Sing For Me, Darling

Chapter 10 - Aria

"It looks like a..."

"Wedding band, right?" Jotaro held up his left hand to show a matching ring with a smirk. "A friend of mine told me about human courtship customs. Told me to give you this, swore me up and down that it was pure 'platinum', whatever that means."

Kakyoin was once more rendered speechless. He could feel tears streaming down his face, but they weren't from sadness; rather, they were from pure euphoria. He was on a high like never before, and this was only way he could emote it. He couldn't even put on the ring in the midst of his waterworks.

"Woah, woah, calm down." The siren mumbled, gently stroking Kakyoin's face. "Don't get all hysterical on me, alright? It's weird to see you like this."

"Hysterical?" said Kakyoin in between sniffles. "I'm not usually this sappy, that is true, but I'm certainly not in hysterics."

"But you're crying, so something must be wrong, right?"

"O-of course not! Why would there be?"

"I dunno. It just seemed that way. But since you're saying that you're alright, I'll believe you."

Kakyoin wiped his tears away, and slipped the ring onto his finger. It was a size or two too big, but not so much so that it would slip off. He held out his hand to admire it in all of its splendor, and had to hold back more tears. He threw his arms around Jotaro, who tensed up in surprise.

"This is really sweet of you, you know. I don't think I've ever met anybody, human or otherwise, who would do something like this for someone they love."

"Tch... You're too cute, Nori. You know full well that you deserve the world, don't you?"

"Is that so? Then I guess I've gotten even more than that, huh?"

Although Kakyoin couldn't see the siren's face, something was giving him the impression that he had become a blushing mess. He felt both a pair of arms slink around his waist and a heavy weight sink onto his shoulder, causing him to break out into another smile. He pulled back a bit, letting his head rest on Jotaro's chest.

"There's something I've been wondering for a while, now."

"And what could that possibly be?"

"It's about your singing. Is... Is it a natural talent, or something that you had to learn?"

"Hmph. Trying to steal my voice, too? You devil."

"Of course not, silly. I'm just curious. Although, I am a touch jealous of your vocal ability, if that means anything to you?"

Jotaro snickered and idly ruffled Kakyoin's hair, seemingly enjoying drawing out the conversation.

"It's a little bit of both. All of us are born with some inherent talent; but it takes a lot of training to actually turn that raw talent into something that leads sailors to their doom."

"What an... interesting answer. In that case, do you think human voices are different than siren voices?"

"You're full of questions today, eh? Well... I guess so? I've never really heard humans sing, so I wouldn't be a fair judge."

"You haven't? That's unexpected, but, um... I can change that, if you like? I'm not all that good, but I can somewhat hold a tune."

"Of course I want you to change that. Sing for me, Nori. I'd love to hear it."

The painter shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to sing quietly. He put his entire effort into it, trying his hardest to impress the siren. The truth was, Kakyoin was nervous beyond belief, and it would have been painfully obvious if he hadn't mostly disguised the waver in his voice. As the last note died out on his lips, he became somewhat embarrassed, as he had never sung like this in front of anyone before, and the lingering silence afterwards was crushing.

"You've got a voice that would make a siren jealous, Nori. While I will admit you need a lot of practice, you have a lot of potential." Jotaro finally said, a touch of pride in his voice.

"Ah, you're just saying that... I'm a painter by trade, so singing isn't really something I do all the time. I'm not ashamed at all; it's just how the cookie crumbles." Kakyoin said as offhandedly as he could manage.

"If that's what you want to believe, I won't stop you. But, you asked for me to compare human and siren voices, right? Or are you not curious anymore?"

"Oh, I definitely still am."

"I'll say that siren voices don't sound as... real. They're more otherworldly, in a way, and they definitely don't sound as clear. Kinda like you're trapped in a big dome, y'know?"

"I think so? It's been a while since I've last heard you sing, so I can't tell you for sure. N-not that you need to, right now, with all the danger and whatnot going around."

"You read my mind, then. That's exactly what I was gonna do."

"Which is why I stopped you, silly. No point in you getting caught for something preventable."

"Pfft. As if."

Kakyoin had been unbelievably worried about the townsfolk, but he was even moreso now that he and Jotaro had become more intimate with eachother, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell the siren about his fears. He was completely aware of the fact that Jotaro would be there for him no matter what, and yet, something was trying its damnedest to staunch his hope for the future.

"Nori? You seem kinda out of it. Is everything okay?" said the siren, the concern in his voice almost palpable.

"As much as I want to say yes..." Kakyoin paused. "That wouldn't be the whole truth. To be completely honest with you, I... I can't stop thinking about what they'll do to you if they find you."

"You mean the villagers? Don't stress yourself over those idiots. They have yet to even try to find out more about me, and besides, even if they do try something, I'm gonna put up a damn good fight, that's for sure. So don't worry, alright? I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

The siren then began to sing almost unnoticeably, soothing Kakyoin to the point of drowsiness. He still had a bit of doubt in the back of his mind, and it was practically screaming at him that he was putting himself and Jotaro in grave danger, but he ignored it. He was trusting both his heart and Jotaro, and they were telling him that everything would be okay. Kakyoin sighed in content, feeling more peaceful in this moment in this moment than he had ever felt in his entire life.

"Jojo..."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For supporting me like this. I couldn't ask for a better person to spend time with."

The siren began to rub Kakyoin's back, his touch feather-light and gentle.

"That's an odd way to say 'I love you'."

"Pshh. You can't take anything seriously, can you?"

"Not when I'm around you."

"You're spoiling me with these compliments, Jojo."

"If you think this is spoiling you, then you've got a hellstorm of spoilage coming your way."

They both breathily laughed, too happy to care about anything else in the world. For the reclusive painter and the ill-tempered siren, things would never be the same. But, of course, neither of them minded much. They had eachother; and that is all that they would ever need to be happy.