Liquid Eternity

Chapter Fourteen

"Did you hear that?" You mumbled in Japanese and turned to Jotaro.

"No?" He responded

"Hm. Alright." You shrugged.

"Where is everyone?" Kakyoin asked.

"Maybe they're all asleep?" Polnareff suggested.

"At noon?"

Polnareff simply shrugged in response.

"Come on," Jotaro gently led you by the shoulder toward a large building. "That place must have some sort of information."

"This fog is so thick, how did you even see that?" You looked up at him.

He shrugged. "Listen, once we find a hotel, I want you to lay down and get some rest. Those burns look pretty bad."

"Only in some spots. I can still use them."

"Still." He tipped his hat over his face and mumbled in Japanese. "I need you to get better."

"Awwww." You teased him in Japanese so Joseph and Polnareff wouldn't understand. "You care about meeeee!!!"

"Sh-Shut up." He pulled his hat further over his face.

You giggled softly before tripping.

Over a body.

Upon realizing what it was, you almost lost it.

"Holyshitwhatthefuckdudetheresadeafuckinbodylayingonthegroundwhatthefuck!!" You screamed in your native language and scrambled backwards away from the body, toward Jotaro for comfort.

Jotaro held you tightly. "Hey, old man."

"Oh my God!!" Joseph noticed the dead man.

"Okay this town is fucking weird, I'm
getting the hell out of here." Kakyoin threw up his hands and walked back in the direction of the car.

"Uh, me too." You squirmed out of Jotaro's embrace and tugged on his jacket sleeve. "I've seen enough horror movies to know where this is heading."

Jotaro didn't budge.

"Jotaro, please," You pleaded. "Let's get out of here."

"No."

"Please!! I'm scared!!" You spoke in Japanese, mainly because being scared was something that was difficult for you to admit, but also because you wanted to be sure you got your point across.

"(Y/N)," He tensed at your distress. "Think about it, if we flee the scene of a crime, we're just as guilty as the murderer."

"Who cares?? There's nobody around!!"

"Jotaro, (Y/N), look." Polnareff pointed to a shadowy figure walking through the dense fog.

Mr. Joestar was quick to chase after them, and you were quick to follow.

"Hello!!" He called after them, but they didn't respond.

"Mr. Joestar, I don't think they spea-"

"I've got this, (Y/N)." You group finally caught up to them. "Look, this is how you greet people around here. Assalam Alaikum!!"

The woman and her two children just stared.

"I'm so sorry," You spoke to them in broken Urdu. "My Urdu isn't too good, can you help us? There's a dead man over there, we need to phone the police right away."

The woman remained silent. One of the boils on her face bursted, and pus dripped from it. You cringed slightly, but tried not to be rude.

"I'm sorry. My acne has been getting bad..." The woman trailed off and walked away into the mist.

"Wait!!" You cried, but she was gone.

"Well that was rude!" Polnareff crossed his arms.

"Something strange is going on. I really don't want to be here, Jotaro..." You said in English, but then switched to Japanese. "I'm begging you, if you care about me at all... please... I want to leave..." You clung onto him for dear life.

You could tell his heart was breaking. He knew it would be more dangerous to travel at night, and everyone (including you) needed a good night's sleep. But he couldn't bear to see you in such a position...

His breathing was heavy. He didn't know what to do, but the decision was made for him when a voice called out in English.

"Yoo-Hoo!!" It was the voice of an old woman.

"Oh finally!!" Polnareff sighed. "An actual person!!"

"I'm Enya," The old woman introduced herself. "I run the hotel around these parts. It's not often that we get visitors!!"

She seemed nice enough. Your group decided to go with her to her hotel and stay the night. Polnareff was babbling on and on about clean toilets and how nice the lady was. You tuned him out. Your burns from earlier still hurt, and you felt a migraine coming on.

Through your tuning out, you worried that you missed some important information. Especially when Jotaro asked you not to use his name. You didn't care though. Okay, Qutaro, whatever you say.

He helped you up to your bed and laid you down, keeping your burns wrapped and cooled.

"These are pretty nasty." He noted.

"I wouldn't have them if you didn't pull that damn stunt." You mumbled, half asleep.

"Why did you try to save me? That was dumb."

"What was I supposed to do? Watch you die in front of me?" You were fully awake now.

"No, you're supposed to trust me."

"How was I supposed to know you were pulling some elaborate trick?"

"You know it would take more than that to kill me." He laughed. He wasn't taking this seriously.

2011

A number flashed in your vision.

You figured you were just seeing things because you were so exhausted.

"Stop it. I don't want to see you get hurt. Seriously." You rolled on your side, facing away from him.

"Oh come on, don't be like that." He touched your arm lightly.

"I don't wanna see you get hurt. I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to you and I just let it happen."  You sighed.

"I won't die. Trust me."

"I trust you."

"Good. Get some sleep ok? I'm gonna go check on Polnareff."

"Mhm."

Jotaro stood, kissed you on the cheek, and crossed the room to the door.

"I love you." He mumbled in Japanese before closing the door and heading off.