Bound by Blood; Chosen by Fate

Chapter Twenty-Four

*🐬*

The first person to catch glance of me at school fell still. Josuke was his normal bundle of energy, feeding off of Joseph's burst of exceptionally bright mood. Something to do with his late return from school.

It just pissed me off. My mood was more sour than usual, probably having to do with the fact that there was more attention on me than normal. There was also the telltale tension in the back of my head. My stand- wanting out.

I bit it down. Josuke had talked to me a little, explaining the basics- I'd feel what it felt, I'd be able to control it. That although they were an extension of me, they were also somewhat sentient- able to move and think by themselves if left alone. Beyond that, he'd not explained more.

I sighed to myself, tugging down the rim of my cap as I stepped into class. The class fell quiet, and I felt their gazes turn to me.

Pulling the brim of my cap even lower, I slid into my desk.

Kakyoin turned, failing to suppress his smile as he braced one arm on my desk.

"So how'd you get out of it?" He asked, brows raised. I stared at him blankly. "The lifetime sentence?"

I made a small humming noise, stretching out my legs beneath the desk. "I used nice words." I hid my face beneath my cap as he tisked softly.

"I didn't take you as the type to hold a grudge."

Another soft hum from me. "I didn't take you as the sarcastic type. I guess we were both wrong."

A grin broke across his face, accompanied by a quiet laugh.

He leaned forwards a moment later, expression sobering.

"I looked at the recipe you sent," he started, and I tipped my head far enough to meet his gaze. He seemed undeterred by my cold gaze, unintimidated. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. "It looks like it'd work. Do you want to do it together?"

I made a noncommittal noise. He took that as a positive, leaning further. The class, even though they'd only known me for a short time, seemed amazed that I'd not yet bitten his head off.

He seemed hesitant for a moment, and I cut in,

"We can do it at my house. As long as you don't mind a little bit of decripacy."

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"What day works for you?"

I shrugged.

He hummed lightly, tapping his lips with the end of his pencil.

"I'd like to get it done as soon as possible, so... tonight?"

"Sure," I replied, attention slipping off of him as the teacher stood, starting the class. I sent out a quick text to the group, their replies pinging in within moments. I guess they were just as bored as me.

That night, I instantly regretted my choices. The house was frighteningly silent as I stepped in, holding the door for Kakyoin. Jonathan was sitting in the living room, and glanced up with a warm, welcoming smile.

"Hello," he said. Unease squirmed through my stomach as I glanced around, gaze wide as I attempted to figure out the location of my other two siblings. "You must be Kakyoin," the oldest continued, standing. Now, Kakyoin was by no means a short person. However, against both mine and Jonathan's larger than average height, he was practically a little kid. He only seemed a little perplexed, taking it like a champion. "My name is Jonathan. I'm Jotaro's oldest brother." An easy smile. "Make yourself at home."