Always With You (Caejose)

Approach (4/7)

.... Joseph POV....

Silence stretched through the crowd as he moved. I took an instinctive step back, drawing in a sharp breath.

"Jojo," Caesar warned softly. I didn't dare take my eyes off Kars to glance at him. Instead, I steadied my breathing, lips pressing thin.

If I could draw him away from here-

A sudden thought hit me, and I glanced over at the ocean. There was a volcano over there, faint smoke rising from the mount.

If anything had a chance at defeating him, it was that.

I took a deep breath, glancing over at my best friend.

I had nearly no chance of making it out of this alive. Earlier, I hadn't cared much. But now that he was alive...

I knew how much it'd hurt to live without him.

I only hoped that he didn't feel the same about me- that it could make this easier.

"Caesar," I said, voice going hard. "I need you to stay here- to protect them."

He stared at me for a long moment, eyes narrowing.

"I'm not going to let you face him alone."

I risked a glance at him. His eyes were narrowed, sharp. He knew me well enough to understand what I was trying to do.

"Your grandfather sacrificed his life for mine," I said suddenly, searching his gaze. "Let me repay that."

Shock flickered through his gaze, followed by a flurry of emotions I couldn't place.

Kars moved suddenly, and my attention snapped away from Caesar.

"Jojo," he said suddenly. And then, suddenly, I was spinning, his hands on my shoulders as he tugged me down to his height-

His lips met mine in a sudden, furious kiss. I was frozen, though quickly overcame the shock, slipping an arm around his waist.

The kiss deepened quickly, tasting of sorrow- of grief and regret.

I pulled back as the sound of something snapping broke the fog.

I whipped around to see Kars watching me, eyes narrowed. Talk about unfortunate timing.

"See what I have become, Jojo?" he snarled, standing. His barely clothes, muscled body rippled in the sunlight. Unharmed by the very thing that was supposed to kill him. The Germans took a few hesitant steps back. I glanced back at them.

I couldn't let them sacrifice their lives for nothing.

A deep breath filled my lungs as I steadied my breathing. Kars noticed, eyes narrowing as he looked at me, recognizing my attempt to gather more hamon.

"Surely you're not thinking of fighting," he snarled, voice a rumble across the ground. "You stand no chance against me."

I glanced at Caesar. His gaze slid to me, emerald eyes bleak. But he nodded, already knowing where my thoughts had gone.

"Come now, Kars," I said. "Surely you know me better than that."

The expression on his face faltered. I kicked up a rock into my hand before hurling it at him with all my might.

Then I turned and ran.

Caesar followed me, and a long sting of relief ran through me.

"This is a horrible plan," he shouted as Kars let out a horrible snarl. I glanced back, stumbling as he spread his arms- feathers, feathers, sprouting from his skin. His eyes narrowed, turning almost animalistic as he launched into the air.

"Do you have a better one?" I returned, pushing myself harder. For the thousandth time in my life, I was thankful for the hell that Loggins had put me through- because as I sprinted, my breathing stayed steady, that warm surge of hamon smooth and easy in my blood.

A screech echoed above us. I glanced up, then at the cliff in front of us. Caesar paused, glancing at me with narrowed eyes.

I vaulted over the edge, right onto the top of the plane there. I caught Caesar as he fell, giving him a half moment before slipping into the pilot's seat. He slid into the seat next to me, staring at me as I started up the plane.

"Do you even know how to fly this thing?" he asked, bracing himself against the wall and the window.

"I've wanted to be a pilot my whole life," I shot back, pulling the goggles over my eyes for the finishing touch as I lifted it off the ground. "Of course I know how to fly the plane."

Caesar shook his head, dirty blond hair reflecting the faint light of the rising sun.

"Is he following us?" I asked. Caesar risked a glance back before blowing out a short breath.

"Yes."

"Good," I replied, heading towards the volcano. "You can still jump out," I said to him. He gave me a sharp glance.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because this is a suicide mission."

He was quiet for a long moment, though I didn't take my eyes off the volcano in front of us- black smoke billowing on the horizon.

"I was almost killed," he said, risking another glance back at the super-human following us. "Kars decided at the last moment that I'd be useful for leverage- in case he couldn't get his hands on the red stone. Apparently, he decided you were a big enough threat that he needed something extra."

I pressed my lips thin, though didn't say anything.

"I thought I was dead," he continued, glancing at me with those piercing eyes. "And the only thing I could think of was that our last conversation was a fight."

I risked a glance at him. He gave me a faint smile.

"I don't mind dying with you, Jojo. I'm not afraid of death. And even less if you're here with me."

I took a deep breath, blinking back sudden tears.

He was here.

Alive.

And just as much a damn playboy as ever.

"That kind of stuff may work on your women, Ceasarino, though I'm afraid not on me."

A soft, startled laugh broke from him.

I let my own smile spread across my face, feeling lighter than I had in days.

Sure, I was about to die.

But the man I loved was right next to me.

There was nothing more I could ask for.