↳               @praeteritus-memories ,   continued from   here .     🍒

    to   no extent   had kakyoin expected that so significant a tenderness would bloom in his chest upon making giorno’s acquaintance ,   especially since he’d come to italy for work .   over a decade has passed since the momentous events of his egyptian escapade ,   &   in that time ,   he has learned more about his true self than ever had been previously apparent   ━━━━   become more of himself   than ever he had been before .   but one aspect of his being that has yet to fully emerge from its chrysalis is his reluctance to open himself up to others ;   many pensive hours has he sat beside his inner child in   healing silence ,   hoping to unravel ,   thread by thread ,   the tightly - wound shroud in which he’d enswathed himself for protection ,   as if hierophant’s tendrils had coiled ’round his too - soft body like an unbreakable cocoon .

perhaps that had been a necessary response to the   corroding heartache   of a childhood spent entirely alone .   yet ,   he has managed to make a home for himself on   the other side ,   now ,   &   the white - knuckled grip he’s maintained on the latch to free his heart from its cage doesn’t serve him so well anymore .   how ironic a tragedy that   letting go   is this difficult ,   but as a man that has survived   the unfathomable ,   kakyoin is not so inclined to think of it as a mountain he cannot summit .   even the slackening of one knuckle at a time is still progress .

even so ,   there was something he saw in giorno early on that rendered his heart’s   immaculate camouflage   futile ,   exposing the softness tucked beneath layers   &   layers of armor without so much as an honest effort .   perhaps he saw himself in giorno ,   &   perhaps that extended to him the ability to perceive the lonely child hiding at the core of the strong   &   straight - shouldered   force of nature   that brought an entire syndicate to its knees .   how could he behold that   &   allow himself to become another person that   abandons him ?? 

the embrace is as warm as the venetian summer ,   or maybe warmer still ,   &   the loving width of kakyoin’s smile encapsulates a disposition just the same as his arms anchor tightly around giorno’s smaller frame .   as much as he’s   dreaded   having to bid giorno farewell   (   distance can be so cruel ;   how   unfortunate   that the heart can leave pieces of itself all over the world   ) ,   moments like this are precious enough to quell the sinking feeling in his abdomen ,   leaving a comforting reminder that   not even eight thousand kilometers   can make strangers of them in its wake .  

“   i don’t just mean for practical things ,   ”   he says ,   straightening his back just enough to look at the boy in his arms ,   “   though that’s important ,   of course .   but for anything ,   even if you just need someone to talk to .   ”   a lavender gaze is devastatingly soft as it meets the blueish emeralds reflecting off of it in a deepening gradient ,   &   in the back of his mind ,   kakyoin curses the throb in his chest   &   the pressure building behind his eyes .   his husband would surely say he is being dramatic ,   &   maybe he is ,   but his ever - growing affinity for the golden - haired boy cannot be helped .

“   i know that you’re a busy young man ,   but if you just want to talk about your day ,   or tell me about any cute boys in your life ,   ”   his smile grows a little with that remark ,   the teasing glint to his eye twinkling like a sky full of stars ,   “   i’d be happy to listen .   ”   

the raising of a slender wrist   &   hierophant’s tugging back of a linen sleeve reveals the face of kakyoin’s watch ,   prompting a slight pout .   oh ,   fuck it .    sure ,   he’s eager to return home to his family   (   this is the longest he’s been away since jouta was born   ) ,   but giorno has become family ,   too .   “   say ,   giogio   ━━━━   it seems i don’t have to be at the airport for another few hours ,   ”   he says ,   ruby - hued lashes fanning out between scarred lids as his eyes become smiling crescents .   “   i think that gives us just enough time for one more adventure .   i still haven’t gotten to try amarena gelato ,   &   that’s just unfair .   ”

           @praeteritus-memories   /   continued from   here .

