Ink Black Coffee and Syrupy Sweet Words

Chapter Four - Fahrenheit 451

Jotaro was lying in a bed of dark red carnations, under a cloudless sky. It looked to be just before sunset, and a gentle breeze made the flowers surrounding him tremble and sway. He sat up cautiously, not wanting to crush the delicate blooms, and his eyes met another pair. They were those of the barista, who sat in a flower patch of his own, made up of red chrysanthemums. He flashed Jotaro his usual easygoing smile.

"Isn't this nice?" he said, turning towards the setting sun. "It's so quiet, and peaceful... I could stay here for hours."

Looking out at the sunset himself, Jotaro could see what he meant. The silence that blanketed this place, wherever they were, was comfortable, and reassuring. He let out a satisfied sigh, and gently picked one of the non-flattened carnations. He idly twirled it in his fingers, watching flakes of pollen drift out of it. 

"Yes, very nice." Kakyoin repeated. "It's such a shame that you have to wake up."

Jotaro jolted awake, his body drenched in a cold sweat. His alarm was beeping at him incessantly, and it seemed to have been doing so for quite some time. It's display read 6 AM, and he silently cursed himself for falling asleep as late as he did. He had only gotten two hours worth of sleep, and there was no way in hell that he could remedy that. His mind raced, thinking about the events of yesterday, and the dream he just woke up from. Every time it settled on something concrete, the feeling from yesterday washed over him. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't pinpoint what it was. The effects of his lack of sleep began to demand his attention in the form of another splitting headache. He lumbered out of bed to go search for something to alleviate it. Jotaro knew for sure that there was a bottle of aspirin stashed under the service counter in the bookstore, so he staggered down the stairs, praying that there was still some left. He was surprised to find a scrap of paper resting on top of it. It was a note from Kakyoin.

'I had a really nice time yesterday. You're a really good cook.'  it plainly and simply stated. 

Jotaro couldn't stop himself from smiling, even if it was only for a moment. In it's brevity, the note had alleviated some of his worries from last night, but also brought forth new ones, ones that danced around that inconsiderable possibility. He shook his head and continued his search for the aspirin. When he did find it, there were only two or so left in the bottle. He rolled his eyes and took them dry, hoping that he wouldn't regret it later. The note had reminded him that Kakyoin was going to stop by today, so he unlocked the door and left a message of his own. Jotaro yawned and trooped his way back upstairs, thankful that he didn't have to work. Having nothing better to do, he tidied up his apartment, as it was getting to be messy.
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Kakyoin arrived at about 5, with a polite knock on the apartment door. Jotaro opened the door with a smirk on his face.

"You seem happy today." Kakyoin said while stepping inside. "It's refreshing. That moping about that you always do doesn't fit you in the slightest. Oh, and sorry about being late. Some stuff came up."

Jotaro simply chuckled and sat on the couch. He wouldn't admit that the redhead was partially behind his mood. 

"I was thinking we could laugh at some shitty movies. Sound good to you?"

"Does it?! Count me in, Kujo!" he said, dropping onto the couch dramatically. "Trust me, I need a laugh."

They took no notice of how fast time was slipping by, and eventually, night was upon them. Jotaro looked over to see Kakyoin peacefully sleeping away, and by the looks of things, he wasn't planning on waking up any time soon. Jotaro draped a blanket over him, and tiptoed downstairs to make sure everything was locked up properly. Kakyoin was still asleep when he had returned, so Jotaro quietly cleaned up around him. The barista would murmur something sleepily every once in a while, with most of what he said being nonsensical. However, almost all of his ramblings started with the same phrase: 'My dear'. It was pretty cute, in an odd sort of way, and Jotaro felt a fond smile creep onto his face. The jittery feeling was back, and it was stronger than ever. And then, he realized what had been going in the entire time. He had fallen head over heels for Kakyoin. All of the little things about him, his smile, his laugh, his wit, had all culminated into something to be desired. Thinking about what this meant made his head spin. His entire world had been displaced, and he definitely wasn't okay with it. Jotaro nervously slicked his hair back, and expelled a heaving sigh. He'd have to be more mindful of what he said and did, and the possibility of his affection being one sided was wholly viable. The only way Jotaro could find out the truth would be through expressing his feelings, and that was way out of the question. His pride wouldn't even let him consider that option. But if he didn't do something about it, then their relationship would turn awkward, and that would make things worse for him. Jotaro was stuck at a mental impasse. If he didn't admit how he felt, his feelings would burn him up for the rest of time, but if he did, things might change between them, and not in a good way. His heart was leaning more towards the latter, despite the obvious consequences, and his ego was reaching for the former, even if he had to sacrifice some of his comfort in the end. He was pacing back and forth, thinking about how to approach the situation, when Kakyoin had suddenly woke up.