all-american :: jotaro x reader

chapter 10 :: all-american conversation

After yesterday's fiasco, I've started studying outside of school. And now, especially, there are no lustful girls or fighting boys in my grandparent's restaurant.

Mom's still at work, and I could probably stay home alone if I really wanted to. But does mom feed me while I work? Well, I guess sometimes, but not like my grandparents do.

And let me tell you, it's easier to memorize important stuff when you have a mouthful of dango.

Where I'm sitting in the "restaurant" part of the shop," I can see that outside the sun is starting to set, and the room is filled with the sounds of cash registers and small talk, and it smells like coffee. It's perfect.

"You doin' good back there?" Asks my grandpa in between customers. Even though he tries his best to hide it, his Okinawa dialect still shines through. "I'm doin' great," I laugh, taking another bite.

I tap my fingernails against the wooden table and lean back in my chair, my mind starting to wander. Thankfully I'm just about done studying, and at this point I'm just doodling all over my notes.

The shop has gone quiet, the only sounds being dished from the kitchen as the rush hour ends. I lean back in my chair a little farther enough to rest my feet on the table, and tuck a pencil in between my top lip and my nose. To finish the look, I cross my arms.

The ring of the doorbell bounces off the walls. I don't bother looking, knowing it's probably some local picking things up. The floorboards creak heavy, and yet again, I hear the conversation between a customer and my granddad. I keep staring up. The pencil is starting to slip.

"Ah, welcome back! Your order will be ready in a moment, so why don't you take a seat?"

The heavy footsteps grow closer, and I still don't look back down.

That is, until I hear the chair across from me slide backwards and someone sits down. And I decide to look down.

Well, I certainly did not expect to be making eye contact with two very serious eyes.

I fall backwards in surprise, the pencil slipping from my lips and onto the floor. "CHRIST!" I yelp, preparing myself for impact, but somehow, my chair tips back upwards and I'm saved.

I heave, pressing my forearms to the table. "God! You scared me, Jotaro."

He stares unbothered, still stoic like always. I compose myself and look at the big black slab of stone sitting in front of me and sigh. "How's it going?"

"Fine." He flicks the pencil, that was seemingly on the floor less than a minute ago, towards me.

I gather up my notes into a nice stack and set my book aside. "Well, that's nice." I rub the back of my neck. "Uh...remember yesterday?"

He looks at me as if to say "do I remember yesterday? Do you think I'm stupid or something?"

"Uh, thanks, for um...doing that," I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. "Like they say in California, 'I would have gotten my ass beat'."

He scoffs and smiles enough for me to see, yet he's quick to return to his still face. "Sure."

We sit in silence. He stares forward at the display case, I look around the room. "And I'm sorry about the macaroni."

"That was actually really damn funny."

I look over, and he smirks quickly. I laugh nervously to combat the feeling of embarrassment. "Did you see me?"

He looks at me again like I think he's dumb. "The whole damn neighborhood heard you."

I groan. "Well." I leave it at that.

We sit in silence again for a little longer than we did last time.

"I forgot to ask," I mention, a bit ashamed we keep going back and forth, "anything fun while I was gone?"

His eyes glaze over for a second in such a way that he's scanning over memoirs, trying to pick one that wouldn't raise any flags. His teeth grit - I can tell by the way his jaw clenches, and not in a good way. He's clearly revisiting something he didn't want to-

"Went on a trip," he finally growls.

"Nice," I mention, trying to ignore the fact that he probably just resisted punching something. "You can um...ask me something back if you want to. For your troubles."

He thinks for a second. "Why the hell are you in Japan?"

I look up, a little hurt, but quickly calm down one I remember that the things that come out of Jotaro's mouth don't match the tone.

He realizes this as well, and exhales. "I mean, why'd you come back-" he realizes that also sounds like a threat and just decides to shut his mouth.

I smile. "No, I get you." I didn't, but I look down at the wood making up the table, eyeing over the curves and swirls in the lumber while I try to find an appropriate way to put the last year into words.

"I know neither of us like long stories, so I'll keep it short," I say, leaning back into my seat yet again. "My dad cheated on my mom...and uh, she didn't want to deal with him so we moved."

He looks up, just a hint of understanding - and dare I say pity, shining through his stoic expression. I wave my hand. "But that's not a big deal. He's just a prick and that the way it is-"

"That's a fucking shitty thing to do."

I look up at him trying to think of what part of the sentence he was acknowledging. I shrug. "Meh. I like it here. You're here-"

I cover my mouth, knowing that came out as if I liked him. I mean, I do, but not like...

He rolls his eyes, probably an automatic reaction the the many vaguely romantic statements every girl in our school has mentioned to him at some point. "I mean, it's just- nice to be with everyone I grew up with again, you know?"

He sighs, but musters yet another quick sigh for me.

"Your order is ready, Mr. Kujo!"

We both look in my grandfather's direction, and then at each other. I nod, and he gets up, but not before pulling something out of his pocket and sliding it over.

I watch him get up and collect the bag my grandpa had been holding, dug in his pocket, then leave some crumpled yen on the counter.

Before he exits the door, he pauses to look at me for a second, and I could have sworn he nodded.

I look down at what he had slid over.

My cheeks go red once I realize it was the fat piece of skirt I had left handing on his fence.

"You fancy that boy?"

I look at my grandpa, arms crossed over the counter. I scoff. "We go to school together. Nothing major."

Grandpa smiles as if he knows something I don't. "I know love when I see it, Y/N," he wags his finger at me. I roll my eyes. "Okay, pops."

Love? More like slight intimidation. I mean really, his hand fits on my face and if he really wanted to, he could wrap both hands around my neck and squeeze and I'd be dead.

Yeah. Love.
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A/N
Do you prefer restaurants with drive-throughs or sit down only? In the end, though, they're still restaurants.