Killing Lonliness - HIM

43 5 0

by TheMrsBucciarati

by TheMrsBucciarati

The corners of (Y/N)'s lips curled slightly. She had known of Jotaro since her teen years, being involved with the foundation and her relationship with Joseph at that time. There had been photos and tales of the trek to Egypt. She felt as if she knew each of the Stardust Crusaders like old friends; had been saddened by the losses.

Finally meeting Jotaro in person was more involved than she had expected. The photos had prepared her for his physical size, he had been built like a fully grown man in the photos from Egypt. A very tall and muscular man, much like Joseph. But the photos did his handsome face and gorgeous eyes absolutely no justice. The eyes were like bottomless teal pools, an endless abyss. She felt like she could see deep into his soul, having to look away; feeling like she had violated him in some way. He would have a million questions, as did she, but it was clear he hadn't been able to resist the reverie of a moment by the sea with another person who could just do that. No talking, just being. Absorbing the life around.

Jotaro and (Y/N) walked into the town proper, her arm tucked into his much larger arm. They had been in physical contact almost the entire time since she had extended her hand in greeting. This should have been uncomfortable, (Y/N) didn't like being contained, controlled. But this wasn't about that. This was camaraderie, a kindred spirit. It felt good, and she knew he felt it too; his hand seeking hers when they would incidentally separate. It was electric in a low buzzing way, smooth and reassuring.

Jotaro pulled out a seat for (Y/N) at a cafe. He fought the urge to sit next to her so he could maintain contact, instead sitting across from her. He was overwhelmed by this urge, he had never felt so compelled. This arrangement was pleasant as well, he could look into those green eyes that seemed to shift in color. They were like dark opals: at one angle you would see shades of deep blue like the twilight of the mesopelagic zone of the ocean, then you would see copper and hazel tones that reminded you of the desert, and then you would shift and see the vibrant greens of a forest. He had never seen anything so beautiful.

(Y/N) broke their silence, "So I assume you were given my information by the Foundation, but I am sure you have questions. Please ask, I am an open book." She smiled, encouraging him to speak.

Drawing a deep breath, Jotaro tried to put together a question that made sense. His brain was screaming: WHAT IS THIS? He let the breath go starting with, "How did you get involved with Speedwagon?"

That dazzling smile crossed her face, "I met Joseph."

Jotaro tensed a bit. Despite her age, Joseph certainly had been a bit of a creep from time to time. He could imagine his grandfather being involved with a much younger woman. In fact he didn't have to imagine, his younger uncle was born of one of Joseph's indiscretions with a younger lady. (Y/N) had felt the leg that was resting against hers under the table go stiff and still. Reading his uncertainty, (Y/N) quickly added, "Oh, no. Not like that. I am sorry, I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression."

"My mother was a single parent and an archeologist. Anywhere she traveled, so did I. Consequently, my education was spotty. She ended up working on one of the Speedwagon excavations, then became a permanent employee. I was always hanging around, not interested in nor being around many kids my age or formal education. When Joseph was around he would quiz me; it started as teasing but it developed into long discussions. Somewhere in there he became my father figure, and he accepted the role as best he could."

Relief washed over Jotaro, he didn't know what he was feeling or why; but he certainly did not want it to get weird. Without realizing it, his leg began the soft swaying against hers again. She smiled slightly and continued. "The rest of my schooling was provided through the Foundation and I have worked for them since graduation. I also do contract work, teaching, and have written a bit in my fields of expertise of marine biology and maritime archeology."

She was certain they would find commonality; overlapping areas of study and she too had discovered a species. A person who travels the world in search of knowledge longs to find connection with people of similar experience. Her problem was that most of those people were stiff academics, like dusty, forgotten human libraries. She had never connected with those types. The handsome man across from her was certainly not like any academic she had met.