    by no means does kakyoin exhibit a   duplicitous nature .   he is stealthful ,   yes ,   &   even well - versed in certain   manipulation tactics   by necessity of certain aspects of his job ,   but he doesn’t show that side of himself at home ,   or in his marriage .   there’s genuinely no need ;   he   &   jotaro have a healthy   &   fulfilling relationship built on a foundation of open communication   &   understanding one another more than anyone else in their lives .   yet ,   on the occasion he   does   find himself wanting to keep something from his husband   (   for innocent enough reasons ,   usually   ) ,   it can be quite a task   ━━━━   jotaro is sharper than a sashimi knife   (   it seems he always has been ;   kakyoin easily recalls that   bladelike wit   being one of the many things that attracted him to jotaro ,   back when they were teenagers   ) ,   &   given that they talk about any   &   everything together ,   it isn’t so difficult to recognize when something’s been   left out .

    but kakyoin   ━━━━   now kujo   ━━━━   noriaki is   determined .   &   when his mind is set ,   he will pull out every stop to ensure he reaches his goal ,   valiant efforts   employed for even the smallest ambition ,   for he’d decided the day he vowed to face dio again that he would never lose sight of   himself   as he had that cruel spring day they met .   this considered ,   when jotaro agreed to   take on the challenge   of getting jouta down for a nap ,   kakyoin figured he’d bought himself an opportunity to put his plan to action   (   that child behaves as if he’s in the   fight of his life   at naptime ,   after all   ) .

    either time had evaporated too quickly or their son elected to be   merciful   for once ,   for kakyoin is all but   startled out of his skin   when jotaro makes his presence known behind him .   the office is   exceptionally quiet ,   as expected of any place of work or study ,   but somehow ,   kakyoin hadn’t heard those footsteps he’d recognize from rhythm alone .   it could be that he’d just been too absorbed in trying to find the   damned thing ;   bent over with his ass in the air as he canvassed the lowermost shelves   &   narrowly avoiding   hitting his head on the way up once he’d realized he was no longer alone .   jotaro wouldn’t carry it around on his person at home ,   &   kakyoin hadn’t spotted it anywhere in their bedroom ,   thus ,   this is the only logical location he’d expect to find the item of interest .   so where the fuck is it ?? 

    he’s seen it so many times ,   that little black book with jotaro’s name scripted on the front cover in neat kanji   ━━━━   drawn from his pocket ,   left on the chabudai or on the edge of his desk ,   jostled at the bottom of his laptop bag .   but now that he actually needs it ,   it’s nowhere to be found .   isn’t that just his luck ??   “   oh ,   ”   says kakyoin ,   daintily tucking a stray red tress behind his ear ,   violet eyes shifting toward the far wall .   normally ,   he’d have no trouble playing it cool ,   but this is jotaro .   even after years of knowing each other   &   now being   fucking married ,   kakyoin still manages to feel a little nervous around him ,   sometimes .   mostly because he’s hiding something .   “   uh ,   no ,   not really .   it’s   ━━━━   i’m never really in here ,   so i just got curious as i was passing by .   ”

    clearing his throat ,   kakyoin places his hands on his hips ,   attempting to look a little more confident   &   a little less suspicious .   the fact that the navy sweater he’s wearing belongs to jotaro   &   covers his hands completely likely foils his intent to be taken seriously .   “   sorry ,   i shouldn’t have shouted at you .   i was just a little startled ,   ”   he mutters ,   cheeks suddenly feeling unbearably warm .   “   i’m guessing jouta didn’t give you much trouble ,   then ??   ”

↳               ❛   will i see you again ??   ❜   -   Giorno <3

sender :   @praeteritus-memories   /   source :   prompted   /   status :   closed .

