Chapter Text
The train car rattled faintly as the Crusaders settled into their seats. Joseph was humming some tune under his breath, Polnareff was animatedly retelling some story from the last city they passed through, and Avdol listened politely, nodding at the right moments.
Jotaro sat near the window, hat tilted low as usual, arms crossed. Beside him, Kakyoin leaned forward, fiddling with his yo-yo out of habit. It was just another day of travel—until Jotaro spoke.
“Kakyoin—” He stopped himself, then, for some reason that even he didn’t understand, let the word slip. “Noriaki. Wake me when we’re close.”
The yo-yo nearly clattered out of Kakyoin’s hands. He blinked, green eyes wide as if he’d just been shot.
The train went silent.
Joseph’s jaw dropped. “Did… did he just…?”
“DID JOTARO JUST CALL KAKYOIN BY HIS FIRST NAME?!” Polnareff practically shouted, leaping halfway out of his seat. “I thought the kid didn’t even know anyone’s first name!”
Avdol raised an eyebrow, but his lips twitched with the ghost of a smile. “That is… unexpected.”
Jotaro’s head tilted ever so slightly, shadow obscuring his expression. “Tch. What’s your problem? That’s his name, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but—” Joseph leaned forward, pointing an accusatory finger, “—you don’t just say it! You barely even say anything! And now you’re casually dropping Noriaki like it’s normal?!”
Kakyoin, still staring, adjusted his sunglasses with trembling fingers. His ears burned pink. “I—I didn’t think you even remembered it.”
Jotaro shifted in his seat, looking back toward the window as if bored. “...Of course I remember it, idiot.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Even the clatter of the train tracks seemed to hush in awe.
Polnareff threw his hands in the air. “Unbelievable! Jotaro Kujo has a heart! What’s next, he starts handing out hugs?!”
“Shut up, Polnareff,” Jotaro muttered, tugging his hat lower. But there was no hiding the faintest curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.
And Kakyoin—blushing furiously now—couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the ride.
Later that evening, the Crusaders found themselves wandering through a crowded street, the air thick with food carts and cigarette smoke. Joseph was rambling about how things were better in his day, Polnareff was trying to flirt with every woman who passed, and Avdol trailed behind with quiet dignity.
And Jotaro?
He flicked open a lighter with one hand and slipped a cigarette between his lips. The flame caught, and a thin stream of smoke curled lazily upward.
The effect was instant.
A couple walking past did a double take—then glared. One woman muttered something about teenagers these days. A man nearly dropped his drink, scandalized. Even Polnareff stopped mid-flirt.
“WHOA, hold on, time out!” Polnareff darted over, eyes bugging. “Jotaro, you’re SEVENTEEN! You’re not supposed to be doing that!”
Jotaro exhaled a plume of smoke in his direction, completely unfazed. “Yare yare daze. Calm down. It’s just a cigarette.”
Joseph nearly had a heart attack. “JUST a cigarette?! Kid, do you know what kind of cancer rates—”
“Oi, old man, quit nagging. I’m not some kid you can boss around.”
Polnareff threw his arms up. “He doesn’t listen! He enjoys this! Look at that smug face, he’s thriving on how shocked we are!”
It was true. For once, Jotaro almost looked entertained, leaning against a wall, smoke curling lazily from his lips as passersby whispered disapprovingly. The great Jotaro Kujo, human iceberg, was apparently a menace who liked messing with people.
And then—
“Jotaro,” Kakyoin said.
Not loud. Not angry. Just his name, soft but firm.
Jotaro’s eyes flicked sideways.
Kakyoin frowned, adjusting his sunglasses. “Stop.”
A pause. The air hung still.
Then, without a word, Jotaro plucked the cigarette from his lips, crushed it under his shoe, and put the pack back in his pocket. No protest. No sarcasm. Just… compliance.
The others stood in stunned silence.
Polnareff sputtered, pointing. “Wha—wha—he listened to him?! Just like that?! No ‘yare yare daze,’ no attitude, nothing!”
Joseph clutched his chest dramatically. “I’ve been trying to get him to listen to me for months and all it takes is Kakyoin saying ‘stop’?!”
Avdol chuckled knowingly. “It seems,” he said, “that Jotaro has his priorities.”
Kakyoin turned faintly pink, pretending not to notice as he walked on. “...Thank you.”
Jotaro shoved his hands in his pockets, hat pulled low again. “Tch. Whatever.”
But the ghost of a smile lingered on his face.
Polnareff ducked into the narrow alleyway, yawning as he adjusted his belt. He froze when he saw a familiar silhouette against the wall.
Jotaro, hat tilted low, cigarette glowing faintly in the shadows. Smoke curled lazily up into the night air.
Polnareff’s jaw dropped. “You have to be kidding me. Again?!”
Jotaro cracked one eye open. “...Tch.”
“Oh no, don’t you ‘tch’ me, Kujo! You know what I’m gonna do? I’m telling Kakyoin.” Polnareff crossed his arms smugly. “That’ll make you put that out real quick.”
Jotaro didn’t flinch. Instead, he reached into his pocket and flicked a cigarette toward him. “One?”
Polnareff blinked. “...What?”
“Two…?” Jotaro said, his voice deadpan as he held up another.
