, both choices hurt. But…she says that it’ll make it stop hurting eventually, maybe.” Caesar sighed and lowered his head onto his desk. “I’ll seek guidance from Master Lisa Lisa when I see her next. Until then, I’ll do what Suzi suggests. What you suggested. Just for now.”
“You’re still a teacher’s pet, even when our training is over?”
“She has more sense than the two of you combined!”
“So meeeean!”
“Shut up! You wanted answers, and now you got them!”
Joseph smiled at the words, knowing the blonde couldn’t see. Putting his trust in Suzi Q had turned out well after all, even if the outcome wasn’t a completely resolved one. Ah well, that’s life. At least she could pull her ditziness together to help others in a serious situation.
“Well, that’s one problem solved,” Joseph sighed in relief, closing his eyes again as he rolled onto his back again.
The room was quiet for a few moments, then he heard the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. Joseph opened his eyes to see Caesar sitting up and looking over at him. The blonde had a sad smile on his face.
“To be honest, I didn’t even see that I left the door open that night. I should’ve expected that you’d pick up a detail like that,” Caesar mused. “Sorry you had to see that side of me. Mamma mia, how shameful I must’ve looked.”
“The shameful thing here is how you didn’t think I’d notice!” Joseph shot back. “But honestly, I think you pissed Suzi off more than anything. I could hear her grumbling while we were cooking together. I’m pretty sure you owe her a hug or something.”
Caesar’s eyes lit up as a small smirk crawled onto his face. “Oh, she was actually letting you help this time? Well, I’m sure it wasn’t a complete disaster if she was supervising you-”
“Don’t change the subject!” the other man snapped as he sat up in bed. “She knows you hide shit from everyone. How long were you hiding this for?”
Caesar’s smile faded as he lowered his head. “Ever since I woke up in the infirmary. When I can pray, I start hurting, and when I can’t, I keep thinking about how little I’ve been doing it as of late. Everything freezes, my mind and my body, and I can’t do anything in the end,” he confessed.
Joseph’s eyes widened as the words sunk in. “Woah, Caesarino’s being more honest than usual. Did your fever come back or something?”
He shook his head and looked up at the brunette. “Jojo, I realized that you told Suzi Q everything the second she ran up to me. There’s no way she would start fretting over me unless she knew what happened that night.”
Joseph nervously chuckled, subtly shifting to back up on the bed.
“Relax, I’m not mad. I probably owe you an explanation, and I’ll give you one…only if we never talk about it again,” Caesar firmly demanded.
In response, the younger man adjusted his position, crossing his legs as he prepared to listen (and take notes for later use).
The Zeppeli took a deep breath, forcing his expression into something neutral. “Up until my father left, I was raised Catholic. But afterwards, I stopped praying or following any kind of scripture. There was no point, it didn’t fill my stomach or quell my anger. I stopped believing in God over the course of six years. No one loved me, and I loved no one in return.”
“And then you started praying again at Air Supplena,” Joseph interrupted. Caesar shot a glare at him, but didn’t correct him.
“After my father died and I found out that I was loved all along, the weight of what I did was too much to bear. I trained under Lisa Lisa, and I turned to religion again. I was just desperate to find inner peace, to make up for what I did and ease my pain,” he explained. “But during our month of training, I practiced my faith a lot less, I was just too exhausted and distracted. But because I had a purpose to focus on, I was just as satisfied.”
“So, do we need to get you something to do? Doing chores sucks, but it works wonders for keeping most of the bad thoughts away,” Joseph suggested.
“Nice try, you’re not getting out of them. You’re the one who asked for them in the first place!” Caesar mocked, earning a pout from the other man. “But maybe I should talk to Suzi about her staying in the trainees’ building for a while. I hate to say it, but I might need her help to keep some kind of routine. I’ve already gone back and forth too much in my life.”
“If you relapse that much, why not just give up?” Joseph bluntly asked.
“It’s not as simple as that, Joestar.”
Joseph shrugged. “It’s not like I know very much about that kind of stuff anyway. Religion, politics, anything traditional or societal, I never really cared to learn about that stuff. It’s not like anyone who cared to tell me was looking at me for me, you know what I mean?”
It took Caesar a moment before he understood. “Right, I forgot. I guess there’s one benefit of being rich and isolated, eh?” he joked.
“It wasn’t much of a benefit. Sometimes I think I’m the crazy one when I look at everyone else. Or maybe everyone’s crazy and I just didn’t get the memo. But if people want to harass my friends just for who they are, they’re just asking for a beating!” Joseph declared.
“My, how noble,” Caesar chuckled. “Sometimes I forget that you get into more fights than I do, and then you remind me.”
“Shut it, moron! They had it coming!” he retorted. “Anyone who gets on another person’s case for their skin colour or nationality or stuff like that deserves a beating anyway.”
“For their nationality? I suppose it’s worse in New York than here…” The blonde hummed a bit, but snapped out of it quickly. “Well, I suppose that does explain how you were able to rope Stroheim in during this nonsense with the Red Stone.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Joseph questioned, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t like the guy anyway, he kidnapped Speedwagon!”
Caesar sighed and shook his head. “I’ll never understand your logic, Jojo. But I guess it can be entertaining sometimes.”
“Don’t act like you don’t love it, Caesarino! You’ve already risen to my level of nonsense, haven’t you?” Joseph teased.
“If this is about the goddamn icicles, I swear-!”
“Ah-ah, you said it, not me,” Joseph pointed out, and Caesar grumbled as he buried his face in one of his hands. “Anyway, where was I…? Oh, right. Not being a crazy asshole kinda pays too, you get free drinks at some places! Oh, I know a good place- Right, it’s in England. Never mind…”
“What’s the place? It wouldn’t hurt to visit after the war’s over, right?” Caesar wondered.
“It’s a nice little bar called the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club - it’s usually just called ‘Sgt. Pepper’ though. But the basement’s where all the fun is,” Joseph began to explain. “Live music, pansy shows, nooks and crannies for people to make out, all kinds of booze that’ll give the Drys a heart attack! Speaking of, the bartender downstairs makes the best drinks, they’re LOADS better than the ones the guy upstairs makes-”
“Hold on, did you just say ‘pansy shows’?” Caesar interrupted.
“Yep! The whole place is basically a hangout spot for those who are ‘in the know’. I learned about it from an inmate at the police station one time - I asked Granny to bail that guy out too - and I ended up having the worst hangover of my life in the morning!” Joseph laughed.
“Aww, can the rich kid not handle his liquor?”
“I can’t handle twenty in a row!” Joseph protested.
“Twenty?” Caesar balked. “What, did you suddenly fund the place or something?”
“Are you kidding? Just look at me.” Joseph gestured to himself. “I’m tall, I have muscles, I’m pretty handsome, if I do say so myse-”
“Get on with it.”
“-And I’m accepting - or at least, they assumed I was tolerant. People wouldn’t stop coming up to me and buying me drinks!” Joseph exclaimed, and Caesar couldn’t hold back his snickering. “I don’t even know which was worse: the hangover itself, or Granny Erina beating me over the head for getting that drunk.”
“How’d you even get home that night?!” Caesar laughed.
“It was the guy from the station. He was at the bar that night and saw me wasted off my ass, so he took me outside. He recognized Granny when she came to the station, so he tracked down her phone number and let her know to send someone to pick me up,” he finished.
Joseph took a moment to catch his breath and let his friend calm down a bit. Ignoring the fact that Caesar was laughing at his misfortune, he admired how adorable his smile and laugh could be when he wasn’t acting so cocky half the time. He idly wondered what would happen if Caesar let his true colours show when he tried courting someone: either he’d end up with even more suitors, or his pride would drive them all away. It was a bit of a toss-up.
Eventually, Caesar calmed down a bit. “So, were you a regular at that bar?”
“Oh, definitely. The guy downstairs makes a mean cocktail. Though suddenly getting approached by half the guys and some girls was annoying,” he huffed. “I could never tell if they wanted me or my money or just a hookup. Good grief.”
Caesar gave him a sympathetic look. “I was right, you ARE a lonely type. You don’t even care who approaches you…”
“Just as long as they aren’t trying to use me or my Granny, I don’t really care if it’s a guy flirting with me, if that’s what you’re trying to say. And that goes for the girls too!” Joseph immediately defended.
“Oh, I already figured that out.” Caesar’s smug smile made a reappearance, to Joseph’s chagrin. “If I recall, weren’t you angrier at the fact that you ended up ‘married’ to two people against your will, rather than the fact that they were both men?”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind marrying two people either, so long as they don’t put a fucking death sentence on me!” he impulsively replied. “I’d rather wear the rings on the OUTSIDE, dammit!”
That resulted in another round of laughter from Caesar, but Joseph didn’t mind joining in either. Now that Caesar put it in a different perspective, it was a little morbidly funny. It still hurt like a motherfucker at the time, but at least finding the humour in something could help with dealing with it better.
…God, he might really need to talk to one of Speedwagon’s counsellors after all.
“Anyway, what about you?” Joseph suddenly asked. “What do you think about it? Let me guess, you have too many signorinas hanging off you to even think about liking guys?”
“Liking them? Get real. The only men I ever approached were those I planned to steal or earn money from. I just did what I had to do,” Caesar huffed.
Joseph tried not to grimace at the implication.
“But I never really considered loving one until the blood started going to my head. That’s when I…huh? Um, come si dice… Ah…”
“Hm?” Joseph tilted his head like a dog. “What’s all the stuttering for? What are you trying to say?”
Caesar’s face slowly grew red as he tried to pull his words together. It took a minute for it to click for Joseph: ‘blood going to his head’ means when he was upside-down somewhere - when he was in danger at the temple ruins. Joseph hung onto his rope to save his life. Could he possibly mean…?
It couldn’t mean anything else, if Caesar’s inability to recover was any indication. He was in love with Joseph, or at least considering it. And he essentially just confessed to him, leading to his current embarrassing state. Joseph wanted nothing more than to pursue that line of thought, to needle the Italian with questions until he got the truth.
But even so…he didn’t want to humiliate Caesar by suddenly addressing it outright. So to save his pride, he cut him some slack.
“Oh, was your life flashing before your eyes when we were at those ruins? I mean, if you have a bunch of regrets, I can help you with that! I can try finding you a nice guy to go out with,” Joseph jokingly suggested. “I mean, you should try everything before you die, and wouldn’t ‘liking a guy’ count?”
“Huh?!” Caesar looked nothing short of bewildered.
“Don’t give me that face, I can be a good wingman if I try!” he continued. “Or I can look for a good speakeasy in New York if you want to try it on your own-”
Thankfully, Caesar clung to that change in topic like a lifeline. “Why are you worrying about me? Just look at yourself!” he laughed. “You can’t even find one person to love, much less two!”
“What was that?!”
“Face it, Jojo: being ‘married’ is the closest thing to a relationship you’ll ever get!”
“Says the guy who runs around with a dozen girlfriends! You think someone like you can get hitched before I can?!”
The men laughed as they fired joking insults at each other, getting back into their routine of playful vitriol. Truthfully, Joseph was slightly giddy about the unintended confession. Who wouldn’t be excited about their feelings being somehow returned? It was like those fairytales that his Granny used to read to him!
But he’d save that information for later use, it could come in handy someday.
That is, if he’d be able to use it at all.
As far as he knew, Caesar and Suzi had a stronger bond with each other than he had with either of them. For as much as he was excited about his requited love, he felt just as conflicted about what he felt about Caesar and Suzi. And he’d rather not get into what he felt for Suzi either.
When the two of them stopped their bi-daily nonsense, Caesar turned back to his desk to fill out his paperwork. “Hey, so did you find a reason to live from now on?” Joseph asked. “Did Suzi help you with that too?”
“I haven’t yet, but I’ll start looking when I get to America.”
“After everything, I’m still surprised you want to go there,” the younger man remarked, lying back on the bed. “I thought you’d be staying in Europe until you told me.”
“With war about to break out? No way, not with the risk of the governments finding me,” Caesar scoffed. “Besides, I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to leave Master Lisa Lisa and Suzi Q. Oh, and you, I suppose.”
“Wha- Hey!” Joseph shouted, to Caesar’s amusement. He suddenly paused his indignation. “Wait, Suzi’s coming too?”
While he knew that she was leaving Italy, he didn’t recall where she would be heading. He couldn’t let Caesar know that he’d been eavesdropping on some of their conversations anyway, the older man would have his head on a pike.
“She’s going specifically for Lisa Lisa, but having us going with her seems to be a bonus,” was Caesar’s reply.
The conversation died out from there, which meant that it didn’t take long for Joseph to become bored as all hell.
“Hey, give me some more words to test with!” Joseph suddenly spoke. “Let’s practice my Italian again!”
“Jojo, I really have work to do,” Caesar protested.
“Come on, gimme one!” he kept urging.
“Vaffanculo.”
“‘Fuck off’, or,” Joseph paused, “wait, is that one ‘go fuck yourself’?”
“It can be either,” Caesar grumbled.
“Yes, I got it right!” Joseph cheered. A thought suddenly hit him. “…Hold on, was that word even part of the test?!”
Notes:
Caesar's having a wholeass crisis, Joseph's dealing with PTSD...I think the only one who's actually resolved her problems in this trio is Suzi Q lmao
the caesar hc of him fluctuating between trying to follow religion strictly or not at all (then panicking when the coping mechanism fails) is more of an experimental hc than anything. i am not religious myself, so i apologize for any and all inaccuracies
Chapter Text
Outside the buildings of Air Supplena, Suzi Q was washing the last of the laundry and hanging them up on clotheslines. Of course, this meant she was unaware of the man with a mischievous smile sneaking up on her.
Grabbing her shoulders suddenly, he laughed as she squeaked and nearly jumped a foot.
“Gotcha!”
Suzi whirled around with a pout. “Jojo! What was that for, you meanie?!”
“Hehehe! Just a little bit of fun, no harm done, right? I didn’t even mess up the laundry this time!” Joseph teased.
Suzi turned her back to him, puffing up her cheeks in irritation.
“Heh, you look like a chipmunk. Though you’re a much cuter one!”
At this point, teasingly flirting with her was more of a habit he didn’t want to kick just yet. She might’ve been spoken for, but if it wasn’t official, then he’d take any opportunity he’d get to play around while he could.
Suddenly, Suzi turned around and pushed him backwards. Joseph yelped and staggered backwards, and his heel caught on something metal behind him. Before he knew it, he had fallen backwards into the tub of water used for washing the clothes.
“GYAAAH! What the hell, woman?!” Joseph yelled, scrambling out of the metal tub soaking wet. “What was that for?!”
Laughing all the while, Suzi began running away while he pursued her.
Joseph ended up chasing her all around the enclosed outdoor space of Air Supplena. He kept himself at a slower pace for the sake of fun, but he was more impressed that she could run in heels, much less work in them.
Suzi soon ran inside the main building with Joseph on her trail, only for them to run point-blank with Caesar. He was holding a rag for dusting, having followed Joseph’s suggestion to help Suzi with her chores.
He looked at Suzi, then at Joseph…then at the trail of water Joseph was dripping on the floor.
Needless to say, Joseph sprinted out of there with Suzi under his arm, hearing very loud Italian swearing from behind him. Joseph ran until they were FAR from that building, whereupon he put Suzi down and doubled over to catch his breath. He could only hope that Caesar wasn’t planning to come after him and kick his ass right now.
When he finally caught his breath, he looked up and met Suzi’s eyes. The two of them burst out laughing, and Joseph doubled over again while she knelt down to his level.
“He’s going to kill us when we go back inside,” she giggled.
“Nah, he’ll only kill me. He’d never lay a hand on you,” Joseph replied, standing back up. “We should probably give him a little while to cool down though.”
