Sing For Me, Darling

Chapter 6 - Minuet

Kakyoin didn't return to the pier for a while. Whether it was out of fear of looking desperate, or out of embarrassment for his rashness, he couldn't tell. Instead of dwelling on it, though, he resumed his life as a shut in, never leaving his house unless it was an absolute emergency. He finished his gift in that time, but with the way he was isolating himself, there was no chance of him giving it to Jotaro. It sat in his living room, covered by a sheet, taunting him every time he passed it, reminding him of his unbearable loneliness. But Kakyoin couldn't face the siren. Not like this. Of course, this didn't last for as long as he had hoped, for he was called for the first time in ages. Something about the singing that night was unbelievably irresistible, and it drew Kakyoin to the dreaded spot almost immediately, so much so that he was shoeless and still in his pajamas. Jotaro was sitting at the pier's edge, not even trying to conceal the annoyed look on his face.

"We need to talk." he said shortly as Kakyoin approached.

Kakyoin interpreted this as 'I'm going to lecture the hell out of you and you're going to shut the hell up until I'm finished', and quietly sat next to him.

"So. Have you forgotten about the deal we've made? Have all the things I've done for and with you meant nothing?! I poured my heart out to you, Noriaki, and this is how you repay me? By avoiding me? I can't believe this. I expected better from you. Or, at the very least, I expected something different. Are you proud of yourself? Did you gain something from this? I won't bullshit you. In all honesty, you really had me fooled. Here I was, the village idiot, thinking that humans couldn't all be that bad, and yet, in reality, you were no better than the others. Selfish and unfeeling."

Kakyoin was hurt by his tone, the use of his first name, the emphasis on avoidance. But there wasn't anything he could say in his defence. Everything Jotaro said was the truth. There wasn't any sugarcoating, or endearing words. Just truth. He hung his head low and allowed himself to be berated and belittled. It was the least he could do.

"You said I could trust you. You gave me your word. In fact, you gave more than that. You... What you did wasn't important, alright? What is, is that I thought I could finally place my trust in someone. And you betrayed that. You betrayed my faith in you, and now—"

Kakyoin threw his arms around the siren, cutting him off mid-sentence. He buried his head into Jotaro's chest, and inhaled deeply, trying to both steady his beating heart and staunch the tears that were beginning to pool.

"I'm sorry. The last thing I would ever want to do is betray someone as wonderful as you. And that's the God honest truth."

Jotaro did not return his embrace. It was a simple gesture, but one that made Kakyoin's blood run cold.

"You really think that I'm supposed to believe that?" he scoffed. "After all of this, you really think that I'm supposed to just magically forgive you? Good grief, that's stupid. Not as stupid as myself, for almost falling for it, but still pretty up there."

He pushed the painter away and folded his arms, focusing a chilling stare at the ocean. This hurt Kakyoin more than any words ever could. He wasn't upset or angry, however. There was no reason for him to be. Jotaro was entirely justified in feeling this way. He had failed the siren, and now he was paying the price for it. 

"If... If it's any consolation... It wasn't my intention to hurt you like this."

Jotaro upheld his irritated silence.

"I know. You're angry at me. You have every right to be. The truth is, I've never been... Good, with relationships. Of any kind. I know that's not an excuse, but I wanted you to know that I don't do the stupid things that I do from a place of malice. In the end, it's your call on whether you want to forgive me or not, and I'll respect whichever choice you make. What I did was unacceptable, and I'm sure that a more... Capable, I'll say, person wouldn't treat you like this." Kakyoin mused.

"I'm not... angry." Jotaro said softly. "I just... Thought you had some sort of feelings for me. And I was happy, the happiest I'd ever been in a very long time, because... I love you. I can't even say 'loved'. I love you, Noriaki. With all of my heart. Even if you don't share my sentiments."

"I do love you. God, do I love you. I love everything about you. I've been a fool. I'll fully admit that. But... One thing I know for sure, though, is that I'm madly in love with you, and nothing will ever change that."

Jotaro's expression softened, but he didn't respond immediately. The pair sat in silence for a while, staring out at the horizon.

"I'm not gonna forgive you that easily, I hope you know." he finally said. "You may have stolen my heart, but what I won't let you do is steal my dignity. So don't expect me to let you off the hook immediately. As far as I'm concerned, you're still 'in the doghouse', as you humans say."

"I'm fine with that. At least you're considering it." Kakyoin replied with a small smile. "However... I do want to ask you something, if you'll entertain my question?"

"I shouldn't, but at this point, I don't really care. Ask away."

"While I was... 'gone', you weren't doing anything rash, were you? I'd never be able to live with myself if something had happened to you due to my ignorance."

His silence spoke volumes to Kakyoin, making him feel even more foolish. If the siren would have gotten caught, or hurt, or something worse... There'd be no one to blame but himself. His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Without thinking it through beforehand, he pushed Jotaro into the water, praying that whoever was coming was gullible enough to believe the lie he was cooking up. He steeled his nerves, and waited for the person to approach.