Work Text:
Walking into a shared hotel room was hardly any different than all of the other times Jotaro and Kakyoin had roomed together in their long trip. It looked almost exactly the same as every other hotel room they’d stayed in, blank walls, questionably clean gray bedding, the only difference in this room was that there was only one bed sitting in the middle of the small room.
“I'll sleep on the floor,” Jotaro said before Kakyoin could even react.
Kakyoin turned to give him a look. “I'm not going to make you sleep on the floor, Jojo.”
Jotaro's near constant scowl deepened. “What? You want to sleep on the floor?” He grumbled, pulling down the brim of his hat over his eyes.
Kakyoin rolled his eyes. Typical of Jotaro to think that's what he meant. “We can share the bed, you know. Neither of us should be sleeping on the floor.”
Jotaros gaze snapped up studying Kakyoin more acutely, almost like he was sizing up the seriousness of the offer. After a moment of staring, Jotaro let out a huff and tossed his bag down on one side of the bed.
“Fine. Whatever.”
Kakyoin wasn't really sure how to respond to that, so he simply set his own bag down on the other side of the bed and started pulling out his pajamas.
“I'm going to get changed,” he told Jotaro, who simply grunted in return, sitting on his side of the bed pulling off his shoes.
As Kakyoin undressed in the privacy of the bathroom, the anxiety of the situation hit him like a sledgehammer in the chest. He fussed with his hair as he stared into the mirror, trying to make himself look presentable, which was really doing nothing for his nerves.
It had been a logical thought to tell Jotaro they'd share the bed. It was big enough, and there was no reason for one of them to be unnecessarily sore the next day from sleeping on the floor. But that meant he now had to sleep directly next to the object of his pining, and that was…stressful. He couldn't let Jotaro know . He couldn’t imagine that going well. Though sometimes he wondered what Jotaro thought of him, he hardly ever let himself indulge in the fantasy that Jotaro may return the depth of his feelings.
His heartbeat was heavy and fast in his chest, and he took a deep breath trying to settle himself enough to face the situation head on.
It would be fine.
When he exited the bathroom and his eyes adjusted to the low light of the dingy hotel room, his eyes caught on the planes of Jotaro's muscled back. He was already laying down on his side facing away from the bathroom, shirtless of course , because life couldn't give Kakyoin a break. He was halfway tucked into the thin sheet and hatless, which was a rare sight. Not necessarily new to Kakyoin, since they'd been sharing rooms so often, but Jotaro’s messy hair was always hard for him to ignore. The first time he'd seen Jotaro without his hat had been the minute he'd admitted to himself he was in fact attracted to him.
Kakyoin tried to remain calm and relatively normal as he approached the bed after turning off the light. It was fine. This was going to be fine. Jotaro would probably notice nothing, and be asleep within 10 minutes. It was fine.
Kakyoin gingerly got into the bed, chancing a glance at Jotaro. He was as still as a rock, and there was a tightness in his shoulders. Kakyoin looked for a moment longer, his gaze lingering before he laid down himself, staring at the ceiling. Jotaro was closer than he thought he'd be. The bed had seemed a decent size at a glance, but well, so was Jotaro. It made sense he’d take up so much space without really trying. Even on his side towards the edge of the bed, Kakyoin felt too close, too intimate.
Mirroring the other, Kakyoin turned onto his side, facing the bathroom and away from Jotaro. He scooted closer to the edge, in an attempt to put as much space between them as possible. That was surely what Jotaro was asking for right now anyway. Space. He was clearly uncomfortable if his behavior and tension was anything to go off of. Kakyoin had become accustomed to trying to picking up on subtle behaviors with Jotaro, and these were hardly that.
It was fine. The arrangement would work just fine, Kakyoin just needed to sleep. He'd just ignore Jotaro sleeping, or not sleeping, less than a few feet away. He'd just ignore the tenseness that he'd noticed coiled in Jotaro's shoulders when he'd seen them. He'd just not think about his back at all, because that would not help his brain at all right now.
He really needed to sleep.
But, of course, he couldn't.
All he could do was lay there spiraling with worry about if Jotaro was as uncomfortable as him, for undoubtedly different reasons, or what he was thinking about at all. Maybe he was already asleep.
If he knew Jotaro was asleep, he'd be able to sleep more easily, and he'd be able to stop overthinking it. He tried to turn his head ever so slightly to look over his shoulder, but when he moved, he was so close to the edge of the bed, he lost his balance, tumbling off and onto the floor with a loud thud.
