The Secret Marriage

The Noodle Shop

     Joseph had managed to land the airplane in the South China Sea without anymore lives lost. Jotaro was genuinely surprised. They hopped up on a small boat that led them to the shores of Hong Kong. Joseph had decided that the events of the plane ride had earned them all some rest. He found a small hotel that had enough rooms for all four of them. As they checked in, Kakyoin smiled and greeted Jotaro.
    “Hey Jojo!” He said with a soft smirk.
     “What?” Jotaro answered with a deadpan tone.
     All the awkwardness from the plane ride came back and made Kakoyin’s stomach turn and he found himself looking away instead of answering Jotaro’s question.
   “What do you want Kakyoin?” Jotaro asked irritated that he had to repeat himself.
   “It’s nothing.” Kakyoin answers, embarrassed that he tried to bother Jotaro in the first place. He turns and stares at the ground on the way to his room. 
      “Why do you have to fuck everything up?” He thinks to himself.   
    “You could have made an actual friend, one who understands Hierophant.” He could feel the drop in his stomach and the tears well up in the corner of his eyes. It had been years since he had cried and he wasn’t trying to start now. He gripped the doorknob of his room and took several deep breaths. Why was this bothering him so much? He has been alone his whole life, what is one more person who didn't want anything to do with him? He is fine all alone. He could still feel his throat getting scratchy when he heard Jotaro’s voice behind him.
     “Noriaki?” Jotaro’s voice was hesitant and soft like he was nervous. Kakyoin cleared his throat before he turned to face Jotaro who hadn’t moved an inch. His back still faced Kakyoin as he started speaking again.
     “Would…would you want to grab something to eat?” At the final word he turned his body to face Kakyoin, but refused to look him in the eye. His eyes stayed down and his arms were crossed over his chest.
     Kakyoin found himself taken back by the change in Jotaro’s attitude. He was so used to him being so cool and uncaring. He couldn’t help but smile at him being shy and nervous. It was cute as hell.
     “Sure Jojo!” Kakyoin jogged backed up to where Jotaro was. “My parents used to vacation here all the time. I know of a few places that should be open. Should we get Mr. Joestar and Avdol?”
    Jotaro looks at the door of his grandfather’s room and back to Kakyoin.
    “They are grown, they can get their own food, but I will give them a call so they know where we are.”  Jotaro goes to the front desk to give Mr. Joestar’s room a ring.
      Kakyoin leaned on a wall near the front entrance as he waited for Jojo, a small blush coloring his face. It was so silly to get so emotional so quickly. He took a moment to absorb all the emotions he had been feeling recently. Had it even been two weeks since he found out that others could see his Hierophant? A week since he was charmed by Dio with inclusion, money, and power? Yet he found out quickly that Dio did nothing but put him in chains and bound him to his twisted will. And for some reason, Jotaro saved him from that bondage.
      Jotaro lightly touches Kakyoin’s arm and pulls him from his thoughts.
    “Noriaki? I have said your name twice now. Are you okay? Are you still wanting to get something to eat?” He asked him with concern.
    “I’m so sorry Jojo. I am just really tired I guess…” He shakes his head quickly. “Do you want to just go to the vendor down the street? It would be cheap.”
     Jotaro shakes his head in disgust. “I’m not worried about that. I can pay for it. I want to go somewhere where the food is somewhat decent and where I can talk to you…” Jotaro’s face was suddenly hidden by his hat, but Kakyoin could swear that he saw a slight pink color Jojo's face from under the brim.
    “That sounds lovely.” Kakyoin couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Why don’t we just walk until we find something that sounds good?”
    Jotaro was suddenly serious. “We need to stay somewhere close. We never know when we will encounter another enemy. The bug said that there were multiple users, who knows when we will meet another one.”
    Kakyoin face went somber. “That sounds like another good reason to just go to the vendor and then come straight back.”
    Jotaro shook his head firmly. “I think I saw a sit down place at the end of the block. That shouldn’t be too far away.”
   “That sounds perfect. Lead the way.” Kakyoin waves his hand before the both of them, encouraging Jotaro to walk ahead.
   Jotaro leads them down the street, passing by the busy crowds with ease. Most people parted like the red sea when Jotaro walked by them. Hong Kong citizens have probably never seen anyone who was 6’5 before, and his stone-cold expression was not famous for making friends.
