Jotaro sat by himself away from the camp and watched as dusk settled among the sand dunes. The desert was cold at night and he already felt the chill creeping in. Five days and he was already sick of the sand in his shoes. If only Jiji could quit crashing planes, he thought sarcastically. He wouldn't be here. They would already be in Egypt. His mom would already be safe. He wondered if his father even knew what was happening yet. As if he even gives a fuck. When his father went on tour, it could be some time before he came home again. He was absent more often than he was around, and even when he was home, he was usually writing music for his next jazz album. Why have a kid if you aren't gonna be there? If Jotaro ever had a kid, he'd be sure to be around.

He heard movement behind him and he turned. It was Kakyoin. He tried not to jump, but it was harder and harder not to be paranoid. He remembered the night his friend had nearly lost his mind with paranoia and had accused a baby of having a stand. He'd even carved words into his arm at the height of it. Yet, there was no trace of them now, which led Jotaro to believe his friend's words, though they had never talked about it.

Kakyoin sat down next to him and spoke. "Hey."

"Hey," Jotaro replied. Silence hung between them. Jotaro could read his friend well. He knew Kakyoin wanted to ask him something but was biding his time. Kakyoin was patient. Jotaro respected that, but at that moment, he just wanted his friend to speak. "What is it?"

"Hm?" Kakyoin said, rather startled by the abrupt question.

"Why aren't you asleep like the others?" Jotaro asked. He continued watching the horizon.

"Well, I was wondering the same thing of you, Jotaro. You need some rest."

"I'm not tired." He was, in fact, but he couldn't sleep for fear they'd be attacked yet again. He hadn't slept in almost two nights, but no one knew that.

Kakyoin just stared at him.

"You need to sleep," he finally stated after a pause. Something in his tone made Jotaro look over at his friend. Kakyoin's face was stoic, but there was concern in his brow. He wouldn't put it past Kakyoin to already be aware of the fact he hadn't been sleeping.

He sighed. "I will."

Kakyoin nodded. The silence continued and Jotaro thought of Kakyoin the other night by the campfire, the doubt in his friend's eyes had troubled him then.

"Kakyoin." His friend looked up. "What did the baby's stand do?" Kakyoin was briefly stunned by the question but quickly gathered himself to answer.

"Death 13. He attacked us through our dreams, which we forgot upon waking. Stands can't be summoned in dreams. I managed to summon my stand before Polnareff knocked me out, which is how I can remember what happened."

"Hm." Jotaro nodded, accepting the explanation. Kakyoin was intelligent and certainly capable of outsmarting a stand like that.

"You believe me," Kakyoin said the words with surprise.

"What reason do I have to doubt you?"

"I've given you reasons to doubt me before." Kakyoin's words were ominous as he lapsed into silence.

Jotaro just looked at him but said nothing. He suspected Kakyoin referred to having attacked him in the beginning. The flesh bud was DIO's doing; Kakyoin's actions had not been his own.

Jotaro shifted tracks. "Have you figured out why you decided to fight with us yet?"

"To stop DIO. I'm here not only to save your mother but also to seek revenge against DIO. He took my mind and agency away from me. And for that, I will never forgive him." Kakyoin looked at Jotaro. "What about you? Have you figured out why you saved me?"

Jotaro glanced away as he thought, but then looked back again. "The same reason I spared Polnareff. Your actions were not your own."

"But you didn't know that until you'd brought me back. You chose not to kill me."

"I wanted information on DIO. Jiji said you were being controlled. So I was going to save you. They said it could kill you, but I knew it wouldn't with Star Platinum's precision."

"I knew you wouldn't either." Kakyoin had always had such a deep trust in Jotaro and he didn't know why.

Jotaro suddenly felt like talking. He felt like he wanted Kakyoin to know more about him. "Y'know, I was in jail a couple of days before meeting you?"

Kakyoin laughed. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Well, I didn't know what my stand was. So after I got into a fight, I refused to leave the cell. Jiji and Avdol had to force me out."

"Why didn't you want to leave?" Kakyoin pressed.

"I was afraid I'd hurt someone. I thought I was possessed or something. My Stand just appeared."

"That's right, I forgot you guys haven't had Stands your whole life. It's strange to think of my life without Hierophant Green."