Polnareff narrowed his eyes, shaking his head slowly.
“Three…?”
Polnareff’s lips twitched. He rubbed his chin as if deeply considering it. “Well…”
“Four,” Jotaro said flatly, holding the pack out. “Take it or leave it.”
Polnareff snatched them with a grin. “Fine—but just this once, you hear!”
A beat of silence passed between them, smoke drifting between the two.
“Next time,” Polnareff muttered, lighting up, “I’ll have five.”
“Whatever you say,” Jotaro replied, leaning back against the wall, smoke glowing faintly in the night.
For a while, the two just smoked in silence, the alley filled with the faint hiss of burning tobacco. Eventually Polnareff squatted down, arms resting on his knees. “...You ever think about it? Dio. This whole mission. What happens if…” He trailed off, staring at the ground. “I just don’t want Avdol to end up—” He cut himself off with a sharp exhale, shaking his head.
Jotaro glanced at him, the tip of his cigarette glowing. “Yeah.”
Polnareff studied him, then smirked faintly. “Don’t tell me—you’re talking about Kakyoin, huh?”
Jotaro didn’t answer right away. He just smoked quietly, then muttered, “...Yeah.”
Polnareff chuckled under his breath. “Why am I not surprised?”
Jotaro shot him a sidelong look from under his hat, but said nothing. They stayed that way for a long moment—just two Crusaders and the weight of the world pressing down on them.
“This is nice…” Polnareff muttered, exhaling smoke and watching it curl into the night.
Then he laughed bitterly. “Ironic, ain’t it, Jotaro? We’re here worrying about our lovers dying on this mission, and we’re killing ourselves slowly.” He tilted his head toward the younger man.
Jotaro spared him a glance, then pulled his hat lower. “Well… that’s just the way smoke curls, huh?”
Polnareff looked down, nodding slowly. “Yeah… I guess.”
By the time Polnareff was finishing his third cigarette, Jotaro quietly set a fresh one on the ground, snuffing out the one between his lips with the heel of his shoe.
“I’m heading in. Gotta brush my teeth well first.” His tone was matter-of-fact. “I’d advise the same for you when you’re done. Don’t want ‘em to know.”
“Yeah,” Polnareff mumbled, watching him disappear into the hotel lights. He took another drag, smoke curling around his face, then scoffed softly to himself.
He hated to smoke alone.
Polnareff lingered in the hallway longer than he should’ve. He knew if he went back to his own room smelling faintly of smoke, Avdol would notice immediately. And there was no way he’d risk that. So instead, he slipped into the room Joseph, Kakyoin, and Jotaro shared.
The lights were low, Joseph’s snores rumbled softly from the corner, and Kakyoin was curled under his blanket, glasses folded neatly on the nightstand. Polnareff tiptoed inside, only to hear the faint rasp of running water.
The bathroom door was cracked open, light spilling out.
Inside, Jotaro stood at the sink, toothbrush clenched in one hand, scrubbing with a vengeance. His gums were so raw they were nearly bleeding, pink foam spattering the sink.
Polnareff leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. Instead of being horrified, he smirked. “Heh. Scoot over.”
Jotaro side-eyed him but didn’t comment. Polnareff grabbed his own brush, mimicking him, scrubbing like his life depended on it.
When they both finally stopped, Jotaro swished water, spat, and then leaned toward Polnareff. “Can you smell it?”
Polnareff tilted his head, inhaled cautiously, then shook his head. “Not at all. Me?”
Jotaro bent slightly closer, sniffed, and gave a curt shake of his head.
Neither said another word. Jotaro wiped his mouth on a towel, shoved his hands into his pockets, and left without so much as a glance back.
Polnareff stared at his reflection for a moment, then sighed, muttering, “We’re idiots…” before slipping out too, heading back to his own room.
Jotaro slid silently into bed, careful not to wake Kakyoin. The redhead stirred slightly but didn’t open his eyes, his hand twitching just close enough for Jotaro’s fingers to brush against.
Jotaro let himself look for just a moment—at the relaxed line of Kakyoin’s face, the way his hair fell across the pillow. His chest tightened.
A quiet smile tugged at his lips.
“I love you, Noriaki…” he mumbled under his breath, eyes falling shut. And with that, he let himself drift into sleep, completely unaware that he’d just done the very thing his boyfriend hated most.
Meanwhile, Polnareff slipped back into the room he shared with Avdol and Iggy. He almost jumped when he saw Avdol still awake, sitting patiently on his bed, arms crossed.
“You’re late,” Avdol said, his voice calm but questioning.
Polnareff’s heart skipped, but he forced a casual grin. “Eh, I just… took a walk. Couldn’t sleep.”
Avdol’s eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned forward, as if sniffing the air. Polnareff held his breath. After a moment, Avdol leaned back again.
“I see.” He gave a slow nod. “If that’s the case, then… welcome back.”
Polnareff let out a tiny sigh of relief, quickly changing into bedclothes. Iggy gave a soft snort from the corner, curling deeper into his blanket.
Avdol lifted the sheets, inviting him in.
Without hesitation, Polnareff slid into bed, letting Avdol’s arm wrap warmly around his shoulders. They nestled together, breathing slowly in sync until sleep claimed them both.