    “So…you wanted to talk to me about something?” Kakyoin asked Jotaro street they walked the busy street.
   “Yes.” Jotaro answered simply, and made no effort to continue. Kakyoin furrowed his brows in response but knew it would be useless to try to get Jotaro to speak before he was ready to.
     Jotaro led them to a small noodle shop with a few two person tables out front. “Go a head and have a seat.” He suggests to Kakyoin before getting in line to order food. Kakyoin follows behind, still annoyed that he didn’t get an answer earlier.
     “I’m not some bitch from class Jojo. I can order my own food. “ Kakyoin huffs next to Jotaro in line.
     Jotaro smirked softly but nodded his head. “You can have whatever you like.”
    Kakyoin ordered a small bowl that had some simple broth with it that cost near nothing, just as expected. Jotaro ordered the first thing he read on the menu. Food was honestly the last thing on his mind for the time being. 
     They picked a table near the back corner of the patio. It was getting late but still tons of people crowded the streets. They settled to the closest thing they could get to privacy and waited on their order. No one said anything at first. Jotaro felt like his chest was going to explode. Why was he so hard to talk to? Why did he want to talk to him so bad? He caught himself watching his hands again, making small circles around the edge of his water glass. His eyes moved past his hands, up his arms to the softness of his face. Jotaro found himself simply enjoying looking at Kakyoin’s face again, lost in the beautiful sharpness of his cheekbones that contrast the soft round shape of his lips.
    “So you brought me out here to stare at me?” Kakyoin finally breaks the silence in annoyance.
     “No…No…I didn’t mean…” Jotaro stammered before taking a deep breath.
    “I’m sorry. This is the same problem as the one I had on the plane. I…I want to talk to you. I’m just really bad at all of this. All of it.” Jotaro looks up at Kakoyin before dropping his head, staring straight down at the table.
     “Yare, yare daze…I probably sound like some stupid girl from class.” Jotaro looks into Kakyoin’s eyes before dropping his head into his hands. He sighs heavily before slowly letting his hands slide down his cheeks into his lap.
   “I suck at this whole talking to people and making friends thing okay? I want to talk to you…honestly I want to talk to you all the time but…you intimidate the hell out of me.” Jotaro admitted to the table top.
   “Jotaro if I didn’t know any better I would say that you have a little crush on me.” Kakyoin smirked at him. Jotaro’s face snapped up to Kakyoin giving him a wink.
   The food attendant called out their order number before Jotaro had a chance to respond and Kakyoin had a little bounce in his step as he went up to get it. Jotaro was left in a stunned silence. He had never had a crush before…that’s not what this was. Was it?
   When Kakyoin returned he sat and immediately tore into his food, letting Jotaro process all his feelings.
       “I’m not a queer.” Jotaro said sternly after a minute.
   “Mmhmm.” Kakyoin slurps on a noodle loudly.
   “What makes you think I am? Are you?” He snaps at Kakoyin like an accusation.
   Kakyoin shrugs, amused by Jotaro’s defensiveness. “I met this boy in Spain last summer on a trip with my parents. He took me to a restaurant not too different from this one. He walked me around an art museum and kissed me at the sunset.”
    Jotaro’s face softened slightly as sadness painted it before he forced the anger to overtake again. Kakyoin noticed his face change and quickly added, “we don’t speak anymore but I enjoyed myself. If enjoying that makes me queer, then I guess I’m queer.” He finishes simply with a shrug of his shoulders.
   Jotaro looks at Kakyoin for a lot longer than would be considered comfortable, not once breaking eye contact. He looked like he was solving a difficult math problem and that Kakyoin’s lavender eyes would have the answer if he just looked hard enough.
     Kakyoin broke the silence first. “Jojo…I am not the best at this talking  thing either. My original statement was just meant to pick on you…I meant for it to be playful. Anyway, I hope this doesn’t make you look at me any differently.”
    “Oh I definitely look at you differently.” Jotaro answers simply. “But that’s not a bad thing. Not bad…just different.” He tries to reassure Kakyoin, who smiles back shyly at him. He twirls his hair noodle around his index finger.