“Oh, I know a good spot!”
Suzi stood back up and began walking in the direction of the trial grounds on the island, with Joseph hurrying to follow her. Before she reached the towers with the connecting ropes - balancing on them was a pain, he didn’t know how Caesar passed his final exam here - she took a turn and began going behind the buildings next to it.
After another minute of walking behind the buildings, skillfully keeping her balance, she reached a corner of space between the first building and another one, a nice square of stone in the sun. Oddly enough, there was a berry bush growing from between a few cracks.
“Caesar likes to relax on the roof or on hidden beaches. But this is my favourite spot,” Suzi sighed, leaning her head back to bask in the sunlight. A peaceful smile was etched upon her face, and Joseph couldn’t help but stare.
He stared, not just because she was beautiful, but because of the trust she was giving him. A month ago, no one on the island trusted him with even handling a book. Sure, he occasionally forgot his own strength, but he had been closely monitored to the point of needless worry. But now, Suzi Q was trusting him to help with chores on his own, and even took him to her hiding spot.
In his life, it was rare that he formed a bond with anyone that didn’t look at him like a walking fire hazard. And now, besides his family, he became part of a fire-forged team. And Suzi and Caesar, he loved them both, even if he forced himself to not act on those feelings.
Maybe Suzi had been right. He was hiding a lot of things too, even if he occasionally spilled them out to Caesar when he felt safe enough to try. Maybe he needed to trust them a bit more with himself.
“So, you know every spot on this island, huh?” he idly commented, sneaking a hand to the berry bush and twisting off a fruit. He guessed they weren’t poisonous, otherwise the bush would’ve been removed by now.
“Duh, I’ve been here for years!” Suzi giggled as she adjusted her legs to get comfortable. “I’ve cleaned every nook and cranny of this place! There’s nowhere here that I don’t know about!”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ve been the only maid here, so I’ve had to clean everything from the storage rooms to the top of the Hell Climb Pillar! I’ve even had to polish those stupid breathing masks to hell and back too. Those things are awful, not just on my fingers.”
“Not disagreeing there.”
“Also, those aren’t ripe.”
“Wha-?!” Joseph nearly spit out the berry in his mouth before she started laughing again.
“Just kidding!” Suzi pointed to where his hand by the berry bush was lightly coloured with juice. “You really think I wouldn’t notice, Jojo?”
“Oh, uh…sorry?” The brunette nervously smiled and batted his eyes as he took another berry from the bush, not even bothering to hide it this time.
Suzi rolled her eyes and took a berry from the bush too, popping it in her mouth. “I guess everyone’s leaving Air Supplena now, one way or another. The Pillar Men are gone, so there’s no need to stay, I guess…”
“Hey, Lisa Lisa’s probably more than happy to keep you around! She treats you a lot better than she treated me and Caesar,” Joseph pointed out.
“I know, but…”
Suzi looked down at her apron with a sad smile.
“I didn’t think any of you guys were going to come back to Venice, even when you promised me. Lisa Lisa and Messina would risk their lives for the Red Stone, Caesar is Caesar, and I was scared that the Pillar Men would see through your tricks! And then all of you would end up like poor Loggins…”
Joseph swallowed at the reminder of his deceased instructor. Sure, he didn’t like him in the slightest, but having his lungs kicked out was an awful way to go. He knew that the other island residents knew each other longer than Joseph knew them, so his death must’ve hit Suzi hard.
“It’s been a crappy half-year so far,” Joseph sighed. He wiped his juice-stained hand on his pants before squeezing the maid’s shoulder in sympathy.
“It’s been the worst month of my life!” Suzi cried out. “Everyone I cared about was in so much danger, and even Loggins was…!”
“Hey, at least we got rid of the Pillar Men. No one’s in danger anymore. All we can do is deal with what happens next.”
Joseph was at least sure of that. When he turned eighteen and learned of his grandfather’s actions, he was forced to confront the idea of fate. But for what everyone kept telling him about legacy and the Joestar blood in him, they never told him about how to deal with the aftermath. After his fight with Caesar and learning to mature, he finally accepted the idea of fate.
But when it came to recovery, it never hurt to fall back on his old way of getting by: just living in the moment, no rules set in place, no predicting the future. Just taking things day-by-day, awaiting what’s behind every corner.
When thinking about Loggins, another thought suddenly came to mind. “Hey, how are your wounds doing?”
“Hm? They’re healing well,” Suzi replied, touching her cheek. The scars were fading already, due in part to the Ripple energy used to heal her.
“Hmm… Alright, maybe I’ll take your word for it,” Joseph sighed, throwing his arms out in a shrugging gesture. “I just wanted to check if you had any side effects from when Esidisi possessed you, but that’s probably nothing by now.”
He watched Suzi’s expressions from the corner of his eye, observing them carefully. Reverse psychology was a good bluff, and downplaying things often made new details come up. That’s what he knew from experience.
“I did get a check-up after you guys left and had my wounds looked at. Il dottore said there was nothing wrong, no long-term effects. It does get pretty cold sometimes though. It must not be a good winter so far for Venice,” Suzi explained.
That statement made a chill run down Joseph’s own spine. There’s no way her chilliness wasn’t a side effect. Esidisi had begun raising her blood temperature during his possession to blow up her body and cover everyone with lava-hot blood. They had saved her in time, but the temperature of her blood must still be giving her problems.
Without further ado, Joseph stood up and scooped Suzi into his arms. “Ah- Jojo?!” she cried. “What are you doing?!”
“We’re heading inside now! Jeez, Esidisi’s boiling blood is annoying, even after the bastard died,” he remarked in an annoyed tone, as if he wasn’t balancing on the tiles behind the buildings while carrying a woman in his arms. “This Jojo is going to wrap you up like a stromboli!”
“Jojo, you don’t-!”
Joseph smiled mischievously as he said, “Maybe I should send Caesar out to grab you some wool clothes when he checks the post office, or ask Granny Erina to knit something… Maybe I should ask Caesar for your clothing size too!”
“JOJO!”
The blade in his chest is heavy with the weight of his foe on the other end
It feels like it’s tearing, pulling him down, ripping him apart
It hurts so much, and he’s falling, the icicles won’t reach
They won’t reach they won’t reach the chain’s nOT LONG ENOUGH HE’S GOING TO FALL
Joseph woke up with a cry, gasping as his hand flew to his chest. Kars’s Light Blade wasn’t there, and his chest didn’t hurt. Hell, there wasn’t even a ring around his aorta there anymore. But that didn’t take away the lingering feeling of his flesh being cut into.
His hand went up to his mouth next as his eyes began filling up with tears. He hated this, he hadn’t stopped having nightmares ever since he first arrived on the island. Between his dreams and the ring around his windpipe, getting a full night’s sleep - or at least, an uninterrupted night’s sleep - was a rarity. Tonight was no different.
Joseph closed his eyes and took deep breaths, like how his grandmother told him to. After he started having nightmares about Straizo, Santana, and Stroheim when he returned to New York from Mexico, he ended up being found by Erina when she heard him crying out at night. She rubbed his back and told him how brave he was, treating him like a small child. He couldn’t blame her though, she was a teacher and he had only turned eighteen a few months ago. He was probably still a child in her eyes, no matter how tall and muscular he got.
He just wanted to bury those feelings and forget about them, but he knew that trying to fall asleep as he was now would be completely useless. He would just wake up again with a worse dream, or he probably just wouldn’t fall asleep in the first place. He didn’t feel like reading, and alcohol wouldn’t help…
Suddenly, he remembered what could help him. Caesar’s room was right down the hall.
When they shared a bed, Joseph ended up in Caesar’s arms after one of his nightmares threw off his breathing. He didn’t have any other nightmares when he fell back asleep, and he felt safe being held by his friend and training partner. Surely, Caesar wouldn’t mind if Joseph ended up in his arms again, right?
His decision made, Joseph crawled out of bed and went down the hall. He could feel the sticking Ripple around the frame of Caesar’s door, and he summoned his own Ripple to neatly remove it. He carefully opened the door and went inside, closing it behind him. The only light in the dorm room was the moonlight trickling in through the window.
Caesar was fast asleep in his bed, and beside him on the floor was Suzi Q, asleep on her own mattress. He was surprised that she hadn’t left yet, but he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to leave him alone just yet. Caesar’s crisis of faith was probably only one point on a long list of problems he’d hidden from her.
Joseph quietly stepped around Suzi’s mattress and slowly slipped himself into Caesar’s bed. Tucking the blankets overtop him, he nestled himself where it was the most comfortable, right next to Caesar’s side with his head on the blonde’s chest. He had a feeling that he’d end up on his side with his legs tangled up and Caesar’s arms wrapping around him in the morning, it’d become a predictable habit by now.
His body snug against the older man, Joseph closed his eyes. Just like he expected, he felt comfortable and protected here. All he could hope for was the nightmares to leave him alone here.
His consciousness slowly came back to him as he was being jostled in bed. He groaned as he felt the sunlight against his eyelids, and he forced himself to open them.
Joseph was practically wrapped around Caesar like an octopus, and the latter was sitting up on his elbows as he looked down at his predicament. “Che cosa…?” Caesar muttered, half to himself.
The younger man attached to him couldn’t fully remember how he ended up in this bed. But it was soft and warm there, and the slowness of the morning was calling him back down into sleep.
“Come on, Jojo. Get off,” Caesar urged, gently shaking Joseph’s shoulder. Unfortunately for him, Joseph only held on tighter with a grumble, not wanting the cuddling to end yet.
Letting out yet another world-weary sigh, Caesar laid himself back down. “Fine, we don’t need to get up yet,” he relented.
He adjusted his position, moving Joseph’s head further onto his chest. With the hand on the side where the younger man laid, he reached up and began to play with his hair. Joseph was normally irritated whenever Caesar messed with his hair, but the feeling of his fingers running through his hair, stroking his scalp, felt more heavenly than anything else.
“You know, Jojo,” Caesar began murmuring, “you’ve really done a good job. All of this, it wasn’t meant for a child like you…but I guess it was only us that could handle this. Riposati, stellina.”
Joseph was too sleepy to reply, but he stared up at him with half-lidded eyes. Caesar’s smile, his words, and the reassuring touch all began to soothe the ache in his heart that the nightmare had left. He slowly began to sink into sleep again…
…until a noise from the floor made his heart jolt from the adrenaline.
Suzi sat up on her mattress, and she looked up towards the bed with a small gasp. “Ehi?! Jojo can get a spot there and I can’t?! That’s not fair!”
Caesar rolled his eyes as she pouted, and he patted the empty space on the other side of him. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly clambered to his other side, snuggling up with a smile. Caesar put his arm around her and closed his eyes, his hand in Joseph’s hair stopping its movement.
Joseph expected his wordless response, Caesar would fold and grant their requests easily if he and Suzi pushed him in just in the right way. It was kinda cute, if you asked him.
Caesar was rarely honest about his own feelings. Even their talk a while ago was spurred on by a feeling of repayment, but he covered it back up once his truth was out. Joseph knew that now, he was starting to read his training partner better than ever before. That’s how he could see the bits of love folded into every one of Caesar’s gestures.
Helping with chores, agreeing to assist in practicing Italian, letting them sleep beside him, even gentle touches…Caesar was in love with them too. Joseph could read that.
Though he had felt like he was going mad with his own feelings, he realized that he neglected to think about what the other two were feeling. Suzi grew to know Caesar better than herself over the years, and she continued messing with and eyeing up Joseph; Caesar showed his love in quiet ways, from lending Suzi his aid to keeping Joseph motivated or somewhat content.
So, the answer was that they all loved each other.
That made things considerably more difficult than before.
Joseph scrunched up his eyelids as he felt a small headache coming on. If they were all in love with each other, then they were at a standstill. None of them were making the first move. Confessing to just one of them would just exclude the third, but it wasn’t like three people dating was socially accepted. But even if they found a way to all date, that would require confronting their own feelings first…or worse, having to confront the others’ feelings first.
So, what would happen next, now that he knew this? Had the other two already come to the same realization he had, or was it just him? He had no way of knowing.
Throughout all this, the sunlight continued filtering past the curtains in the bedroom. The only sounds to be heard were the soft breaths of the young adults on the bed, slowly falling back asleep. The sheets were still warm and none of them have had obligations for a while, so it was inevitable.
But all Joseph could wonder was what he should do in a situation like this.
“Alright, that’s the last of them,” Joseph reported, taking some dried laundry off the clotheslines. Even with a small ladder, the place where the clothes were hung was very high, so Suzi needed him to get them down for her.
Joseph was only slightly annoyed that she didn’t ask Caesar for help with this. But Caesar was sweeping inside the storage building, and this was good practice with getting used to his glove-covered prosthetic. And wearing full gloves in general.
Suzi put the last of the laundry into her basket with a smile. “Thanks, Jojo! I swear, I can never reach that one spot.”
It was quiet for a minute while Joseph got down from the ladder and folded it up again, and Suzi checked one more time to make sure all the clothes were dry.
Joseph started up the conversation again. “Seriously, what would you do without both Caesar and I?” he chuckled, putting the ladder under his arm.
“Ah, I don’t really know. I could never just choose one of you…”
Her eyes seemed to wander off in thought as she put her hand to her cheek, where it stayed for a moment until her eyes suddenly widened and her face went bright red.
“I think I misunderstood the question,” she nervously giggled, avoiding eye contact. “You- Um, you meant about laundry, yes?”
“Uh, yeah. Because me and Caesar are tall,” Joseph replied blankly.
He didn’t understand why she was suddenly getting worked up over this. Then again, Suzi Q usually got all fretful or excited over small things, from her indecisiveness to her favourite market stand having the ingredient she needed. But she never looked this red in the face. Why was she red in the face?
The two of them were quiet as they went to the trainees’ building to put away the laundry and ladder. Inside, Joseph propped it up in a small supply closet and closed the door. And that’s when it hit him.
He whirled around and stared at Suzi, who was hurriedly sorting the laundry into neat, folded piles on the table. She looked like she was trying to get out of there as fast as she could. Joseph grit his teeth, he needed to stop her before she could bolt.
“Hey, Suzi Q! Hang on a second!” he quickly called, walking up and gently grabbing her shoulder.
“Jojo?!” She turned around with wide eyes. “What are you-”
“I get it,” Joseph interrupted. “I mean, I wouldn’t be able to choose between you and Caesar too. I guess I’m more surprised that you’ve tolerated living with me for this long. That’s more than I can say about anyone else - besides Granny Erina and Uncle Speedwagon, of course.”
He could feel himself smiling a bit as his face grew hotter. He could feel his heartbeat starting to speed up, but not to a point where he’d be nervous about it.
The rings were long since gone- No, come on, Jojo! Focus!
Suzi looked even more startled, but her eyes were glittering with hope. She grabbed onto Joseph’s arm as she stared up at him. “R-Really?!”
“Yeah. I don’t want to choose between either of you. I wanted you both to stay with me, I wanted to love both of you. I guess that’s the reason I haven’t said anything until now,” he confessed, though with a pinch of dishonesty. He chose to leave out the other reason he hadn’t acted yet, that being his misunderstanding.
“Of course a rich kid would want both,” she teased. Those words, while normally hurtful, held no malice in them whatsoever. Suzi Q wore her heart on her sleeve like he did, so he knew she didn’t mean any harm by it.
In fact, if he was reading her correctly - which he most certainly believed he was doing - she was practically ecstatic right now.
“Heh. Call me greedy all you want, but why should I give one of you up?” he joked with a small wink. “It’s not like you’d be able to choose either. Do you still have trouble deciding which dress to wear in the mornings?”
“You jerk!” she laughed, taking a light swing at him. He caught her fist easily, and he pulled her closer to his body as she giggled.