Jotaro’s reaction was near instantaneous, standing and summoning Star Platinum on instinct. Kakyoin could see the towering stand out of his peripheral vision from the floor clearly looking for the reason for the dissruption.
Laying on his back staring at the ceiling blankly with the heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck, Kakyoin wanted to die.
After a moment Star evaporated, and Jotaro entered his view, peering at him from the bed with confusion.
“What are you doing on the floor?” Jotaro asked, and he seemed genuinely concerned, his brow crinkled in a distinctly non-angry way.
Kakyoin really wanted to die.
He sat up, feeling a flush of embarrassment on his cheeks and up to his ears. “I fell off,” Kakyoin said, standing up to dust himself off.
Jotaro narrowed his eyes. “How?”
Kakyoin huffed, not meeting Jotaro’s eye.. “You know. I think I will sleep on the floor.”
Jotaro's scowl deepened once again. “Why? I thought you said we could share. And that doesn't answer how you fell off the bed.”
Kakyoin let out a frustrated breath through his nose, feeling more embarrassed by the minute.
“Because, you're taking up half the bed even on your side, because you're huge. I fell off the bed because I was too close to the edge,” he snapped in a bit of a panic.
There was a long beat of silence where Kakyoin was sure his thumping heart was going to crawl out of his throat at the cold expression on Jotaro's face. “I don't think that's true. I wasn't taking up that much of the bed. If sleeping so close to me is such a terrible option, why’d you offer at all,” Jotaro accused, irritation dripping from his voice.
Kakyoin cleared his throat, trying to reel in his emotions. Was Jotaro offended? That didn’t seem right, but Kakyoin tried not to overthink it.
“I'm sorry, it's not a terrible option…I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable by being too close,” he tried amending.
Jotaro scoffed, looking away from Kakyoin. There was another stretch of tense silence that felt like it went on for days, though realistically it was only a few seconds before Jotaro muttered something Kayoin couldn’t quite understand.
“What?” Kakyoin asked.
Jotaro let out a huff, his jaw clenching. “I said, you don't make me uncomfortable. You were right the first time, neither of us should sleep on the floor. It's stupid.”
Kakyoin nodded, trying to keep his composure, though he felt his face flush as he crawled back into the bed. They both laid down again, this time shifting around as they each tried to get comfortable. There was still distance between them, but the tension seemed to have eased, if only slightly.
Kakyoin turned to lay on his side, this time facing towards Jotaro, his breath hitching when he found that Jotaro was staring at him already laying in the same position.
His expression was its typical unreadable mask, his cool blue eyes studying him intently.
Kakyoin cleared his throat, trying not to shrink up under the scrutiny. He was somewhat used to not being able to read Jotaro, and sometimes even stared at, but it was different when they were feet apart in a bed. It was nerve wracking.
“You're staring,” he said after a moment.
“Why did you think I'd be uncomfortable?” Jotaro asked bluntly, his voice giving away very little.
Kakyoin shrugged, not meeting his steady gaze. “I don't know, you looked tense. I figured you weren't very happy we were sharing a bed. It is a little awkward.”
Jotaro let out a small noise of acknowledgement. After a moment he asked, “Were you uncomfortable?”
This was dangerous territory. Kakyoin didn't want to expose that yes he was, but probably not for the reason Jotaro would have been. Surely they wouldn't share a bed if he told him, surely Jotaro would insist he share rooms with the others the rest of the trip rather than someone with feelings for him.
“I wasn't uncomfortable, just anxious,” Kakyoin said as half truth.
“That I would be uncomfortable?” Jotaro followed.
“Yes.”
“Because it's awkward.” Jotaro reasoned.
“I mean, don't you think?” Kakyoin asked. He supposed it was only so awkward for him because of his feelings, but Jotaro clearly felt something about it too.
“I don't know. Why is it awkward?” Jotaro asked, almost like he was trying to get Kakyoin to admit something about how he felt around the ordeal.
“What are you trying to get at?” Kakyoin asked.
Jotaro looked frustrated at that, turning away to lay on his back. “I don't know,” he said.
The conversation made no sense, and it left Kakyoin feeling confused and tense. He didn't understand why Jotaro seemed so suddenly frustrated. They were quiet for a long moment, and it was Kakyoin's turn to stare at Jotaro.