Kakyoin shifted and ended up slightly touching Jotaro's side. Jotaro swallowed and moved his leg out until it rested against Kakyoin's. The two points of contact felt nice and it had been a while since he'd been touched in any meaningful way.

"Are you worried?" Kakyoin asked.

He didn't see a point in lying. He nodded.

"We'll make it in time." Kakyoin touched his hand and rested it on top of Jotaro's.

He didn't move and his heart raced. This was something he'd secretly always known but had chosen to ignore. He hated girls. They were annoying and petty and also not as attractive as other men. He wouldn't say that was part of the reason why he'd saved Kakyoin, but he just didn't want to kill him. Better to take him captive and figure it out later.

But now it was Jotaro that was captive. Jotaro lifted his fingers and gently held Kakyoin's fingers in his grasp.

He heard Kakyoin sigh. "You know, that isn't the whole reason why I came." Kakyoin didn't move his hand.

Jotaro watched his face for more.

"I spent my whole life alone. I mean I had people in my life, but no one could see Hierophant." He closed his eyes a moment before opening them again. "That's a whole aspect of me no one has ever been able to see. It distances you from others."

Jotaro nodded.

"I used to think I was crazy or at least schizophrenic. How was I seeing this thing that no one else could?" Kakyoin seemed lost in thought, so Jotaro said nothing. "Then we went on that trip to Egypt... I'd never been so scared. He knew I was a stand user. No one else had ever validated me like that. He could see my stand. I wasn't crazy, and I trusted him."

Jotaro saw the uneasiness in his friend's eyes, the shame.

"I lost all control. I did things I regret." Kakyoin swallowed before continuing. "I have never considered using Hierophant the way I did on that nurse." He whispered his next words, "Nor do I think it's ethical... taking away one's free will like that. Like DIO did to me... I won't do it again."

Jotaro admired that resolve and unwavering morality. Kakyoin had boundaries and would not be pushed beyond them. He was strong, in body and will.

"But then I met you. You could see Hierophant and you didn't use me. You had a kind heart and saved me." Kakyoin met Jotaro's eyes. "I couldn't give that up."

"That's funny," Jotaro said. Kakyoin raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"I took comfort in the fact you also had a stand. I wasn't alone anymore." Jotaro stared at Kakyoin for a moment before continuing. "Maybe that's why I saved you. There was a chance you were good, that you could be changed. I was right. And I needed that."

He couldn't be sure due to the lack of light, but he thought Kakyoin was blushing. The look in his eyes bolstered his confidence. Somehow, he knew Kakyoin was like him. Felt the same things. He leaned in closer to Kakyoin who froze as his face got closer. The second he hesitated before Kakyoin's face, his friend's eyes went to his lips then back to his eyes.

That was all he needed. He kissed Kakyoin slowly, holding his lips briefly before pulling away.

His first kiss.

Kakyoin grabbed his jacket and leaned his face against Jotaro's; their noses touched. He gazed into Jotaro's eyes passionately and kissed him again.

"I always thought you might, but I was never sure and too scared to find out..." Kakyoin whispered.

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?" Jotaro smiled.

"That's what my mother always said too." Kakyoin laced his fingers with Jotaro then leaned his head against his shoulder. Jotaro leaned his head on top of his partner's and smiled. They sat like that for a long time in the darkness.

This trip had awakened so much inside him. He possessed a strength he hadn't known he'd even had. Found he felt more for people than he realized. He cared. His friends, his mother, his grandfather. And Kakyoin. He had more meaningful relationships because of DIO than he'd had his whole life. So many mixed feelings were created inside him. DIO was the reason for all this tragedy, but also the reason for meeting his best friends and the man he loved.

Kakyoin finally stirred and separated. Jotaro felt the cold creep in as his partner stood up. "I'm tired."

Jotaro grunted in response.

"Get some rest, JoJo," Kakyoin whispered.

"I will, Noriaki."

Kakyoin's breath caught, then Jotaro felt fingers stroke his hair. "Goodnight, JoJo."

"Goodnight, Nori." The fingers left the back of his head and he heard his partner's footsteps in the sand grow distant. He took a deep breath and sighed, thinking about the kiss. Tomorrow, he would stand prouder than he ever had. They would defeat every stand user and DIO. He wouldn't think about what life with Kakyoin would mean, not yet. That was too far ahead. Stay in the present. One step at a time.

He finally stood up and headed to his sleeping bag.