The dams burst as they dissolved into laughter, finally giving into the feelings they put on the line. Suzi reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down, where she began pressing kisses to his face, neck, and wherever she could reach. Joseph’s hands snaked down to her hips, where he carefully held her like a fragile doll, keeping her close to him as she barraged him with affection.
When he eventually tried pulling away, she refused to let go of him. He stood up, where she ended up dangling from his neck while she laughed. Joseph carefully lifted her up a little further and pressed a kiss to her lips, where she happily melted. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this giddy, perhaps it had been so long that he couldn’t remember. But now wasn’t the time to reminisce, not while he had a cute girl in his arms.
Finally, he pulled back and put her back down on the ground, where she let go of him. Joseph straightened up and began rubbing the back of his neck. “Took us a while to get here, didn’t it?” he chuckled sheepishly.
“Says you! You’ve only known us for a month and a half!” she huffed, crossing her arms. “I’ve known Caesar for years, and then you came in and made everything so confusing!”
“Well, that’s not my fault. But I guess I gotta take responsibility now, right? Jeez, never thought I’d see the day I’d say that…” Joseph muttered that last part, which made Suzi laugh again.
“You’d better! My head was starting to spin, I didn’t know what to do!” Suzi’s grumpy persona dropped, and she began giggling again. “I guess I realized I couldn’t decide between you two when we were helping Caesar with his physical therapy…”
It took Joseph a moment to recall what she meant. “Oh, you mean the first time we went swimming?”
“Yeah, that! We were all playing together, and you two were actually smiling. Not from achieving something, but just having fun. It was cute to see.”
“So that’s why you were staring,” he realized. But another memory from that place came to mind as he began smiling again. “But are you sure you weren’t just checking us out? I mean, I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to kiss two handsome guys. Or maaaaybe you were thinking of some~thing else-”
"Enough teasing, ragazzo. Come here,” she demanded, and he stopped his singsong jokes to bend down and let her kiss him again.
No matter what anyone said, this was DEFINITELY better than what they show in films.
They pulled apart again, and Suzi moved her arms to hug around his midsection. He hoped that her smile was just as big as his right now. Frankly, he was having the time of his life!
He remembered back when he first arrived at Italy, eight hours after he and Caesar brawled at that fountain. What was it he said at that time again?
“What kind of woman would tolerate your abrasive personality? Nessie would be easier to find than the right woman for you!”
His smile became a slight smirk as he looked down at the girl relaxing against him. He DID get a woman to like him in the end! Take that, Caesar!
Though, that brought them to the next thing on their to-do list…
Joseph’s smile fell as he took a deep breath. “Hey, is Caesar still in the storage building?” he asked.
Suzi looked up at him with a small hum. “Yeah, he should be.”
She looked slightly confused, and he hoped she hadn’t forgotten about the second person they both fancied. But the problem that Joseph was contemplating was about how Caesar would react. On one hand, Caesar would probably agree to be in a relationship with only a little effort to persuade on. He enjoyed spoiling them, even if he never said so.
But on the other hand, his conflicted, tired mind would add a lot of resistance to this kind of relationship. Even Joseph knew that it would be against a lot of societal conventions, and things Caesar would’ve used to turn away from. He could only hope that Caesar’s feelings for them would win out.
“We gotta go talk to him,” Joseph decided, gently nudging Suzi’s arms off him. “Let’s head over there.”
“Huh? Wait, hold on,” Suzi spoke up, grabbing his arm. “I don’t think we should tell him right now.”
“What, because he’s cleaning? I think this is a little more important than sweeping floors.”
“You’ve seen how he’s been, Jojo.” Suzi looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with worry. “He’s already stressed enough from his life suddenly changing, and he and I are still working on his whole ‘deal’, you know.” She moved her hands at that word, and Joseph gave her a nod to show he understood. “Maybe we should wait a couple days, or at least until we’re in America.”
Joseph shook his head. “No can do. I told you about what happened in Switzerland, right?”
“Hm? What does that have to do with this?”
“I told you that Caesar and I got into a fight. I messed up and insulted his family, but we did come around in the end. But it was because of our miscommunication that we got hurt,” Joseph summarized.
After that incident, it was better to be upfront about these things, Joseph had decided. Who was he if another unknown problem tore him and Caesar apart again? He couldn’t let that happen, never again.
“So we need to go talk to Caesar about this, right now.” Joseph turned to leave the trainees’ building, ignoring the laundry that still had to be folded and put away.
“Can’t we just wait for at least a little while? I just don’t think we should tell him all of this at once-”
“No, he needs to know. Because if he sees us being all lovey-dovey and stuff, that idiot’s gonna jump to the worst possible conclusion.”
As Joseph left the building to find the Zeppeli, Suzi Q sighed and ran to catch up with him. He looked to his side and smiled as he saw her walking there. At least he wouldn’t be alone in this, and maybe it would be easier to calm Caesar with her nearby if things go wrong.
The walk to the storage building felt longer than normal, but they were able to spot their target sweeping dirt and dust out of an equipment room. Before he knew what hit him, he was suddenly tackled by the other two. Caesar nearly fell over, dropping his broom, but he grabbed the wall and retained his balance despite their weight.
“Che diavolo?! Get off!” he squawked, shaking them off to the best of his ability.
The pair of troublemakers giggled at his reaction. Joseph knew that Caesar couldn’t stay mad at them, and true to his reading, the man straightened up with an exasperated smile.
“Did you two come to help me with the chores here? Or did you need something?” he asked them. His broom laid at his feet, but he stepped on the edge of the handle and tipped it back upright where he could grab it again.
Right, it was now or never.
“We actually came to talk to you,” Joseph chipperly answered. He kept up the attitude despite the blunt question, “So, so! What do you feel about us? Because we both love you!”
“...Huh?” Caesar’s smile disappeared as he scanned Joseph’s face for any sign of a trick. “Is this one of your jokes, Jojo? I’m not surprised that Suzi got roped into it-”
“It’s not a trick,” Joseph replied, his expression and voice dropping into dead seriousness as he repeated, “We both love you.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in, but the result was Caesar’s face going bright red as he looked between the two of them. “What the- Where did this suddenly come from?!”
Suzi Q sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Dio mio, Jojo,” she muttered, then looked back up at Caesar, whose eyes were silently pleading for an explanation. “Caesar, Jojo and I were talking while we were doing our chores. And we- we found out that we loved each other, and we loved you as well,” she gently explained. “And I TOLD this cretino to wait to tell you, but he didn’t listen-”
“Hey, I said we needed to tell him so he didn’t misunderstand anything!” Joseph argued.
He stole a quick glance at Caesar, who was wide-eyed and quiet as he stared at the bickering duo. Their argument fizzled as Suzi noticed his state too, and the room became quiet. Joseph didn’t need to analyze him to know how shocked he was by the sudden confession. Caesar’s brain was almost like one of the Speedwagon Foundation’s machines when it went on the fritz from too many commands - Speedwagon had a scientific name for it, but Joseph couldn’t remember it.
But quiet never lasted long in this group.
“Oi, earth to Caesar! You’re still alive, right?” Joseph inquired in a manner that was too loud for indoors. He was tempted to wave a hand in front of the other man’s face. “Come on, you’re not a statue! If you don’t say anything, I will… Uh, I’ll find the biggest spider on the island and put it in your room!”
“A-Are you okay, Caesar? Please, say something,” Suzi asked, looking up at him worriedly.
Joseph looked down at her, then looked back at Caesar. “Look, man, you’re gonna make her cry! You don’t want that, do you?”
That seemed to snap Caesar out of his shock, and he looked between the two of them. “Wait, wait, both of you…? You want me…?! Of all people?!” he demanded, taking a small step backwards.
Caesar’s body looked as tense as a coiled spring. Joseph slowly realized that while his logic wasn’t wrong, Suzi was completely right in her observation of Caesar. He was definitely more stressed than the Joestar had predicted, maybe this hadn’t been a good time to talk to him…but it wasn’t like he could stop this conversation now.
“Isn’t that reaction weird? It’s not like you don’t have a dozen smitten floozies all over Italy,” Joseph pointed out. “This really isn’t different, only that we both want to share you.”
“Share…?!”
It sounded like the breath was knocked right out of Caesar. He quickly cleared his throat and tried to compose himself in front of the other two. Joseph wasn’t fooled, Caesar had hardly stopped reeling from the shock of everything.
“I…I’m not used to having connections. Even those women, they barely know me. I don’t know much of them in turn. This,” he motioned between himself and the pair, “and that are different things entirely.”
“They’re different things, huh? So, this reaction of yours is because you DO have a connection with Suzi and I! Isn’t that right?” Joseph teased.
He immediately realized that it was the wrong thing to say when Caesar’s false composure began to crack again. He looked down at his feet with shaky breath. “H-How am I supposed to…both of you…?” he muttered.
“Remember what I said, Caesar?” Suzi suddenly spoke up. “I told you you didn’t need to impose so much on yourself. If you’re worried about religion or society, this might not really not be approved-”
“Wh-When did I say anything like that?!”
“-but you love Jojo, don’t you?” The maid sighed and rubbed her forehead. “You don’t need to say anything. Your worry is written all over you.”
For a moment, Joseph’s heart began to flutter. He had only suspected it, but Caesar really did love him back! He loved them both! But forced himself to shove the feeling down. Now wasn’t the time for that.
Suzi continued, “Even you loving a man isn’t approved either. But I love Jojo, and I love you too. Would you say that I’m wrong for loving two people?”
Caesar’s mouth opened, then closed again. He looked like he wanted to say “no” oh so badly and side with her. But Joseph knew that left him at an impasse. If it was okay for Suzi Q, then it was okay for Caesar too. She mentally backed him into a corner, and frankly, Joseph was impressed.
Suzi took a step towards Caesar, ignoring how the startled man seemed like he was going to step back again. “I really do love you both, it almost felt like we were dating during that month, with how close the three of us were together! You might not have heard all the jokes Loggins and Messina were making about it, but I did.”
“I think I heard some of those,” Caesar huffed, rolling his eyes.
“Zitto. What I mean is that asking to date is basically just a formality with us. You’ve been so nice to me these past four years, and we both love Jojo too! Choosing is already hard, and I don’t want to choose between the two people who make me so happy,” she pleaded, “so would you accept both of us…?”
“I…I…”
Joseph watched the sight as anxiety began pooling in his gut. Caesar’s defensive front was definitely because of his stress, it was bound to spill over sooner or later. He’d been so caught up in his confession to Suzi Q that he forgot to factor in how to handle Caesar. His heart began to race again, hard enough that it was starting to concern him now.
He felt his chest tighten with fear, but forced himself to breathe normally, just like in training. He figured his body was starting to freeze up from his fear, but he refused to let it dictate his actions now. Since when did he let fear get in the way of his goals, even if he didn’t know what to do? That wasn’t like him, it was just the aftershocks of the past six months catching up to him.
As Joseph had read before, “victory is decided before the battle is fought.” He had calculated that Caesar was just as in love with him and Suzi as they were with him and each other, and with some new information, he was more sure of it than before. De-escalation was not Joseph’s forte, but who was he if he didn’t take all-or-nothing gambles?
Joseph put a hand on Suzi’s shoulder, a silent message to let him have his turn. It was now or never.
“Listen,” he addressed Caesar, “I know we used to hate each other’s guts, but you’ve supported me the most throughout everything. You didn’t look like you were two steps from giving up on me, even when Lisa Lisa and our instructors did. You’re the one I trust the most - besides Granny and Speedwagon-”
Suzi elbowed him, reminding him to stay on track.
“OW-! Okay, okay. Sharp fucking elbows,” he muttered. “Anyway, it already felt like we were something closer than friends while we trained, but I didn’t realize that it was the same thing I felt for Suzi until, uh, after all this bullshit ended. I guess that’s why the things in Switzerland are still messing with me. And I don’t care about backgrounds or gender, you know that.”
Caesar let out a breathy, nervous laugh. “Tu sei impazzito, moccioso ricco…”
“Go ahead and call me whatever you want. It doesn’t change a thing. I still trust you more than anything,” Joseph retorted. “But now I know you better. The three of us, we understand each other’s pain and how it felt to go through something as fucked up as this past month. We’re the only ones who can help each other.”
“So, is that what this is about?” Caesar suddenly questioned, an incredulous look on his face. “Are you confessing to me because you love me, or because you just want to move on from this?”
“What are you talking about?!” Suzi gasped. “Of course it’s because we love you, what kind of-?!”
“Would you be mad if I said both?”
Suzi whirled around and stared at Joseph with a horrified expression. But the brunette kept his eyes on the stunned man in front of him.
“I mean, I never wanted to get dragged into this in the first place, all I want now is to live a normal life. But, ah, I wouldn't be saying this to just anyone, you know?” Joseph averted his eyes awkwardly, feeling his metal hand start to fidget. “If I’m gonna live a normal life, at least I want you in it. I want to share my happiness, my family, everything with you.”
He took a deep breath and forced himself to look up again. His heartbeat, while still concerning, felt like it was pounding in his ears. Caesar’s expression looked like a mix of dumbfounded and shocked. He didn’t even want to see how Suzi looked right now.
“But I’m not stupid, I know that it’s not up to me to decide. What do you want, Caesar?”
The room went quiet after that question. Joseph waited for anyone other than him to break the silence, while Suzi Q was frozen by his side. He could see Caesar’s body slightly trembling, but the man’s eyes were glued to the ground in front of him. His shaky breathing was starting to worry Joseph, but he forced it down.
Suzi broke the silence as she tugged on Joseph’s hand. “Let’s give him some space. He probably needs some time…” she suggested.
But Joseph didn’t budge. His intuition was telling him that he’d get a response very soon. Whether it was an actual answer or whether Caesar was going to deck him, he would accept both outcomes.
Caesar covered his mouth, his face bright red. “I…” he began, still looking at the ground. His voice was weak, he sounded like he was on the verge of tears. “I never let anyone get close to me before…not even those girls…I couldn’t let them find out about me. My past…or who I am…”
He reminded Joseph of how he looked on the night he found him in his bedroom, pitiful and curled up like a child seeking comfort. As much as he wanted to run up and hug the man, he forced himself to let him finish. The brunette hooked a thumb into Suzi’s apron to keep her in place as well.
“But I-I want… I want to be loved…” Caesar confessed. “I don’t want to be alone anymore…”
A moment of silence passed again. “Does that mean… Is that a ‘yes’? Are you accepting us?” Suzi Q asked, her face growing brighter by the second.
“I…I can learn. I’ll learn to love both of you. J-Just don’t leave me all alone…please…”
Within seconds, Joseph walked up and wrapped the smaller man in a hug. There wasn’t anything stopping him now, especially not when Caesar practically collapsed into his hold. The Zeppeli buried his face in his shoulder, his entire body trembling. Suzi ran up and hugged him from the other side too, and Joseph adjusted his position to accommodate her.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt."
He had read that in The Art of War as well. His and Suzi’s confession may not have gone as smoothly as he first thought, but he knew Caesar well enough. What he saw in the infirmary when Caesar was still delusional from his fever was his weakness from when he was a child. Continuing to be patient in the face of defences and fronts bore fruit, and Caesar finally let himself be honest with them.
All in all, an overwhelming victory.
Suzi was cooing at Caesar and kissing his hands, chest, and neck since his face was still hidden. Joseph let out a relieved sigh as he ran a hand through Caesar’s hair. He kept his other arm wrapped around the other man’s back, even when Caesar’s arms were wrapped tightly around his midsection and would not be letting go anytime soon.