Jotaro was scowling, a deep crease between his brows as he looked like he was trying to work out some problem in his head. It was almost pouty in a way Kakyoin would have found cute if it wasn't stressing him out. The tension was back, and Kakyoin couldn't figure out what Jotaro was trying to say with his questions, or why he was so suddenly upset.
“I think I was anxious too,” Jotaro admitted, his voice quiet.
“Why?”
“To be honest, I don't really know,” the words echoed with a familiarity of when Kakyoin had asked why he’d saved his life. It seemed he was very unsure about Kakyoin.
There was another stretch of silence, the statement hanging in the air. Kakyoin swallowed hard. He didn't think he'd ever thought Jotaro seemed unsure of himself or anything he did, but he seemed so genuinely confused about his own feelings. For someone as clever as Jotaro was in a fight, he was dense sometimes, especially in matters of emotions.
“I guess maybe I thought it was awkward because I've never shared a bed with a friend before,” Kakyoin said, trying to reason to himself why he might be uncomfortable, his feelings aside. Then more softly he added, “I've never really had friends before.”
“Me either.”
Kakyoin had known Jotaro was a loner, but time together had led him to wonder if that was really by choice. He didn’t think it was. Jotaro was blunt, and abrasive, and could sometimes be an outright dick. That wasn’t the makings of an appealing friend. But how would Kakyoin know what made an appealing friend, when he clearly wasn’t one himself?
Maybe that similarity was why Kakyoin had never liked being around anyone more. Jotaro was funny in his own way, and a great teammate in a fight. He listened to Kakyoin, and he could understand Kakyoin, and most of the time Kakyoin felt like he could understand him back.
“Jotaro?”
Jotaro turned to meet Kakyoin's gaze, his own eyes full of uncertainties.
“We are friends right?” He asked.
Jotaro nodded.
“Then I guess there's nothing for either of us to be anxious about,” Kakyoin said, turning onto his back, and closing his eyes.
Kakyoin should have been satisfied with that. They were friends. He had a friend. He shouldn't try to ask for more. He should just leave it alone. He should be content to go to bed. But there was something like disappointment in knowing he wouldn't truly be happy with just that. Not with Jotaro.
After a long silence, Kakyoin was pretty sure Jotaro had fallen asleep. And that was that. He was left alone to consider his feelings, and how much he hated that he couldn’t be happy with a friend. “I wish we were more,” he admitted to the dark of the room in a whisper.
“What?”
Kakyoin jolted in surprise at the response, and any hope of passing it off as sleep talking was gone. Still he lay completely still, hoping if he ignored it, the moment would pass by without turning into a disaster. Why had he said that out loud? Why had he been so certain Jotaro was asleep? Why couldn’t he just be normal .
“Kakyoin.” Jotaro’s voice had an edge to it.
“I thought you were asleep,” Kakyoin said, not daring to open his eyes.
The last thing he'd expected was to feel the bed shift, and for Jotaro to move into his space. Momentary fear gripped him, and his eyes snapped open to look at Jotaro.
He had that uncertain look on his face again, this time much closer. Kakyoin was sure Jotaro was almost close enough to feel his heartbeat pounding into the cheap mattress beneath them. But he didn't look mad.
“What did you mean by more?”
“You know what I meant,” Kakyoin said shortly, but his voice was embarrassingly shaky.
Jotaro stared at him, looking much like he had at the beginning of the night. Like he was sizing up an offer, his eyes landed on Kakyoin's lips in a way that made his face burn.
Jotaro moved in slowly, almost agonizingly so, and all Kakyoin could do was freeze up. When their lips met, it was more gentle than he would have expected, almost chaste, inexperienced on both ends, and short lived.
Kakyoin felt like a deer in the headlights as Jotaro pulled back, his breath catching in his throat at the barely visible blush on Jotaro’s cheeks illuminated in the pale moonlight. Their eyes met only for a moment before Jotaro looked away, almost shy. Like he was unsure that was the right thing to do.
Kakyoin couldn't help himself then, moving in with a much less slow build, grabbing Jotaro’s face in his hands to bring their lips together. The warm press of Jotaro’s pliant lips against Kakyoin was enough for him to die happy, he was sure. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss in a way that made the heat in his face spread through his entire body.