     Jotaro makes eye contact with Kakyoin again. “I don’t know anything about crushes…” Jotaro admitted softly. “but, I do know that I want to get to know you better. Would that be okay?” The soft pink blush had turned three shades darker by the end of his question. His eyes drop and he stares directly at the table as Kakyoin answers.
     “I would like that…a lot actually.” Kakyoin smiles while tracing a small circle on the back of Jotaro’s hand before folding both his hands bellow his chin. The sudden touch made Jotaro look up but he smiled softly when his eyes met Kakyoin’s.
     As they finished their meal, they swapped stories and questions. Jotaro asks about what Kakyoin was doing in the plane before he changed seats.
     “Oh! I was practicing my video game. It’s not as good practice as actually playing the game, but it helps me remember button sequence. What do you like to do for fun?”
    “Read mostly. I used to go to the beach a lot growing up.” Jotaro answered.
     “That sounds really nice. Do you have a favorite author?” Kakyoin asks
   “I have a few. I prefer non fiction more often then not though. Do you have a favorite video game?” Jotaro asked hesitantly. He had no knowledge on video games.
     “Honestly? Zelda.” Kakyoin smiled.  
     “I have no idea what that is.” Jotaro answered honestly.
     “What? Do you live under a rock? “ This caused Kakyoin to go into a full description of the game.
    Jotaro listened with intent even though he never intended to play the game. He liked watching Kakoyin’s hands dance around as he tried to explain things . His eyes kept shining and getting more excited. Jotaro couldn’t help but smile.
     They kept talking and laughing as people started leaving the restaurant and soon they were the last ones left. Jotaro took a quick scan of the empty tables.
   “We should probably be getting back to the hotel. Get some sleep.”
    “You’re right.” Kakyoin sighed before rising from his chair. As much as he didn’t want this night to end, he couldn’t help but admit that he was tired. He stretched his arms up over his head and yawned.
   The two boys walked side by side on the way back to the hotel, a lot closer and slower than they had on the way to the restaurant. They continued their talk through the near empty street.
    Kakyoin kept glancing at Jojo's hands in his pockets, and his curiosity on how they felt kept rising. He picked on Jotaro for having a crush tonight, but he would be lying if he said this boy didn’t make his heart flutter. He caught himself watching Jotaro walk. His eyes move up and down his tall frame. Jotaro was built like an oak but spoke like falling leaves. His face was well defined and undoubtedly handsome.
   “Wanna smoke?” Jotaro suddenly makes eye contact with Kakyoin’s lingering eyes.
     “Uh, sure.” Kakyoin stammers out as his face blushes.
   Jotaro hands him a cigarette and smiles again, finding way too much pleasure in making that man blush. They stand on the side of the hotel and lean against the wall. They stand in silence for a long time before Jotaro tentatively takes Kakyoin’s hand.
    “Is this okay?” He asks softly.
     Kakyoin nods as his chest tightens. Jotaro’s hand was massive and overtook his thin fingers. Kakyoin stroked Jotaro’s thumb with his own, finding comfort in the warmth of his touch.  Too soon, Jotaro pulled his hand away and put it back in his pocket.
    “We need to go to bed.” Jotaro reminded him.
   Kakyoin sighed because he didn’t sound like he wanted to be argued with. Jotaro walked Kakyoin to his room before nodding to him.
    “Good night…Noriaki. I had a wonderful time.”
     “I did too.” Kakyoin answers with a smile. Jotaro turns to head to his room for the night.
   “Hey Jojo?” Kakyoin says to Jotaro's back. “Was this a date?”
      “No.” Jotaro said blankly. He notices Kakyoin’s face fall slightly and quickly adds, “ but maybe sometime soon. I have to think about some things”
     “Of course.” Kakyoin tried to hide his disappointment.
     “Good night Jojo.” Kakyoin went to turn his doorknob.
     “Noriaki? Can…could I come stay in your room for a bit? I’m not sure if I’m ready to stop talking to you yet.”
     Kakyoin couldn’t help but smile to himself. “No. But maybe some other time.”                   
    He took a quick scan of the lobby to thankfully find it empty. He stood up on his toes and gave Jotaro a quick kiss on the cheek. He turned his doorknob and went in before a word could leave Jotaro’s blushing face.