If he had to be honest, Joseph felt close to collapsing as well. All the pressure from the fear of screwing up and the anxiety of it all had been lifted from his shoulders, leaving him slightly lightheaded. He couldn’t deny that the unfamiliarity was itching at him, but everything felt so much better now. But even so, he decided that when they got to America, he’d ask Speedwagon for recommendations for counsellors. Even if going sounded like a hassle, he didn’t want to be jerked around by this fear forever.
But right now, he was happy to savour his time with Suzi and Caesar in his arms. Despite the complications, everything was going to be okay now. They weren’t alone anymore.
And all things considered, he couldn’t complain about being a polygamist anymore.
After their talk, the trio moved onto the storage building’s roof. They could do the chores later, Joseph talked Suzi into taking a break for a while.
The main factor in her agreeing was Caesar, who currently had a blanket wrapped around him. He needed some time to recuperate, which she wholeheartedly agreed with. They’d offered him a pillow too, an apology for confessing while he was under immense stress, but he told them that the blanket was enough.
Joseph sat in the middle of the trio with an arm wrapped around each, with Suzi lying on his legs and Caesar curled up against his side. The sun was setting, orange was starting to paint the sky and darken the waves, and frankly, he felt like he was in paradise.
“So, anything new on the radio? I tried listening to that one radio drama you like, but they speak really fast, it’s a pain,” he asked Suzi, since Caesar was clearly not up for conversation right now.
“Nothing’s new, except for the war. Czechoslovakia is occupied now, and Bohemia and Moravia got annexed,” Suzi sighed. “It’s only a matter of time until Italy gets involved…”
Joseph grimaced. “We need to smuggle Caesar out before they start patrolling their borders better. Something tells me it won’t be anytime soon though. There hasn’t been any kind of draft sent out yet.”
“No, but I can feel how tense things are every time I go out shopping…”
The maid still looked upset as she looked towards the mainland. Joseph couldn’t stand to see her upset like this, especially now that they were…dating? Was that the right word? Joseph still had trouble believing that this was all real sometimes.
“Hey, don’t you worry about a thing! Even with all this atmosphere, no one’s going to lay a finger on you! And if they do…” Joseph cracked his knuckles for dramatic effect. “I’ll show them what for!”
“Heehee! Really, I’d be more concerned about yourself, Jojo. It might get harder for you to go in public, since you’re from England,” Suzi pointed out.
“America,” Joseph corrected.
“You’re from an Allied power either way.”
“And I’m dating two people, some moron’s gonna try to jump me either way. Emphasis on ‘try,’ heh.”
There was a brief silence on the rooftop.
Suzi began to blush and hold her cheeks in her hands. “Ahh, dating two people…saying it aloud is so embarrassing!” She let out a small giggle.
“Aw, what’s so embarrassing about it? That you got two handsome boyfriends?” He gently squeezed her with the arm around her. “It’s not like anyone else is going to hear it! …But yeah, we’ll have to come up with something to go out in public.”
The good mood seemed to wane, but not disappear entirely. Joseph was forced to admit to himself that while he learned to navigate social conventions and read people like books, understanding them and why things were the way they were wasn’t his strong suit.
“It’s probably best that we pretend that only two of us are in a relationship, and that one person is the third wheel dragged along,” he sighed. “But that means we won’t be able to give that ‘third’ any attention in public. Suzi’s gonna have to be part of the couple, so it’s me or Caesar who-”
“I’ll be the ‘third’,” Caesar suddenly spoke up, making Joseph and Suzi jump.
“Oi, give us some warning next time!” Joseph exclaimed. Then, the words suddenly sunk in. “Wait, you want to be the one who pretends that-”
“Jojo, I’m pretty sure you’d die if you weren’t able to give affection in public. Even when we went to the mainland during training, you kept holding my hand half the time,” Caesar gently ribbed. “And Suzi’s pretty much allergic to not socializing, so she's in the same boat.”
“Y-You said it was okay for friends to do it in Italy…” Joseph whined while Suzi huffed in protest.
“And it is. But that’s not my point.” Caesar straightened up slightly, holding the blanket around him. “You and Suzi can act like you’re dating. I can act like the third wheel. Just make sure to not give me too much attention when we’re in public.”
“This is so unfair…”
“I didn’t make the rules, stellina mia.”
“It does make sense. But we’re gonna make sure you get your proper share of affection when we’re at home, signore!” Suzi proclaimed.
“Damn right!” Joseph shouted, pulling Caesar closer as the man let out a yelp.
Suzi wasted no time in switching her spot onto Caesar’s lap, leaning against his chest as she hugged him as tight as she could. Caesar’s face was bright red again, but Joseph was pleased to see him not on the verge of tears this time. In fact, he certainly didn’t mind seeing Caesar’s embarrassed face, he kinda wanted to keep him that way.
“Hehehe… So, who was it that said I couldn’t get in a relationship?” he teased, nudging Caesar’s ribs. “Should I send a telegram to Nessie?”
Caesar leaned his head onto Joseph’s shoulder as he grumbled under his breath. Still chuckling, Joseph kissed the top of his head.
The next morning was spent together, with all three partners in high spirits. After they had some breakfast and decided to dress up nicely for once-
“Hm, the red tie looks nice on Jojo. But I also like the striped one!”
“Just choose already, woman!”
“I think the red one would look lovely, bella.”
“Ah, you’re right! Red it is!”
-they went into town together to do some grocery shopping. Even Caesar staying half a step behind the other two did nothing to ruin their good mood. It was a beautiful day out, one that Suzi insisted they spend on the mainland together.
Joseph hummed quietly to himself as he walked down the stone pathway, his girlfriend holding his hand and his boyfriend’s shoulder brushing against his. He felt like he was on cloud nine, this was the best he’d felt since the end of January.
His train of thought was interrupted when he suddenly realized he couldn’t feel Caesar’s shoulder anymore. He turned to check on the man, only to find him frozen and staring at a building beside him. Joseph raised an eyebrow and looked where he was looking, seeing that they were passing a church. That would explain it.
Suzi was undisturbed though, and she crossed herself as she tried to tug Joseph into walking by it. But Joseph wouldn’t budge, unwilling to leave Caesar behind. When Suzi turned to see what was going on, her expression softened and she let go of Joseph’s hand.
She walked up to Caesar, and Joseph could hear her quietly tell him, “Remember, you don’t need to be strict on yourself. Just do what I do.”
Caesar took a deep breath and crossed himself like she did, though his expression looked nothing less than guilty. But Suzi smiled and gently pulled him forward, and Joseph walked with them past the front of the church.
Joseph hadn’t asked Suzi or Caesar how exactly their progress with that problem was going, but he knew enough about Caesar to take a guess. His hypothesis was that Caesar had attempted to go between two extremes, being either strictly religious or not practicing at all, so Suzi was trying to ease him into casual motions like she did.
He wasn’t sure if that was the case, or what was entirely going on, but he hoped that whatever Suzi was doing would work.
As they walked away from the church, Joseph reached his hand behind him and took Caesar’s. He gave it a gentle squeeze for reassurance, and he felt some tension disappear from Caesar’s body. He didn’t look behind him, but he had a feeling that the other man would be alright.
Heading down the sidewalk, they soon ended up in the more urban area of Venice. Shops lined the streets, and further in the distance, Joseph could see marketplace stands. There were lots of people out and about on this nice day, though it was starting to get a bit too loud for the brunette’s comfort. But like almost all social things, Joseph forced himself to grit his teeth and bear it.
“Let’s stop at the bakery first,” Suzi suggested, looking at her shopping list. Thankfully, a bakery was nearby, and the trio walked right in.
The man at the counter, who Joseph guessed was the owner, began smiling when he saw them. “Ciao, Suzi Q. Come stai?” he greeted. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he noticed the other Italian in the group. “Ehi?! Cesare?! Porca miseria, dove eravate?!”
Joseph felt proud that he could understand what the owner and his partners were saying in their language better. His lessons were paying off! But even so, it was better to keep his mouth shut and just let them handle business until it was time to go. At least the bakery was quieter than the streets outside.
He looked around at the baked goods, and overheard the owner giving Caesar some discounts and Suzi squealing about how she’s in a relationship now. Suddenly, a small pack of chocolate chip muffins caught his eye. He looked back at Caesar, who was distracted, then quietly walked over to Suzi. He slipped some money into her hand, pointed at the muffins, then pointed at Caesar.
Her eyes widened as she realized what Joseph was trying to tell her, and a devious smile crossed her face as she went to buy the muffins. As she took the muffins from their place, Joseph pulled on Caesar’s shoulders to guide him away from the counter.
“Tch, what’s the big idea?” Caesar grumbled, trying to keep himself completely calm inside the bakery.
“I just wanted to know what the heck these were. Can you blame me, they look cool!” Joseph whined, pointing at a small display of cookies, which were arranged to look like some kind of Hallmark set.
Caesar’s back was to the counter, where Suzi silently purchased the muffins and hid them in her basket.
“They’re out of our budget. And no, I’m not taking your money to buy them,” Caesar sighed. Joseph’s pleading continued until Suzi dragged them both out of the bakery with her.
They still had plenty of stops to go, but Joseph was looking forward to getting back to Air Supplena. He and Suzi had promised to make up for whatever affection Caesar couldn’t get in public, and by God, he was going to see it happen. Caesar wouldn’t even know what hit him.
Joseph hummed to himself as he transferred food from a pan to a plate. He was getting better with his prosthetic hand at everyday tasks now, and he could even handle cooking dinner for the group now.
Normally, Suzi Q wouldn’t have trusted Joseph in the kitchen alone, but he’d been improving in his cooking and she was in a good enough mood to trust him to do this outside of cooking lessons. Granted, he had two recipe books open, but he wasn’t burning the food this time. That in itself was something to be proud of.
Joseph turned off the stove and divided up all the food he made between three plates, and he put the pan in the sink before carrying the plates to the table. After putting them at their usual spots, he stepped back and admired his work. Sure, his cooking might not have been as good as the island’s Italians’ cooking, but he hoped they would like it regardless.
“Caesar! Suzi Q! Food’s ready!” he yelled into the hallway. He hoped they were at least somewhere nearby so he wouldn’t have to ring the bell atop the building to call them.
Luckily for him, they came quickly and sat down. “Ooh, this smells good!” Suzi remarked, while Caesar smiled and gave a small hum in agreement.
Before they ate, Suzi took their hands and recited a small prayer before their meal. Caesar mumbled along, his eyes cast low, while Joseph said nothing at all. And once that was done, Suzi wasted no time in shovelling the food into her mouth.
“Slow down, you’ll choke,” Caesar chided, his own table manners as proper as could be. From what Joseph had heard though, his table manners used to be worse than both of theirs, though he couldn’t be blamed for that.
Joseph ate his supper, but he carefully watched the other two for their reactions. He got his answers from Suzi’s bright expression and Caesar’s surprised yet small smile, and then they began speaking.
“Well, this was a surprise. You’re improving quite a bit, stellina mia,” Caesar praised. “Good job.”
Nowadays, Caesar’s teasing nickname was starting to make his heart race more. He wasn’t used to it, but certainly wasn’t complaining.
“Yes, yes! We’ll have to cook together more, we’ll make a proper Italian out of you!” Suzi joked. At that, Caesar shook his head with a breathy laugh.
Joseph smiled with pride. “I told you, nothing’s impossible for this Jojo!” he boasted, closing his eyes with a laugh.
When he opened an eye to check their reactions, expecting nothing less than amused exasperation, his smile nearly faded as he noticed how his partners were looking at him. Suzi stared at him as if he were a cute puppy doing tricks, and Caesar looked at him like how a hungry wolf would look at a rabbit.
Both of which had the effect of making Joseph’s face heat up something fierce. He felt as if he were a mouse dropped in front of a pair of cats, about to be played with and then devoured. THAT certainly wasn’t something he planned for. Trying to not let his panic show on his face, he quickly reached for any other topic.
“So, what’s gonna happen next, then? We’re all going to America, but we’re staying together, right?” Joseph asked. He shoved some more food into his mouth before anyone could make him speak again.
Caesar scoffed. “What kind of question is that? You live there, I have to escape, and Suzi’s coming with us.”
“We’re all in a relationship, of course I’m coming too!” she exclaimed. “Though, Caesar, did you submit the papers to drop out already?”
“Si, I’m just waiting for a confirmation letter from my university now. It should arrive soon.”
Suzi nodded. “I’m still employed under Lisa Lisa, so I’m heading with you anyway,” she added, and the men nodded along as if they hadn’t already known that information.
Joseph raised his head a little more. “Wait, does your family know you’re leaving?” he asked her.
“My older brother does. I haven’t been in contact with my parents since I was hired,” she replied.
“Ah.”
“He wanted to go with me, but he already has a large family. He might be drafted for the war too…”
Caesar quickly cut in, “I’m sure he’ll be alright. Michele Q is a smart man.”
Suzi looked up at him, a relieved smile crossing her face. “Oh, thank you. I can only hope he’ll be safe.”
“He’ll be fine, and so will you,” he assured. “I hate to say it, but Lisa Lisa would be a fool to not keep you employed.”
Joseph blinked in surprise. Caesar? Saying that about Lisa Lisa? Even as a joke, he never insulted or otherwise disrespected her in any way. He must’ve been reaching for anything to cheer Suzi up.
Not to be outdone though, Joseph piped up, “There’s extra space in my and Granny Erina’s house! So everyone can stay together!”
Thoroughly cheered up by her boyfriends, Suzi’s cheerful smile returned. “And what about you, Caesar? What are you planning to do in America?” she asked.
“Oh, that’s easy. I’m joining the Speedwagon Foundation,” Caesar declared. “I’ll apply to the Paranormal Phenomena Section and smoke out the remains of the stone mask, like my grandfather and father before me.”
In the past, Joseph would have clicked his tongue and reminded Caesar to write a will if that was the case. But now, he knew better than to voice those thoughts. The memory of the chalet was still fresh.
“No school, then?” he chose to say instead. “Well, I’ll be heading to university and getting myself into the real estate business!”
“Real estate?!” Caesar laughed, nearly choking on his food. “No, not possible. You HATE working hard!”
Suzi tilted her head. “Isn’t real estate a tricky business to get into?”
“Well, it would be, but I think Speedwagon could give me a hand with some contacts,” Joseph answered. He then turned to Caesar and refuted, “I’m at least good at getting people to do what I need them to do, one way or another!”
“A trickster until the end, huh…” Caesar let out a small laugh at that.
“Madam Lisa Lisa told me once that you’d either grow up to become an important man or a big-time crook!” Suzi giggled.
“Hey, what the hell?! No loyalty on my own team, I swear!”
As the group laughed together, they resumed finishing their dinner. It didn’t take long before Joseph was clearing the table and taking the dishes back to the kitchen. Suzi insisted on handling the cleanup tonight, and he was more than happy to leave it to her.
As he began heading back to his room, he couldn’t stop thinking about the way his partners had looked at him earlier. Their gazes made him felt smaller, yet more desirable. Dare he say, more vulnerable?
But the embarrassing thing was that he didn’t mind that feeling.
Joseph shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his brain. “Damn it, I need a cold cloth. My face is too hot…”
The laboratory smelled like blood and gunpowder, it was suffocating him and everyone else
The monster put his filthy fingers inside his uncle’s head and his adrenaline surged
He was almost eaten, he was almost eaten alive
His breathing’s not enough, he can’t pull the monster up all the way, that solder gave him an order
A chopped-off foot, an invaded body, a grenade, and standing within the smoke and debris was-
Joseph jolted as he sat up in bed. His heart was racing a mile a minute, and his body felt like it was covered in sweat. He held the stump of his left hand close to his chest, his prosthetic having been set aside for the night.
At least this nightmare was one of his more familiar ones.