He felt like he was almost definitely dreaming, that he’d fallen asleep without knowing, and his mind had run wild afterwards. But the way Jotaro moved a hand to his waist to pull him closer certainly felt real enough.
When they pulled apart again, there was no lingering shyness in Jotaro’s expression, but something like desire.
“You like me?” Kakyoin breathed.
Jotaro made a face. “Didn’t I just make that obvious?”
Kakyoin rolled his eyes. Typical. He was smiling though, and he didn’t think he’d ever felt happier. Jotaro liked him. Enough to kiss him. That was all that mattered to him right now. Well. That and maybe one other thing.
“How long have you liked me?” he asked, his curiosity winning out on his better judgment. He should have maybe been more cautious with this whole thing, but he couldn’t find it in himself to hold back now that he wasn’t scared of rejection anymore.
“Good grief,” Jotaro grumbled, looking away from Kakyoin, but not pulling away from him entirely.
Kakyoin simply looked at him expectantly.
He heaved a sigh. “I don’t know. Probably since you said you were going to come with us.”
The shock on Kakyoin’s face must have been evident, because Jotaro started to move away, irritation and maybe embarrassment pulling on his features. “Whatever, I don’t know,” he said.
Kakyoin quickly wrapped his arms around Jotaro, not letting him get far. “I wasn’t making fun of you, I was just surprised,” he clarified. “I think I’ve liked you just as long, I just…I had no idea, or any inkling that you liked me back.”
Jotaro seemed to relax with his words, settling into his arms as he wrapped his own around Kakyoin.
Kakyoin smiled. “Actually, I think longer for me technically, but not by much. I knew I liked you when you saved my life,” Kakyoin said.
They eventually fell asleep still tangled together.
The sleep was so peaceful, they overslept into the morning. Usually Kakyoin was first up, and when he wasn't waiting In the lobby, and neither was Jotaro, Polnareff offered to look for them.
“Are you two still asleep?” Polnareff called, opening the door without waiting for an answer.
Kakyoin bolted upright, but Jotaro was slower, more disoriented waking up.
The mortification of Polnareff walking in on them cuddling was immediate, and as soon as Jotaro was coherent enough to realize it, he looked livid.
“Don’t you fucking knock?” He growled.
Polnareff to his credit had only looked a little shocked up until that point, so when a grin broke across his face Kakyoin could only describe the feeling filling him as dread.
“Ohhh, I see why you woke up late. Don’t let me be the one to stand in the way of young love, glad you two finally managed to figure it out,” he said, and though his tone was teasing it wasn’t truly malicious.
Jotaro summoned Star Platinum, throwing a pillow at him so hard he fell backwards when it hit him in the face.
Kakyoin shut the door with Hierophant Green quickly, and covered his face with his hands. “God that’s embarrassing,” he groaned.
Jotaro still seemed angry, getting out of bed without a word and rummaging through his things to start getting dressed. Kakyoin felt a little bit of panic gripping him. He hoped that hadn’t ruined things. If Polnareff had just ruined his newfound…well whatever they were, he was going to kill him.
He stared at Jotaro, the panic rising in his throat. “It’s not a big deal, Jotaro. If you don’t want to talk about it with the others we can say Polnareff was lying. Maybe we can convince him he imagined it, he is pretty dumb.”
Jotaro glanced at him over his shoulder as he pulled his jacket on. “Talk about what?”
Kakyoin felt sick. “About…us.”
Had he been too presumptuous? They hadn’t discussed anything beyond the fact that they liked each other, and had for almost as long as they’d known each other. He had thought…
Jotaro looked at Kakyoin, and his face softened ever so slightly. “I don’t want to talk to them about that, you’re right.”
Kakyoin let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. Still, he knew Jotaro wasn’t going to be forthcoming, and they did need to discuss this sooner than later. “I mean, we haven’t really talked about it to each other.” he said, silently cursing Polnareff for bursting the bubble before they even managed to work the basics out. “What exactly do you want here?” Kakyoin asked.
Jotaro shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never really…thought about anyone like this before.”
Kakyoin tried very hard not to let that go to his head. “We can take things a day at a time. When this is all over we can work out the finer details,” he suggested.
Jotaro seemed satisfied with that, and he ducked down to kiss Kakyoin on the cheek before turning to leave. “I’ll see you downstairs,” he said.
Kakyoin couldn’t remember a time when he felt so happy looking to the future.