Sing For Me, Darling

Chapter 9 - Strain

"Call me crazy if you'd like, but you're an upstanding guy who is just too damn charming for his own good."

The offhanded tone in which Jotaro spoke forced Kakyoin into a stunned silence. After all the time he had spent worrying, there wasn't much he could say. The siren had no room to talk about anybody being charming; as he was infinitely moreso than Kakyoin could ever dream of being. All their past interactions whirled through his mind: their initial deal, his promise of protection, the portrait, Jotaro's story, their kiss, his cowardice, and many other bits and pieces of their carefully constructed relationship, which had culminated into something bright and beautiful.

"So... Does this mean that...?"

"If that's what you want, then sure. It's all up to you, Kakyoin." Jotaro released his hand, an expectant look on his face. "Whatever you choose, I'll support you."

"Of course that's what I want! In fact...  I've never wanted anything more."

Jotaro hummed in contempt, slicking back his hair in an attempt to look unfazed by what had just transpired, but Kakyoin saw the relieved grin that was just barely hidden by his hand. He found it to be absolutely adorable, the way that the siren chose to hide his emotions. It was quite the contrast to his own expressive nature, which served to make Jotaro both more interesting and more attractive. There was always something new to discover, and Kakyoin took much delight in doing so. He ended up grinning himself, which inadvertently caused the siren to stop hiding his own broad smile. They both sat there, foolishly smiling from ear to ear, unable to actually say anything of substance. It was a candid moment that was highly cherished by the pair, seeing as things had been quite turbulent between them as of late. And then, Jotaro laughed. It rang through the air like a musical instrument, harsh on the ears at first, but still loud and free, very much unlike what Kakyoin was used to. He couldn't help but to laugh along, even if it filled him with a creeping sense of unease.

"I probably scared you for a second there." the siren finally said inbetween gasps. "Sorry about that. It's just, we sounded like some old highschool lovers rekindling that spark that they lost years ago."

"You've got no room to talk," Kakyoin's face fell into a smirk. "You sound like a middle-aged woman who reads romance novels all day."

"It takes one to know one."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're probably going through a midlife crisis as we speak."

They held it together for just a moment, but eventually both burst out into another fit of uncontrollable laughter, complete with stomach clutching and vicious snorting, which in turn caused them to laugh even harder.

"You rascal, making me laugh like this out in the open." Jotaro teased. "If I get caught, it'll be your fault."

"It's not my fault that you're acting this out of character, Jotaro." Kakyoin snarked back playfully. "If anything, you'll have the village hags on my back even more."

"Wait, they were bothering you?"

"A little bit, but nothing I couldn't handle. Supposedly I'm the talk of the town."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not really. I've always been and am always being gossiped about, so I don't really pay it much attention anymore. You could say I'm used to it."

"What?! What kinds of things did people say about you?"

Kakyoin let out a reserved sigh, crossing his legs at the ankles to prolong telling all. It was a difficult subject, even now, and he couldn't help but to feel hurt, despite having moved on years ago.

"If you don't want to tell me, I understand, I just–"

"No, no, it's okay. People have never really found me... Worth conversing with. I don't blame them, of course, but their words hurt quite a bit, especially when you're being called a 'crazy', or 'weirdo' or things along the same lines almost directly to your face. And even though I tell myself that they're just childish insults, they still manage to get under my skin."

Jotaro hauled himself onto the rocky pier, and drew Kakyoin into a bone crushingly tight hug. He patted the siren awkwardly on the back, which prompted him to bury his face into the nape of his neck.

"Jotaro... I'm fine, really. There's no reason for you to be this concerned."

"Yes, there is. You've been dealing with that shit on your own for long enough."

"I'll be okay. Things have been like this for a while now."

"That's not the point. I want to support you, no matter what."

"Tsk. You're so persistent."

Kakyoin chuckled softly and rested his head on Jotaro's shoulder, letting his eyelids droop.

"Thank you." he said, whisper quiet.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for being there for me. I may not be able to really express it the way I want to, but thank you. From the bottom of my heart."

"Good grief. Don't get all mushy on me now. Someone should have been doing this for you a long time ago."

Jotaro pulled away, lifted his face slightly with a finger, and touched his forehead to Kakyoin's, staring him directly in the eye. The siren then took his hands once more, lacing his fingers through the painter's. Kakyoin felt something cold touch the palm of one of his hands, but he shook it off as nothing more than a stray drop of seawater.

"Listen. I love you too much to continue to let you go it alone like this. I'll always be there for you, alright?"

Jotaro let go of one of his hands, using his own to gently cup his face. Kakyoin almost instinctively began to blush heavily, his cheeks becoming blazing hot in a matter of seconds.

"Y-you're too sweet. I, um, appreciate this a lot, and, uh..." he stuttered, unable to clear his head.

"You're welcome, Noriaki." the siren responded tactfully. "Oh, and you may wanna check the hand I was just holding."

"Wait, what?" Kakyoin outstretched the fingers of the hand in question, not even realizing that it had closed into a fist. "My god..."

Resting gently in his palm was a ring with a silver tint to it, dully glinting in the moonlight.