Now that everything was over, his nightmares seemed to be fresher, infecting the edges of the life he was trying to reclaim. It was hellish, but at least it wasn’t as stressful as having them during his training. But it didn’t ease the sting any.
He felt something shift on the other side of the bed, and Joseph looked over to see emerald eyes looking back at him. Joseph felt himself grow pale. He forgot in his panic that Caesar and Suzi were sharing his bed tonight.
So, as always, Joseph decided that playing off everything would be the best course of action.
“Hey, Caesarino. Why’re you up?” he quietly asked, forcing his tone into being nonchalant.
“Your thrashing woke me up,” Caesar bluntly answered, and all pretense was thrown out the window.
“Oh.”
“Suzi’s up too, but she’s trying not to be.”
“Oh.”
Joseph looked down to the cocoon of blankets between them, where he could see Suzi’s bleary eyes. Thanks to another bout of cold courtesy of Esidisi’s possession, the blankets and her placement between the two men was deemed necessary.
“Tutto bene, Jojo?” Suzi sleepily asked, unable to translate her words into English right now.
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Just go back to sleep,” he quickly dismissed, running a hand through her hair. She made a small noise as she closed her eyes again, accepting the touch.
Unfortunately, Caesar wasn’t sleepy enough to be convinced tonight. He reached over and grabbed Joseph’s arm, pushing him back down on the bed. “Don’t give me your bullshit, Jojo. You’re not fine.”
“Go to sleep, Casanova.”
“Don’t even think about trying that on me.”
Joseph grumbled under his breath, and he felt Suzi worming her way into his arms in her blankets. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her like a stuffed animal. Caesar himself drew closer, draping an arm over both his partners as he laid on his side. Joseph worried for a moment that Suzi would get squished, but she fit comfortably between them.
“I believe the English saying is ‘how the tables have turned’, yes?” he joked. His face then softened into something more sincere. “For a cattivello who complains so much, your habit of hiding your problems is just as bad as mine.”
Of course, he had to throw an insult in there. But he wouldn’t be Caesar if he didn’t, and Joseph felt a prickle of familiar irritation. But even that familiarity felt comforting to him.
“Stop acting all self-sacrificial sometimes. You can trust us,” Caesar continued, lightly squeezing Joseph’s arm.
“Si, siamo qui per te,” Suzi agreed, nuzzling her head into Joseph’s chest.
Joseph wanted to tell Caesar how much of a hypocrite he was being, but he felt Suzi trying to burrow herself into his body, and Caesar’s hand travelled to his hair and ran his hand through it again.
He sighed and adjusted his position, curling around Suzi and moving himself so he could put his head on Caesar’s chest. Suzi wiggled a bit to get comfortable, and Caesar fixed his subtle hold on both of them. As he continued petting the younger man’s head, Joseph felt his eyes watering and tears start to spill over.
He was sure his silent crying was noticed by at least Caesar, but if he did, he didn’t say anything. Even quietly, it felt good to let himself get his emotions out. He had grown too accustomed to holding his emotions together for the sake of other people in the past few months.
All he wanted was to collapse and cry whenever it got too much, and he felt no shame in doing it. But he knew he had to be strong once he got back to America, for the sake of his partners. Joseph wasn’t blind to the way other people treated former citizens of the Axis powers there. He had to protect Caesar and Suzi, just like how they kept protecting him.
As Joseph laid back on his bed, re-reading one of the comic books he packed for his trip to Italy, his mind began to wander. He hated whenever it did that when he was trying to read something he liked, but instead of bad memories, it drifted to a question:
Who actually was Lisa Lisa, really? And what kind of connection did she have to the Joestars?
Ever since he had found the photo in her luggage, in which she had clarified that she was the baby that Erina saved and Straizo adopted, he hadn’t stopped wondering about that. In fact, he hadn’t seen Straizo even once in his childhood, only having heard Speedwagon talk to him over the phone or reading the occasional sent telegram over his shoulder.
But even so, Lisa Lisa knew a lot about him immediately. Sure, she was probably told his name by Caesar, but there was no way she could’ve known about his preference in sheets on his bed, or his favourite flowers in the decorative vase when he first got his dorm (he kept the flowers alive with his Ripple, where they stood even now), or even his love of comic books (there was a note on his nightstand about the small comic section in Air Supplena’s library).
Somehow, she was in contact with someone who knew him. Perhaps it was Speedwagon, but for what reason would they be talking outside of their connection via Straizo?
Joseph closed his comic book and got up, suddenly determined to solve the mystery. He knew absolutely nothing about her, aside from her preferred brand of cigarettes and the “tells” she had that showed a sliver of what was under her ice-cold exterior.
So what to do on an island where she was currently absent?
Break into her building, of course!
Joseph smiled mischievously at his plan. She couldn’t throw a knife at him for snooping around her room if she wasn’t there, so what was stopping him? He’d just go inside, look for any information he could, and be back out in time for dinner.
As he left the trainees’ building, he ran into Suzi Q on the way to the master’s building. “Oh, ‘afternoon! Whatcha up to?” he asked.
“Oh, I just finished the dishes,” she answered. But she must have noticed the look on his face, because she added, “It looks like you’re up to something. Please don’t break anything, Jojo.”
“Don’t worry, nothing’s going to break! …I think.”
“Jojo-”
“Well, maybe I’ll have to break down a door, but I can always get Caesar to fix it!” he reassured.
Suzi let out a giggle. “He’s going to resent that.”
“He always does!” Suddenly, a new idea came to Joseph’s mind. “Well, if you have nothing to do, wanna be my partner in crime?” he offered.
She blinked twice in surprise. “Eh? What are you planning on doing?” she asked.
“Breaking into Lisa Lisa’s room and hunting for clues!”
“Che cosa?!”
Suzi looked nervous at the mere suggestion. “Aw, c’mon, what’s the big deal? What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her,” Joseph reasoned.
“B-But…it’s Lisa Lisa’s room! We can’t just do that!” Suzi fretted. “We can’t invade her privacy!”
“You’ve seen the woman naked, but you’re not curious about rooting through her stuff?”
“It’s not like I’m not curious, but…” Suzi wrung her hands as she tried putting her next words together.
“Your next line is ‘I can’t just push aside her scariness trained into me’!”
“I can’t just push aside her scariness trained into me!” Suzi exclaimed. She suddenly realized what Joseph did, and swore at him in Italian.
“Hey, settle down. Listen, we know next to nothing about her, and she somehow knows about my family,” Joseph explained, his voice lowering. “If this is connected to my past, or to the Joestar bloodline, then it must be important. I have a right to know about what happens with my family, don’t I?”
The maid was quiet for a moment. “Huh…I don’t think I’ve seen you that mature before. You almost looked like a different man!” she remarked.
“Huh? I did?” Joseph wondered blankly. His smile came back almost instantly. “Did I look like a handsome man?”
“As if!” Suzi fired back with a teasing smile.
“Sooooo…are you in? Because I’m breaking in whether you’re coming or not,” he warned.
The maid’s body went rigid again. “W-Wait, you shouldn’t…!” Suzi protested, then sighed. “Alright, I’ll go with you. Just to make sure you don’t wreck anything.”
Joseph let out a whoop of triumph. “Attagirl, Suzi Q!”
“Ugh! Don’t make me regret this!”
Together, the two of them walked to the master’s building together, where Suzi unlocked the door. Joseph was slightly disappointed that he wouldn’t break a door down after all. They snuck inside, closing the door behind them, acting like spies on a mission despite there being no instructors or Lisa Lisa to catch them. No one, except for-
“Hey, where’s Caesar?” Joseph whispered.
“Kitchen. He wanted to make lunch today,” she whispered back.
Right, no one to catch them.
Joseph had been in here enough times to know the layout, so he took the lead while Suzi cautiously followed him. He silently noted that she was right, the fear of Lisa Lisa catching them was really difficult to train out of them. Even he could feel that sensation inside him. But the thrill of adventure and getting caught (even if no one was there) spurred him onwards.
As they ascended the spiral staircase to Lisa Lisa’s bedroom, Joseph noticed something shiny on Suzi’s neck. “Ooh, new necklace?” he wondered.
Now that he got a closer look at it, he could see that it was a pepper-shaped black stone on a gold chain. Suzi looked down at it with a smile.
“Oh, it’s just a cornicello. Caesar gave it to me as a gift!” she happily explained to her now-confused boyfriend. “It’s to protect against the malocchio.”
“Malocchio?”
“You know, uh… The bad stuff, like misfortune and trouble!”
Joseph snickered. “Aw, don’t tell me you’re trying to get rid of me already! How could you?” he dramatically whined as Suzi shushed him through her giggles.
“I don’t think I’d be able to get rid of you if I tried,” she teased, receiving a small pout from her boyfriend. “But maybe you need a cornicello too.”
“Nah, I’m lucky enough without one!”
Finally, they reached the door to Lisa Lisa’s room. Suzi unlocked the door, and Joseph all but burst inside. He saw her bed, bathroom, balcony, and then the room where her work desk was. He marched over to her work room and began searching her desk and cabinets.
“So, um, what exactly are you looking for?” Suzi asked, heading to a small shelf near the desk.
“Anything, really. If it seems connected to Lisa Lisa or the Joestar family, then show me,” Joseph instructed.
It took nearly an hour, but they only managed to procure a handful of clues. Pictures and documents were placed on Lisa Lisa’s desk as Joseph and Suzi scrutinized them.
“Jeez, we found this much, and Caesar’s not even done lunch yet,” Joseph muttered.
“He’s making stew. Now shush.”
Suzi picked up two papers from the desk, both of them documenting separate things.
“This one is a property document over Air Supplena, signed by the Government of Italy and the Speedwagon Foundation…” Suzi looked at the other paper. “…and this one’s a recent document on the Pillar Men and studies surrounding it.”
Joseph leaned over to look at the latter paper. “Looks like a photocopy. It’s in German too.”
“Caesar regularly updated Signor Speedwagon and Lisa Lisa about what the Germans were doing while he was cooperating with them. This was probably from him.”
He walked to the other end of the desk and picked up a newspaper from the bottom of the pile. “This is from 1921…it’s about my dad.”
Suzi’s mouth dropped open in shock as she went to read over his shoulder.
“I was always told that he died in the Great War…but I wasn’t born until 1920. It says he died from a nighttime flying accident in 1921. But Granny didn’t tell me anything like that.” Joseph put the newspaper down and picked up another. “This newspaper’s even stranger. It’s talking about the murder of an RAF Major, but on this newspaper, someone blacked out the name of the one who did it. But the pronouns in the text say that it was a woman who did it.”
“Was it Lisa Lisa?” Suzi wondered. “Maybe she blacked it out herself…”
Joseph covered his mouth as his eyes narrowed. “Caesar told me that ‘Lisa Lisa’ was an alias when he first met her. If she has this newspaper and blacked the name out herself, then she must be the murderer.”
He looked between the two newspapers.
“There’s foul play here. Why would Lisa Lisa go to these lengths if my dad only died in an accident? No, something’s definitely up.”
Suzi picked up another document from the pile. “Jojo, look at this.” She held it up so he could see. “This is a Speedwagon Foundation document about zombies. There’s a cite note here about zombies being able to disguise as humans. It cites a newspaper, I think it’s this one?”
“The cite note…hold on a sec.” Joseph flipped the newspaper back to its cover, looking around for the date. After a moment, he found it in the corner of the page. “Yeah, you’re right. This newspaper was the thing cited.”
She gasped as a realization came upon her. “If this newspaper was cited, then-!”
“-Then someone here was likely a zombie in disguise. I think it’s the commander,” Joseph hypothesized. He pointed to another passage. “It says the culprit burned the commander’s body. But if we assume it’s Lisa Lisa, who can use the Ripple, the effect of the Ripple on the undead is burning them away. The RAF Major must’ve been a zombie. That’s the only possible explanation.”
“Then the newspaper about your father’s flying accident… The dates on these newspapers are so close together,” Suzi noticed.
Joseph nodded solemnly. “Then…my father didn’t die in an accident. He was murdered, and it was covered up. And Lisa Lisa avenged him… Granny and Speedwagon…hid this from me…”
Suzi was quiet for a moment. As Joseph stood hunched over the newspapers, she put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. She looked around the desk at their finding, and she picked up a framed photo of Lisa Lisa and a man in the uniform. She squeezed his shoulder to get his attention and passed the picture to him.
“Yeah, that’s my dad. He looks all snazzy in uniform like that,” Joseph chuckled. “And damn, I never thought I’d see a day where that woman actually smiled. Looks like they were pretty good friends.”
Suzi looked at the photo again. Lisa Lisa and Joseph’s father sat beside each other, smiling as they posed for a photo. As she looked it over, she hummed a bit. “Say, Jojo…you said once that your mother died not long after your father did, right?”
Joseph raised an eyebrow. “Yes…?”
“This might be a bit of a strange thought, but,” Suzi pointed to the photo, “what if Lisa Lisa was your mother?”
“My WHAT?!”
“No, no, just listen! The newspapers’ dates are so close together, and Lisa Lisa became a war criminal, but what if the reason your mother ‘died’ was because the foundation was helping her escape?” she guessed. “The Speedwagon Foundation procured these land rights and gave them to Lisa Lisa, and she couldn’t see you because she was a fugitive?”
“The Speedwagon Foundation helping her, I can believe. But being my mother? Get real. What kind of mother throws their child to the Hell Climb Pillar and leaves them to die as soon as they reunite?” Joseph scoffed, shaking his head.
“Mine tried to abandon me and my brother in the slums, remember?”
“Oh, right, sorry. But no decent parent would just abandon their children at all. Or at the very least, she could’ve made it known when we met. But she and I are DEFINITELY not related, there’s no resemblance,” he insisted. “Good grief, could you imagine?!”
After a slight pause to think about it, Suzi sighed and nodded. “You’re right, it’s just a silly thought.”
“But you’re right, she couldn’t have escaped and changed her name without the foundation’s help. Which means she’s known Uncle Speedwagon since before I was born. The photo I found in the chalet backs that up.” He looked at the other photos of the Joestar family on the desk. “She was raised by Straizo, so she’s probably just a family friend. She knew my father, and told me nothing about him…”
“Maybe they were childhood friends or something,” Suzi suggested, and Joseph nodded in agreement.
“Yeah. Straizo was a Ripple master and probably taught her, but my father couldn’t use it. So Speedwagon kept in contact with both of them for his foundation. After all, the foundation’s true purpose is to uncover the secrets of the Stone Mask. He told me that right before I moved to New York.”
“This is confusing…”
“You’re telling me.”
Suddenly, they heard the clang of a loud bell, ringing through the island. The duo shot up immediately. “Finally! It’s about time he finished lunch,” Joseph exclaimed.
“Come on, Jojo!” Suzi cried, getting a head start in running to the stairs.
They left Lisa Lisa’s building, closing the doors behind them but leaving their findings on the desk where they left them. They could come back to them another day.
It had been almost three weeks since Joseph and Caesar had returned to Air Supplena. Time seemed to pass by quickly, too fast for Joseph. But these days made him start thinking about everything.
This past month, he had nearly died. He never got into a relationship, never got to travel the world, never got to start a family. He only survived by sheer dumb luck.
But after everything was over, he realized what he had now: maturity, responsibility, two hot Italians, a job opportunity, and family waiting for him. He had so many things, and he didn’t want to delay any steps towards the future. He wanted a job and a family and a normal life, and while he could get help in the real estate industry, he figured hastening the family part would help him.
At the top of the Hell Climb Pillar, sitting in the sunlight, the island’s residents were having a picnic. It had been Caesar’s idea, and Suzi Q cooked up a storm. It looked more like one of the potlucks Erina used to hold in England, in Joseph’s opinion. But everyone was happy, and that was enough for him.
“-And then the guy at the market told me that I’d find it behind the lamp, and the owner smacked him upside the head!” Suzi finished retelling, making the men laugh.
“Ma che scemo!” Caesar laughed, pouring himself some wine he brought up. He gave the other two a top-up on their glasses too, prompting a little contented noise from Joseph.
Joseph thought for a moment as Suzi laughed along with Caesar, and sat up a little bit. “Hey, we should get married,” he suggested out of the blue.
Caesar gave him the side eye and moved the bottle away from him. “I’m cutting off your wine refills.”
“Oh, Jojo…sei troppo carino,” Suzi sighed with a smile, staring at him adoringly.
“I’m not drunk.” Joseph’s suddenly serious tone caught the blondes off-guard. “Let’s get married. We might not get another opportunity, you know?”
The top of the tower went quiet as the other two processed his words. Joseph waited and watched as Caesar’s body went rigid and Suzi’s hands flew to her mouth.
Joseph opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly got tackled in a hug by Suzi. Letting out a squeal, she nuzzled her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and looked up at Caesar, who looked like his brain was shutting down and restarting from the shock. He leaned forward and grabbed the front of Caesar’s shirt, sending him toppling forward.
Now in a happy-slash-confused pile together, Suzi babbled excitedly in Italian between kissing both men, Joseph couldn’t stop himself from dissolving into happy giggles, and Caesar’s unfocused wide eyes and his bright red face made him look, in Joseph and Suzi’s humble opinions, surprisingly adorable.
Suddenly, Caesar scrambled to his knees. “Aspetta, aspetta, un attimo! W-We should be doing this! Not this soon!” he protested.
Joseph sat up, dragging Suzi with him. “What’s the big deal? We already know so much about each other, right?”
“It’s been two months!”
“Granny Erina and my grandfather knew each other for two or three months before they married, and one of those months was seven years before that, so it’s no big deal!”
“Che cazzo?!”
“Caesar, per favore! Sposiamoci presto!” Suzi exclaimed, moving off Joseph to grab the other man’s arm. “Saremo tutti felici insieme!”
“Bella, that’s still so little time-”
“Are you so used to being a skirt-chaser that you don’t wanna settle down?” Joseph pouted.
“N-No, that’s not what I mean…!”
As Caesar took a moment to regain his composure, he was met with puppy eyes from his two morons. With a sigh, hoping that this wouldn’t end in disaster, he finally gave a nod.
“Alright then. Let’s get married.”
“Attaboy, Caesarino!” Caesar was practically tackled by the taller man in a hug. “I knew you’d come around to it!”
Caesar let out a muffled grumble into Joseph's shirt, one that suspiciously sounded like a complaint of needing more wine.
“Wait a second,” Suzi asked, who had calmed down enough to speak her second language. “Who am I going to be married to then?”
Joseph looked at her blankly. “Both of us, duh.”
“I mean, on the wedding registry. Which one of you am I going to marry?”
Joseph looked down in thought, resting his head on his hand. She did bring up a good point, he didn’t think about the legalities.
“Well then,” he began, “how about we use the same arrangement as before? Suzi and I get married, and Caesar stays with us as a ‘third’.”
Caesar nodded in agreement. “It’s the best option. Besides, Erina would be pleased to end up with a great-grandchild.”
Joseph felt some blood drain from his face. In all of his rash-decision making, he ALSO forgot about his other family.
“Does that mean that Caesar’s going to be our mistress?” Suzi joked.
Joseph shrugged, smiling devilishly. “Well, maybe. But it’s not cheating if it’s with the same person, right?”
“Both of you, knock it off,” Caesar chuckled. They both knew that his heart wasn’t in it though.
Joseph opened his mouth to ask Suzi to send another telegram to inform everyone that they were getting married, but he got tackled back on the ground.
“Kyaaa! So amazing! We’re going to be married!” Suzi exclaimed. “I’m going to be Mrs. Suzi Q Joestar… Oh, my heart’s racing just thinking about it!”
Beside them, Caesar was holding back his laughter at her antics. “So, when do you plan to hold the wedding?” he inquired.
“When? Um…”
Joseph looked down at the eager Suzi and the still-blushing Caesar (who was trying to play it cool, like always). Both of them were going to leave their lives behind and go with him while their futures were so uncertain. So if he could give them any comfort…
“Let’s have it in Italy. Before Caesar’s university letter arrives.”
Caesar practically choked on air at those words. Joseph didn’t blame him, the timeframe was insanely short. “Che palle!” he shouted, and made a grab for the wine bottle. Suzi got to it first and put it out of his reach.
“That’s a great idea! We received fancy outfits recently, we don’t want to put them to waste!” she giggled.
“Jojo doesn’t have one,” Caesar reminded her as he caught his breath.
“Hey, you and I could always go shopping for a fancy outfit for me! And rings, I need to get rings for the weddings,” Joseph realized.
That sent Suzi back into letting out a cacophony of squeals as she began rambling too fast in Italian for Joseph to mentally translate it. Caesar put his head in his hands, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. And Joseph pulled the two of them into a big hug, smiling like a million bucks.
And in all that mess, he forgot to tell Suzi to send another telegram saying that they were getting married.
That night, Suzi and Joseph sat at the table together in Caesar’s room as they shared a jar of sweets. The room’s owner had knocked himself out with the Ripple so their chatter wouldn’t wake him up.
Joseph couldn’t help but glance at the sleeping blonde with a pout. It wasn’t their fault they were too excited to sleep, he lamented to himself, completely glossing over the fact that it was entirely his fault.
“Ahh, I can’t wait to go to America! So many things to see!” Suzi sighed happily, lost in her fantasies. “I can see the Statue of Liberty or, um… What other ones are there again?”
“Well, there’s the Empire State Building, the Hoover Dam, the Peterson Rock Garden-”
“Is there a gelato store there?”
“Yeah, America has lots of ice cream shops. I’ll take you to one when we get there! Just after we find the others and put our bags away,” Joseph promised. He took another candy from the jar. “There’s a really good one near my place, you’ve gotta try it.”
“You have a house there already?” Suzi asked.
“Well, Granny Erina and I live there. There’s lots of rooms in that place, and I’m pretty sure Smokey lives there too, so we can stay for a while. I just, uh, don’t really trust that Granny will be alright alone,” the brunette chuckled.
Although he tried playing it off, he had good reason to worry. Erina had tried hiring caretakers in the past as she slowly succumbed to old age, and those ones were more eager to take the high pay for the bare minimum of care. Though the worst time was when Joseph came home to Erina on the ground and the caretaker taking their silverware. The ass-whooping Joseph dished out earned him a trip to the police station, but a doctor saw to Erina, he got bailed out, and they got their silverware back.
Suzi didn’t seem to be put off by his awkward confession though. “You’ve only said good things about her, I can’t wait to meet her,” she remarked. Her expression shifted into one of worry. “Oh no, what if she doesn’t like me though?”
“Don’t worry, Granny’s gonna love you!” he assured her.
He briefly wished that Caesar knocked him out with his Ripple too before he fell asleep. Suzi had a LOT more energy than he did.
“By the way, Suzi…” he began, leaning his head on his palm. “I remember you said something about your schooling a while ago. Have you actually gone to college or university yet?”
“Hm? Where did this come from?” she wondered.
“Just curious,” he lied.
“Oh…well, no, I haven’t. There really aren't many I’m able to attend anyway,” Suzi answered. “I was molto fortunato to be able to learn to read in the first place, just looking at what school here teaches.” She sighed and shook her head.
“Hm? There’s quite a few colleges in America that are open to women. I say you try your hand there,” he suggested.
She looked at him as if she had grown a second head. “I-I don’t think I’ll be able to…”
“What do you mean? Sure, you’re one hell of a ditz, but you’ve got some smarts in there. I’ve beat up guys who were less clever than you,” Joseph teased, albeit trying to butter her up. “Is it money? Granny and I could handle that.”
“You… You think I’d do well there?”
“Well, yeah. You and Caesar, I can help you both. You guys deserve to live full lives. To try everything. We all almost died, we deserve a little happiness for ourselves.” Joseph suddenly stopped. “God, I’m way too tired. I’m already waxing poetic. What the fuck.”
Suzi unsuccessfully tried to suppress her giggles. “I’ll think about it,” she first answered his earlier question. “Being with you is never gonna get old, is it?”
“Nope, I’m one of a kind, baby!” he joked. “But right now, I’m heading to bed.”
“W-Wait, I can’t sleep yet! Am I gonna be alone?” she fretted.
Joseph shook his head, raising his hands up to each other and letting his Ripple spark between them. “Not at all. We gotta make sure our little Caesar gets enough attention too,” he replied with a mischievous smile on his face.
Knowing he was going to catch hell for undoing Caesar’s Ripple and waking him, Joseph crept up to Caesar’s bedside with Suzi Q happily following.
The sky was cloudy as Caesar escorted Joseph down the mainland streets. Thankfully, Caesar finally accepted Joseph’s offer to use his money, saying that he needed to save up his own. He wouldn’t tell Joseph what for.
“Isn’t there a tailor somewhere nearby?” Joseph asked. “I thought Venice was a tourist town, you’d think they’d have a shop like that.”
“Do you know how long tailoring takes? If we want to be out of the country after I get my letter, then we’re going to be checking clothing shops and praying they have a suit that fits you,” Caesar sternly reminded.
“And a jeweller, we need to get some rings.”
“Yes, that too.”
Joseph sighed and stretched as they walked. “Can’t believe I once thought I’d die a bachelor.”
“Why, because no one sane of mind would marry you?”
“No, I just didn’t think I’d live long enough to get married,” Joseph answered, and his companion’s mocking smile softened. There was a moment of silence, until Joseph piped up, “Wait a minute, but you and Suzi are-!”
“Not so loud, stronzo!” Caesar hissed, looking around quickly. Thankfully, no one else had heard, and he relaxed again. “Suzi’s just as crazy as you are. And my sanity’s already questionable if I ended up this way.”
“Come on, Caesarino…”
“Don’t call me that.”
Joseph laughed, and Caesar broke into a smile too. Joseph couldn’t help but wish Suzi had come along too, but she apparently had preparations to make before the wedding. She was calling her brother and setting up the time and place for their wedding while the men left to acquire Joseph’s suit and the rings.
“Now that I think about it, it’s almost ironic,” Caesar began, and Joseph looked over at him. “I spent six years having thrown away my surname, and after four years, I have to make sure it stays the same to ensure our safety.”
Joseph’s smile fell at those words, but Caesar kept smiling, albeit forced.
“Oh well. I still have pride in my family name,” he shrugged. “This isn’t the worst outcome.”
The younger man was reminded suddenly that Caesar was the last of his bloodline, excluding his unknown relatives. He didn’t keep in contact with them, as far as he knew. But the thought depressed the other man, and Joseph wasn’t going to stand for it. As usual, he began thinking up a plan.
As they walked further down the street, Caesar suddenly stopped. Joseph bumped into his shoulder with a grumble, but then saw why he had stopped. There was some man that Joseph didn’t know standing right in front of them, and he and Caesar apparently recognized each other.
“Ah, Michele Q. Buonasera,” Caesar greeted. Joseph stiffened at the familiar name. If he remembered correctly, this was Suzi’s older brother.
“Ciao, Cesare. Chi è questo?” Michele asked, looking over at Joseph.
“Questo è Joseph. Non parla italiano.” Caesar patted his technically-fiancé on the shoulder and quickly switched languages. “He’s not staying long.”
Joseph nodded once to Michele and reached out to shake his hand, calling upon the limited Italian he knew. “Salve, it’s nice to meet you-”
He was cut off when the other man suddenly punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and making him double over. Caesar looked at both of them with alarm, but seeing that Joseph wasn’t going to get further beaten up, decided to take no action.
“You’re the one marrying my sister, si?” Michele remarked. “I had to do that, at least once.”
“Trust me, it’s impossible to knock him down a peg. I’ve tried,” Caesar interjected, deciding to help Joseph to his feet once he started standing up right again. He held onto one of his fiancé’s arms to prevent him from taking a swing at Suzi’s brother.
“I see. Well, congratulations. I hope you make Suzi happy.” He finally grabbed Joseph’s hand to shake it, then let go and looked over to Caesar. “I’ll see you at the wedding.”
“Take care,” Caesar replied, and Michele left as quickly as he came. Once he was out of earshot, Caesar let out a sigh. “I didn’t think he’d get here this fast. He came from Geneva, you know.”
All Joseph could force out was a hissed, “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”
“Settle down, Jojo. Isn’t it normal for brothers to be overprotective?” Caesar chuckled. “You’re not killing your future brother in-law, stop sulking.”
“You weren’t the one that got punched in the gut!”
They ended up bickering all the way to the storefronts, where they spotted a jewellery store. Since it was closer than a clothing store, they went inside first to pick out their rings.
With firm orders to Joseph to not touch anything, Caesar went looking around for a pair of rings for his two partners. But as for Joseph, he looked at the currently-occupied Caesar, and then at a silver watch in a display case.
He began smiling as a plan started to form, and he quietly called the jewellery store owner over.
A suit acquired, rings bought, a secret plan unbeknownst to Caesar and Suzi in action, and it wasn’t long before the wedding took place.
Joseph stood at the altar of a church, his hands fidgeted as he waited with the priest. Suzi wanted a catholic wedding, Caesar backed her idea, and Joseph didn’t care too much to disagree. It would be a private affair, with Michele as a witness and Caesar as another “witness”. The rest of the Quatro family hadn’t been contacted, and Joseph’s family was across the sea.
But right now, he was nervously waiting for everyone else to show up. And if he heard the priest tell him “patience is a virtue” one more time, he’s sure he would strangle that man.
Thankfully, the doors opened and Caesar hurried through. Joseph let out a sigh of relief and quietly whined for attention, only sated when Caesar reluctantly did indulged him.
“Michele’s finally here. He’ll be bringing the bride down the aisle shortly,” Caesar told the priest as he ruffled Joseph’s hair. He pulled his hand back, and Joseph quickly fixed his hair again. “I just had to calm her down in the back.”
“You think she’s more nervous than me right now?” Joseph complained. “At least she’s got someone there with her…”
Caesar sighed. “I get it, it’s a big day. But nothing’s going to go wrong, Jojo,” he reassured. “There’s only five people here. We did the paperwork before you came in here. It’ll be alright, I promise.”
The younger man took a deep breath. “Alright. I’ll trust you, Caesarino.”
Ignoring the nickname, Caesar squeezed his arm before stepping back to sit in the front row of the pews. Despite his words, Joseph could see that Caesar looked a little nervous too. Despite not being the legally-married one, it WAS technically his wedding too. Even if they had to keep the priest and Suzi’s brother in the dark about it.
A minute later, the doors opened again. Dressed in a white gown meant for a party and given a traditional veil was Suzi, who was holding a bouquet with a tearful smile. Beside her was her brother, who was taking deep breaths to keep his emotions in check. Together, they walked down the aisle.
Michele stopped at the end of the pews to give Suzi away, and he went to sit beside Caesar while Suzi walked up to the altar. Joseph’s breath caught in his throat as he took in how beautiful his bride looked in front of him. She looked like an angel with how she smiled. Joseph glanced over at his groom, who was smiling at his partners from the pews.
Joseph had to fight to keep his breathing steady. His bride. His groom. It sank in all over again. In only a few minutes, he was going to be a married man. Only legally to one of them, but that wasn’t what mattered. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
The priest began his spiel of matrimony, which frankly bored Joseph, but it was over soon enough. Joseph had insisted that they skip the vows, both because it would take a while and they hated to exclude Caesar, so the ceremony went straight to the proclamations.
“Suzi Quatro,” the priest began, “do you take this man to be your husband, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and to honour him all the days of your life?”
“I do,” she breathlessly vowed. From the corner of his eye, Joseph could see Caesar mouthing the same words.
And the priest turned to him next. “Joseph Joestar, do you take this woman to be your wife, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and to honour her all the days of your life?”
“I do,” he declared, which Caesar silently parroted. He felt guilt tingling in his gut, but the older man had agreed to this arrangement. But he had no idea what Joseph had planned…
Next was the rings. The priest blessed the rings with holy water, handed them to Joseph and Suzi, and they repeated a phrase as per the wedding tradition:
“Please receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit.”
They slipped the rings onto each other’s fingers. Joseph had taken off his gloves for the day, so his ring was on his prosthetic. Safely away from his real body, far from his heart and throat. This one needed no antidote, but one could never be too careful…
The priest led them in the lord’s prayer next, and then brought out wafers and wine for communion. And then finally, the ceremony ended with “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
Joseph wasted no time grabbing Suzi and dip-kissing her, to Michele’s shock and Caesar’s amusement. Suzi practically melted into the touch, grabbing the back of his suit to keep herself from falling. He brought her back up, and their lips parted as she let out a satisfied sigh.
“Ah, this must be a dream! To finally be married like this…” she gushed, holding her bouquet close as tears began running down her cheeks.
“More like a dream come true!” Joseph exclaimed, pulling Suzi close. She let out a squeal that dissolved into giggles.
From the pews, Joseph could hear Michele and Caesar quietly chatting. “I can’t believe she ended up with a husband just as loony as she is,” the former remarked. “He’d better treat her well.”
“They’re a perfect match for each other,” Caesar agreed. “Rilassati, I’ll keep an eye on them. No harm will come under my watch.”
Joseph smiled when he noticed the muted shine of tear tracks on Caesar’s face. Even he couldn’t hide his happiness for today, even if they had to hide the truth. For all Joseph and Suzi cared, Caesar was up at the altar with them in spirit.
Joseph couldn’t wait for tonight.
In the meantime, as a celebration for the couple, Michele broke out some wine for everyone to share. The priest declined and left, but Joseph was more than happy to celebrate their new marriage. Caesar ended up cutting him off after three glasses.
By the time evening came around, the trio had returned to Air Supplena and changed out of their clothes. As the orange light began fading into darkness, they decided to walk around the island together in their pyjamas before they went to bed.
“I still can’t believe how pretty the ring is! It’s even prettier when it’s being worn!” Suzi exclaimed, admiring her silver ring in the light.
Joseph had his gloves back on, but a near-unnoticeable bump on one of his fingers indicated that his ring was still there. “Not as pretty as you,” he flirted, receiving a quiet groan from Caesar. Joseph whirled around. “Don’t give me that, mister ‘magic spell of love’.”
“Oh, shut it,” Caesar grumbled. To Suzi, he said, “I’m glad you like it, bella. It took a while to find the perfect rings for us.”
“That’s not the only thing we got.”
Joseph suddenly hugged Caesar from behind, wrapping his arms around his midsection to keep him in one spot. Caesar twisted around, narrowing his eyes in confusion. “Jojo, what do you mean? We only got the rings.”
“I got something else.” From his pyjama pocket, the brunette took out a small, white box he’d been hiding and put it into Caesar’s hands.
Now Suzi was curious too. “Oh my… Open it, Caesar!” she encouraged.
Quickly and quietly, Caesar removed the ribbon from the box and opened it up. Inside was a silver watch. The sight knocked the breath out of the man.
“Jojo…”
“I didn’t forget about you.” Joseph’s voice was soft, but he raised it again as he instructed, “Turn it over.”
Caesar slowly turned the watch over, his eyes widening as he saw words engraved on the back:
C. JOESTAR
Caesar wasn’t breathing as he stared at the watch, frozen in place. Suzi let out a gasp, her smile growing. “Jojo! What did you do?!” she exclaimed. For once, Joseph thought, the phrase wasn’t being used to scold him.
“I got it custom-made at the jewellery store while Caesar was looking for the rings. I slipped the guy some extra money to do the engraving really quickly, and Caesar was taking forever to pick out the rings since he wouldn’t let me help, so I managed to buy the watch while he wasn’t looking.”
Joseph watched Caesar to see if he’d react to the insult, but the man wouldn’t move. So, Joseph continued.
“I got the watch because, uh, I saw some queer couples wearing them at a pansy parlour, they were using them as kind of a subtle version of rings. So I figured that we should get one for Caesar too, since he can’t have a ring and all,” he explained. “So, ta-daa! You get to be a Joestar while still being a Zeppeli! No more laments about family pride and stuff, we can help you with all that. Okay?”
To his surprise, Caesar still didn’t reply. Instead, he covered his mouth with his free hand, and Joseph felt him start to tremble. He looked around at him to figure out what his deal was, only to find Caesar silently crying as he stared at the watch.
“Ah- Caesar! I- Shit, I said something wrong, didn’t I?” Joseph panicked, and looked to Suzi for help.
She quickly darted in front of Caesar, trying to wipe away his tears with her pyjama sleeve. “It’s okay, Caesar! We all have wedding rings now, look!”
Caesar pushed her hand away. “It’s fine,” he forced out, trying to school his face into something resembling calmness. “I’ll be alright. I just…I just never thought I’d ever be part of a family again, that’s all.”
Joseph let out a relieved sigh. “Here, put it on. See if it fits you,” he suggested.
Caesar pulled the watch from the box and put it on his left wrist, securing it tightly. To Joseph’s relief, it did fit him after all. Suzi hugged Caesar again, who dropped the empty box and wrapped an arm around her. He murmured something Joseph couldn’t decipher, making him ask, “What’d you say?”
“I’ll live for you from now on. For my family. I’ve decided.” More tears began flowing down Caesar’s cheeks. “I have a reason to keep trying. I’ll do it for the rest of my life, I swear-”
His voice broke off as he tried preventing himself from crying, though Suzi started bawling into Caesar’s pyjama shirt. Joseph suspected that she was only crying because Caesar was crying, though she was already overcome by happiness. As for himself, he was starting to tear up too. But one of them had to be calm and rational, and if it wasn’t Caesar, then it would have to be him.
“Guys, let’s go back inside. I think we’ve been out long enough,” he gently urged, starting to herd them towards the trainees’ building. Once they were in bed, only then would he let himself cry from happiness. And then they’d finally get their hard-earned rest together - as a married couple!
Married! It had been hours and Joseph still couldn’t believe it.
Caesar was still admiring the watch on his hand, occasionally glancing at Suzi’s hand. He must’ve noticed how the silver watch matched the ring she and Joseph were wearing. Suzi had stopped crying, though she occasionally sniffled as they headed back inside. The atmosphere of peace only grew as they talked among themselves.
“You really did plan everything, Jojo…”
“Yeah, it was worth it to steal the holy water to bless that watch myself.”
“You WHAT?!”
“Hey, wait! I’m just kidding, I’m kidding- EEK! I said it was just a joke, calm down!”
“It’s too late to maul him right now, Caesar. Do it tomorrow.”
“Suzi?!”
Joseph wouldn’t trade this for the world. If this was what his new normal would be, never being alone again, then he’d gladly accept it. Even if he might end up appalling Erina when she sees him suddenly married to two Italians - or at least, to one Italian and the other as a boyfriend - it was still worth it. Everything had been worth it.
“I’ve got it,” Caesar announced as he walked into the kitchen.
Suzi and Joseph looked up from where they were washing dishes together. “Got what?” she questioned.
“The letter from my university. It finally arrived,” he elaborated. “As of today, I’ve officially dropped out of my program.”
“That was fast,” Joseph remarked as he dried a dish. They were practically done at this point, Suzi just needed to help put away the stuff he was drying off.
“We got married faster than it took for me to drop out,” Caesar snarked back.
Joseph snickered as he turned back to drying the dishes. Nowadays, it seemed like Caesar was more full of life than before. Based on what he said, Joseph guessed it was because he had a ‘purpose in life’ to cling to. He was only just starting to understand what Caesar meant by that, but it was important to Caesar and made him happy.
Either way, Joseph was just happy that he was finally acting more like himself again.
“Maybe that just says something about how slow the university is!” Suzi joked, to which Caesar replied with a scoff. She looked over at Joseph and explained, “He attended the Università Iuav di Venezia, it’s in the city. It’s so close that he arranged to get his classwork mailed to Air Supplena during February.”
“Huh, so that’s how Caesar was able to do his classes while we trained,” Joseph remarked. He put the last of his dishes in the cupboards and looked back to Caesar. “So, there’s nothing else you need to do now?”
“No, there’s nothing left for me here,” Caesar confirmed.
Suzi nodded in agreement. “My brother will be fine, even without me here. And I can write to him.”
“Bene. Molto bene.”
Caesar walked up to the sink and took some of the kitchenware from Suzi’s pile, helping to dry them and put them away.
“I’ve contacted some of my connections while I was out, the ones from the university, the Speedwagon Foundation, and a few others. I’ve saved up enough money for bribes. Our tracks will be covered.” Caesar put the last of the dishes away before turning to the other two. “I’ve arranged for a boat to smuggle us out of Italy tonight.”
“Tonight?!” Joseph exclaimed. “Are you crazy?!”
“We don’t have a choice. We can’t use legal transportation in case we get caught,” Caesar refuted. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re a citizen of the Allied Powers, I’ve caused trouble for the governments, and Suzi is associated with both of us. They’ve arrested people for less!”
“Then we need to start packing!” Suzi decided, and she rushed out of the kitchen to get to the servants’ building. Joseph and Caesar looked at each other, then began sprinting to get to the trainees’ building.
An hour of packing later, they had all dragged their bags to Lisa Lisa’s building. Joseph shoved the papers he and Suzi found into a briefcase and put it beside his own bag. He sighed and wiped invisible sweat from his brow.
“Looks like we’re ready to go!” he happily announced. “It’s a bit weird to say this about the hellhole I kept wanting to escape, but I think I’m gonna miss this place.”
“This island was a home for Caesar and I, for so many years…I’ll miss it too,” Suzi sighed.
Caesar put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re not going to leave until the dead of night. How about we walk around it one more time?” he suggested.
She nodded with a sad smile, and the two of them went to leave Lisa Lisa’s building. Joseph hurried to catch up with them, wanting to keep them company. Even if he didn’t have that many attachments to this place, what he could do was cheer up his spouses the best he could.
Sometime past midnight, the motorboat docked at the mainland. It was a shame to leave it behind, but none of them wanted to risk being caught. The trio crept onto the seafront as they carried their luggage, slipping into the shadows of the buildings.
Caesar took the lead, keeping an eye out for police, thugs, mafia, and other threats as he guided them. Suzi was in the middle, holding her bag close as she hid between her husbands. Joseph took up the back, looking behind him frequently to make sure they weren’t being followed. So far, he hadn’t seen anyone yet.
Before they left the island, Caesar had told them that they were going to meet with one of his acquaintances. That person would take them to the other side of Italy by car. Their destination was Genoa. From there, a boat would be provided to take them across the sea.
They stayed within the shadows, following Caesar as he navigated the almost-empty streets of Venice. Joseph was no stranger to sneaking around places, but the stakes were higher this time. He knew the dangers this could bring, but dammit, he was going to help the three of them get out of Italy safely if it was the last thing he did.
Finally, they arrived at a plaza - Caesar called it Piazza San Marco - and hid against a wall. Staying in the shadows, Caesar led them forward as he scanned the area. He suddenly sprinted forward, and Joseph could see a blue car ahead of them. It had its lights off, but he noticed the driver straighten up when Caesar came over.
Joseph held Suzi back in the shadows as Caesar quietly conversed with the driver, and he waited until Caesar beckoned them to come over. Without any more words exchanged, Caesar took the passenger seat while Joseph and Suzi got in the back with their luggage. As soon as the doors closed, the car sped off into the night.
The drive was completely silent. Although Caesar had insisted earlier that they could sleep during the trip, the nerves from the ordeal kept them awake and waiting. In the end, with barely any traffic on the road and the driver pushing the car as fast as it could go, they crossed Italy in nearly five and a half hours.
Finally, the car pulled up next to a building (Torre Embriaci, Joseph reminded himself) and stopped there. Caesar, Joseph, and Suzi got out of the car with their luggage, and the car sped off immediately. The three of them were left in the dark, and worse, Caesar only had a vague idea of where to go.
“We’re almost there. Just a few more streets away, then we’ll get there,” he whispered. All three of them were tired and running on adrenaline, but Joseph and Suzi nodded to show they heard. Without further ado, Caesar took the front again.
The roads were winding and they had to hop at least one gate, but they ended up at the waterfront on the other side of Italy. They cautiously walked along the street until Joseph spotted the silhouette of a boat in the dark. He shook Caesar’s shoulder and pointed to it, and Caesar sped up his pace. Within moments, the boat was in sight.
It looked like a smaller version of a passenger ship, and the boat was illegally docked beside the road as a sturdy plank laid from the dock to the boat. The waterfront road was high enough from the water that the plank rested evenly. Joseph couldn’t lie, it looked like a cool boat. He wasn’t even going to question where it came from or how the hell they managed to (presumably) steal it.
A man sat next to the plank, and Caesar walked up to him. The man looked up at him. “Signor Zeppeli?”
“E la mia compagnia,” Caesar finished. He reached into his coat and took out a thick envelope, handing it to the man. The man tore it open, seeing the money inside.
“Bene. Vieni a bordo,” he ordered.
Caesar took his luggage and crossed the plank first, then beckoned over to his spouses. Suzi went first, though she was clearly nervous about her balance, and made it to the other side safely. Joseph crossed last with no difficulty - balancing on thin ropes had been a part of his training, and from what he saw from the ground on the night of their exams, part of Caesar’s final exam.
The trio gathered together on the deck, and Caesar handed his luggage to Joseph. “We’ll be sharing room five. Take Suzi below deck and get some rest,” he whispered. He reached down and pressed a room key into Suzi’s hand.
“What about you?” Joseph replied.
“They’re still waiting on one more person. If they don’t arrive in fifteen minutes, we’ll be leaving without them. I’m helping the crew push off from the wall and set up the maps,” Caesar explained. “We’re not the only ones trying to get out. Now, go get some rest.” At Suzi’s worried stare, he assured, “I’ll be there soon.”
Joseph sighed and gently pushed Suzi in the direction of the stairs, and he took her below deck. Finding their room was thankfully easy, and Joseph was more than happy to dump their luggage near the bed. Suzi all but collapsed on the bed and fell asleep immediately, but despite Joseph’s attempts to do the same, he just couldn’t sleep.
Caesar was still up there, working to protect them while he was stuck down here for the greater good. He could feel the ship start to move, and he was relieved that they managed to get the boat sailing. But even as the mainland began to shrink from view, his nerves still had a firm hold on him.
A couple hours later, as daylight broke, he heard the door suddenly unlock. In stumbled Caesar, who locked the door again before shambling over to the bed. Joseph forced himself to sit up and open his arms, dragging Caesar up onto the bed once he collapsed into them. Just like Suzi, Caesar was out like a light.
Joseph shifted Suzi’s sleeping form over as he moved to the middle, properly putting Caesar right beside him. At last, both of his partners were there with him, safe and sound. They had finally left Italy, and were headed to a life of safety. With his fears held at bay for a little while longer, Joseph finally succumbed to sleep as well.
Their travel to America wasn’t a quick one. Caesar estimated that it’d take at least a week, depending on the weather conditions. In the meantime, Joseph leaned against the railings above deck and watched the waves go by.
Suzi spent her time staying below deck and reading, and Joseph liked to join her sometimes. Caesar had a job, as a part of this organized mess, and that was to be the boat’s navigator. So with Suzi below deck and Caesar who-knows-where, Joseph spent most of his time on the deck alone.
And that gave him too much time to think.
About the war, and how his Italian spouses would fare in America. About his family, and how they’d welcome him. About how he’d tell them that he got married, and whether he should tell them about Caesar’s involvement. About how they’d recover from the wounds past the physical ones, and how he’d be able to look Speedwagon and Erina in the eye and tell them about his hand and ask for a recommendation for counselling.
Speaking of Speedwagon, he planned to ask his uncle to help procure visas for his partners. He was sure the man would accept immediately, but in the chance he refused (which Joseph believed was impossible), Joseph could find a way to reach his inheritance money and pay for them himself.
America in itself held a lot of dangers, but what was more nerve-wracking was the idea that they could be hurt thanks to their connection to the Joestars. Besides the pull of fate leading them to danger, Joseph was no stranger to getting kidnapped. Before he grew strong enough to fight off his attackers, Joseph learned how to manipulate things with his feet as a child.
From untying himself to grabbing a knife to cut himself free, those were things children shouldn’t have to learn. He could even use those skills in the present, such as when he arranged ropes with his feet at Piz Bernina to save Caesar’s life.
At least he didn’t have any rich person social obligations to do in America, and he didn’t have to drag Suzi or Caesar into them either. There were many opportunities in this new country that outweighed the risks, and outside of his worrying, he was sure his partners would do just fine there. They could adapt to things well, and they had the Joestar family backing them up - hell, they were part of it now.
They would be fine. They had to be fine. He’d make sure of it.
Nightfall was one of the only times the three of them were in the same place together, outside of mealtimes. Tonight, Joseph went to bed early. He was surprised that Suzi had left the room by the time he got down there. Caesar wouldn’t come back until midnight, and he’d be out of bed before Joseph could even stir.
Joseph was having a good rest until a chattering noise roused him from his slumber. He opened his eyes and found the Italians quietly bickering in their native language, both of them so close to the bed. Once they noticed his open eyes, they fell quiet with guilty glances.
“Wha…?” Joseph muttered, struggling to sit up. He quickly gave up and just laid there. “Wha’s goin’ on?” he slurred out.
“Oh, um…just arguing over something silly.” Suzi hesitated and paused to take a breath, but continued on anyway. “It’s cold out and my body’s bothering me again, so I wanted to sleep between you two…”
“I’ve been up on the deck all day and it’s really cold. My body running cold normally doesn’t make it a good combination,” Caesar sighed. “I want to warm up quickly, but if I hold you close like I want, she’ll get squished between us.”
“But I won’t have as much warmth if I go to the other side of Jojo!”
“This is the safest option, especially since we barely have medical supplies on this ship.”
“How are you worried about that, you guys have your Ripple-”
“Shut up already…” Joseph groaned, and the other two fell silent. “Just go on top of me and grab a blanket from the bags,” he told Suzi. His eyes slipped closed, and he could barely hear anything else.
Suddenly, he felt a weight on top of him and a heavier warmth, and a cold body pressing into his side and holding him tightly. Joseph knew his body ran hot, which would make him a terror to sleep beside in summer, but he was more than happy to be a full-body heating pillow right now. The problem had been resolved.
As his mind drifted off, he thought about how much he loved his spouses, and his hopes for the future.
Maybe he could recover from the last few months. Maybe Caesar’s idea of religion would eventually stop hurting him. Maybe Suzi would take up his offer to help her financially.
Maybe they’d be okay.
A week later, it became mid-April, according to Suzi. And more importantly, America’s harbour was spotted in the distance late at night, and the crew woke everyone up to get ready to disembark. There didn’t seem to be any police or other guards around, but Joseph wasn’t taking any chances either way. He was going to get his partners home safely.
When the ship docked at daybreak, a rope ladder was thrown down the side of the ship, and each person carried their luggage as they went down. A couple people almost fell, but there were thankfully no injuries overall. Suzi, Caesar, and Joseph all ended up on the ground safely, luggage in hand, and immediately left the harbour.
“There should be a car rental around here somewhere,” Joseph muttered to himself, looking at a map as the trio walked down the streets. “Now, where the hell is-? Oh, I’ve got a better idea.”
The Italians shared a confused glance as Joseph began leading them down some different streets. In no time flat, he had managed to find a taxi service that was still running and paid for a trip. Joseph got the front seat while Caesar and Suzi were in the back, though Caesar had to frequently interrupt Joseph to stop him from getting into fights with the taxi driver.
By the time they managed to get to Erina’s house in New York, the sun was high in the sky and everyone was awake. The group left the taxi, and began walking up to the house as the car drove off. The house was practically a mansion, one that was technically owned by Speedwagon but was basically bought for Erina and Joseph to live in. But oddly enough, the lights were off.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Granny Erina. She’s going to love you two! Probably more than she loves me, heh,” Joseph joked, pulling out a spare key from his pocket and letting himself into the house.
He slammed open the door with a “GUESS WHO'S BACK?!” but only received an echo as a reply. It was awkwardly quiet for a minute as the three waited for a response.
“I guess there’s no one home,” Suzi assumed. “Okay! Let’s unpack our bags!”
“I’ll bring them all to my room, we can unpack them later. Could you guys check around to see if anyone’s here?” Joseph asked.
“Sure,” Caesar agreed.
Joseph took their bags and went to his room, setting them down beside his bed. Now that he thought about it, it was odd that the house was empty at this hour. Erina didn’t like going anywhere until at least the afternoon, and Smokey probably would’ve been here by now. Speedwagon travelled a lot, but he was expecting the old mule to at least be with his grandmother.
What was even more odd was that the sheets had been stripped from his bed. He was briefly annoyed that he’d have to find new ones before he collapsed after his trip, but that prompted the question of why they were removed at all.
He went back downstairs, where he encountered his wife after a couple more minutes. “Any luck?”
“There’s no one here,” Suzi reported.
“Where’s Caesar?”
“He went outside to talk with the neighbours and ask around.”
“Alright, let’s find him next.”
The couple went outside, where they saw Caesar heading back towards the house. Joseph went to meet him first. “Did you find anything out?”
“Apparently, they’re all at a funeral outside of town,” he answered.
“A funeral?” Joseph raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged. “Oh well. Guess we’re crashing a funeral then!”
“Che cosa?! No we aren’t, imbecille!" Caesar exclaimed.
“It’s not a bad idea. They’d probably be happy to see you and Jojo safe and sound after everything,” Suzi agreed. She looked up at Caesar with big, wet eyes. “Please, Caesar?”
“Per l’amor di- Okay, fine. But how do we get there?” Caesar sighed. His immunity to the puppy eyes was already weak to begin with, and being with his partners didn’t help any.
“We could check the garage. Uncle Speedwagon’s car might still be in there. He usually leaves his keys in the front hall,” Joseph answered, and he set back towards the house.
After finding the hidden keys, they went to the garage and found Speedwagon’s red car. “Give me the keys, I’m driving,” Caesar immediately ordered.
“Hey, why don’t I get to drive?” Joseph whined.
“Because I need you as a navigator. Get the map and get in the front seat.”
“Ah, it looks like it’s going to rain soon,” Suzi mentioned, bringing an umbrella from the front hall with her. She climbed into the back, sensibly staying out of the way of the men bickering in the front seats. She was really living her best life.
It took about an hour to look outside all of New York for cemeteries, and they even showed up to a couple wrong ones and got banned from one. By this time, it had finally started raining, to everyone’s displeasure. They eventually got to a cemetery with a lot of cars lined up, and Caesar drove the car along the road inside to get a look at the mourners.
“Hey, wait. That’s Messina over there. Lisa Lisa is beside him…so this is the place,” Caesar deduced, and he pulled the car over at the side of the path.
Joseph wasted no time hopping out of the car, walking towards the group in the rain before Caesar could protest. He could see Messina and Lisa Lisa, but he also noticed Erina, Smokey, and Speedwagon there as well. The rest of the mourners had cleared away, leaving the small group to pay their last respects to whoever’s grave this was.
Of course, Joseph was too busy thinking about the people in front of him to pay any attention to the grave.
With a small chuckle, he covered Erina’s eyes from behind with a cheeky “Guess who?”
The others turned around and looked at him with shock on all their faces. Joseph didn’t get why, but he guessed that it was from his sudden arrival. Maybe he should have sent a telegram before he left Italy…but then again, Caesar would have never allowed it in the off-chance it compromised their escape.
“Hey, everybody! I finally got to New York, and no one was there to meet me! What gives?” he joked. “But then I heard you were all at a funeral. I was looking high and low!”
He kept his smile as he turned to Lisa Lisa next, not noticing how everyone’s jaws seemed to be dropping. “Yo, Coach Lisa Lisa! Are your wounds all healed up?” he asked. “I can’t believe Messina’s here too, and he got a prosthetic like mine? I’ll admit, I wanted to ask Stroheim if he could give my hand a few upgrades, but it looks like we’re heading to war with Germany soon. And I think it’s better to not see him again, for Caesar’s sake.”
“Oi, Jojo!” Caesar shouted, storming over to him from the car. “What were you thinking? Could you at least wait until they finish the funeral before you accost them?!” He grabbed Joseph’s arm, who let out a small yelp of surprise.
“Caesar, come on! It’s been ages since we last saw them!” he pleaded, pulling back against him.
“We still have to be respectful for whoever they’re mourning. We’re going back to the…”
Caesar went quiet as his eyes moved past Joseph. His body suddenly went as tense as a wire as the blood drained from his face.
“MAMMA MIA! Che cazzo- Cos'è questo?!”
Joseph’s eyes widened, and he yanked his arm from Caesar’s grasp. He put his hands on the older man’s shoulder. “Caesar, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“I-I…” Caesar stumbled over his words as his eyes stared at something beyond the brunette holding onto him. “I thought you said you told Suzi to send a telegram…”
“Uh, yeah, I did. Why are you asking…huh?”
Joseph finally followed Caesar’s gaze, to the grave the group was mourning over. The gravestone had Joseph’s own name on it.
“What?! Why’s my name on a headstone?!” he exclaimed, looking over to the others and their shocked expressions. Suddenly, it dawned on him. “Wait…this funeral was for ME?”
“Jojo! Caesar!” Suzi called, walking over from the car with an open umbrella. “Il dottore told you not to push your bodies too hard! You can’t just run off in the rain like that! Here.”
As she tried handing them her umbrella, something caught the attention of the group. “That’s Suzi Q…but what’s that ring she’s wearing?” Messina questioned.
Joseph frowned, pulling Suzi closer. “Wait, you mean you don’t know I got married?”
“YOU GOT MARRIED?!”
“Isn’t it wonderful? Being introduced as your wife like this…” Suzi let out a little squeal as she covered her reddening face. “It makes me blush!”
“Hold on, bella. Something’s wrong here,” Caesar interrupted her. “The others were holding a funeral for Joseph, so I don’t think they knew we were alive. Did you send that telegram that Jojo asked you to?”
Suzi froze in place, her eyes widening as she began smiling sheepishly. “T-Telegram…?”
“Yeah, I asked you to send one on the first day I woke up!” Joseph added.
“Uh…”
“You said you would send one!”
The long-suffering Caesar sighed, putting his hand on Joseph’s arm. “Settle down, you-”
“I’M SORRY! I FORGOT TO SEND IT!” Suzi cried as she sprinted to the car.
Joseph let out a yell of frustration. “Oh no! Unbelievable! What was that woman thinking in that cranked head of hers?!” He began chasing after her. “Get back here!”
While he and Suzi played monkey-in-the-middle with Speedwagon’s car, Joseph could see Caesar bowing at the waist and apologizing over and over to the others. Eventually, he caught Suzi as they laughed a bit together, and they walked together to rejoin the group.
The first thing Joseph did was let go of Suzi and bend down to hug Erina. “Sorry, Granny. I really thought she sent that telegram,” he apologized.
Erina wrapped her frail arms around him and pulled him as close to her as she could, and he leaned into her hold. “Oh, thank god. Thank god you’re alive, Jojo. I thought you’d been taken from me too,” the old woman murmured. She sounded like she was going to burst into tears any second.
“I’m so sorry. I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” he whispered back, letting himself be treated as the child she likely saw him as. He hoped that she wouldn’t try keeping him indoors for the rest of his life, but on the other hand, he wouldn’t blame her. He hated to make her upset.
They eventually let go of each other, and Joseph stood back up. When he looked over to the rest of the group, he saw Speedwagon hugging Caesar and Lisa Lisa chatting with Suzi. He decided to head to the former pair first. “Uncle Speedwagon!” he called out.
“Jojo!”
Speedwagon immediately pulled Joseph into a hug, which the brunette reciprocated. “Hehehe… Sorry for scaring you with the plane. But we did it!” he reassured.
“Joseph Joestar, you’re going to be the death of me,” the old man groaned. “But you’re right. It’s truly a miracle that you and Caesar made it out of that scrape alive. You’ll have to tell us what happened these last few weeks.”
“Will do! But first, I need some help,” Joseph began. “Uh, the three of us kiiiiinda snuck here illegally on a boat…? I just need a bit of help getting them visas, that’s all!”
“Oh, that’s no issue. I’ll handle that, don’t you worry,” Speedwagon assured.
Joseph opened his mouth to thank him, but was cut off when Smokey suddenly hugged him. “Heya, Smokey! Glad to see you got out of there okay!” he laughed.
The poor boy’s eyes were practically overflowing with tears. “We- We thought you were dead! Do you know how hard it was to tell Granny Erina what happened?!”
“Right, sorry about that. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on having any more adventures from now on.”
“You didn’t plan on this whole mess in the first place either!”
Joseph let out a small chuckle, guiding the crying boy over to Speedwagon. Finally, he turned to face the last person to greet. Lisa Lisa stared at him and Caesar with tears in her eyes. Joseph had never seen her that emotional before. Lisa Lisa NEVER cried or showed so much emotion in front of him before.
There were no words that needed to be said. She, Caesar, and Joseph all hugged each other tightly, sharing in each other’s grief and joy. What their teacher couldn’t convey with words, she showed with how her hands gripped into the fabric of their clothes. And behind them, Joseph spotted Messina picking up and spinning Suzi around as she giggled.
The rain had stopped, and the sun shone on the tearful reunion.
“Everyone. Might I suggest we all head back to the mansion?” Speedwagon suggested with a raised voice, grabbing everyone’s attention. “I believe we’ve all had enough excitement for one day, and these three probably have stories to tell us.”
Which, Joseph predicted, meant that they needed to give them a good explanation on what happened before Erina grounds him for the rest of his life.
Slowly but surely, the group gravitated towards the cars. Joseph wrapped an arm around Suzi and pulled her closer, and he held Caesar’s hand with his other. His wife was tearfully smiling as she looked at the others, and Caesar was forcing on a mask of neutrality. Joseph couldn’t help but notice that he was wearing his watch, just like how Suzi was wearing her ring.
For now, he felt completely at ease. He finally reunited with his family and friends, and despite all the new changes, he was about to begin a new future with the ones he loved.
With how lucky he’s been, maybe Joseph was the master of the game after all.
Notes:
Happy Halloween! Here's a treat for you all!
Finally, the Hell Fic™ is done. Their problems are not fully solved, but Joseph managed to pull two bad bitches with the Worst Confessions Ever and got back to America. Whether Joseph gets grounded for the rest of his life is subject to interpretation lmao. But regardless, this is finally out of my drafts.
This shit was supposed to be done a month ago. I stayed up all night watching the Vengeance Saga. Thank you for reading this, and in the meantime, I'm fucking going to bed.