    perched at the window of giorno’s study ,   violet eyes trained on the relative serenity of the world below ,   kakyoin’s relaxed ,   though still decorous posture tightens with the sudden question .   they both know his investigation is nearing its end ;   less than a week remains before he is expected to report back with his findings concerning the   son of dio   &   the reconstructed   passione   (   one willing to cooperate with speedwagon ,   at that ,   which seemed   unfathomable   prior to giorno’s ascension to power   )   ━━━━   &   while he’s never been one to underestimate the wealth of knowledge   &   the potentially life - altering experiences his missions can offer ,   kakyoin could not have foreseen that he would grow so close to the one tethered to the   former face of his nightmares   by parentage .  

given ,   he knew prior to meeting giorno in the flesh that he’s   nothing   like his father ;   polnareff made that exceedingly clear in his memos .   but even with all the praise his old friend showered on the new don ,   kakyoin hadn’t been prepared to love giorno   this intensely   ━━━━   to carve out enough space in his fortified heart to keep this precious boy safe from harm ,   to prove to him that the comfort   &   affection he’d been denied by his   disgraceful parents   could be offered by someone more worthy ,   someone who would never abandon him .   that it’s not too late .

“   oh ,   giogio .   of course you will ,   ”   he answers ,   raising himself from the windowsill   &   whirling ’round to face giorno ,   looking untouchable behind his gilded   &   lacquered desk ,   despite the vulnerable nature of his question .   then ,   he looks closer ,   &   kakyoin sees it ;   the unsurety in his eyes ,   the concern that the bond they’ve cultivated during his stay will evaporate the moment kakyoin is no longer a stone’s throw away .   the heart - shaped smile that curves pinkish lips is mild   &   attentive ,   &   paired with the softness of his eyes ,   it extends a reassuring promise .   

“   even if it won’t be the easiest thing to arrange ,   i’ll make sure to visit you whenever i can ,   ”   kakyoin vows ,   sure steps carrying him closer to where giorno is seated .   “   that’s an effort i’m more than willing to make .   &   in the time we’re apart ,   there are plenty of ways we can keep in touch   ━━━━   i know it’s not the same as me physically being here ,   but it’s still worth a lot .   ”   daintily ,   he leans on the desk’s edge ,   a bit of melancholy seeping into his otherwise optimistic countenance .   “   i would be quite sad if i didn’t get to hear about what you’re up to .   ”   

a few beats elapse in pensive silence prior to kakyoin reaching out with a delicate hand ,   placing it atop giorno’s head of golden hair   (   extra - careful   not to disturb its immaculate style ;   he understands exactly how important that is   ) .   he smiles wider ,   effulgence beaming in his eyes   &   warmth wreathing the laughter that spills from his throat .   “   you have to tell me about everything ,   okay ??   even if you think it’s boring .   it won’t be to me .   ”

new tag dump bc all my tags have been yeeted into the void (1/2)

VERSES:

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  ?   /   undetermined .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  𝗶   /   post - stardust crusaders .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  𝗶𝗶   /   stardust  crusaders .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  𝗶𝗶𝗶   /   diamond  is  unbreakable .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  𝗶𝘃   /   vento  aureo   &   stone  ocean .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  𝘃   /   modern   &   university .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  𝘃𝗶   /   assassin .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲  𝘃𝗶𝗶   /   kitsune .   】

WRITING:

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   replies .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   unprompted  answers .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   prompted  answers .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   prompts .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   closed  starters .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   open  starters .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   headcanons   &   metadata .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   shitposts .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀   /   dash  commentary .   】

VISUALS:

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆   /   likeness .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆   /   hierophant  green .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆   /   aesthetics .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆   /   stardust crusaders .   】

【   *  🍒  教皇    ›    ❛   𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆   /   miscellaneous .   】

【   *  🍒     ·     𝗝𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗢   /   ⁽  @praeteritus-memories​​ .  ⁾   】   ©

That was the last time he ever takes advice from his grandfather on how to actually flirt. Are you an angel because I'm falling for you!? Seriously, Jotaro Kujo?

How in the world could his husband flirt so effortlessly is something the marine biologist will never actually be able to understand. Sometimes, it feels like Kakyoin is the one to sweep him off his feet rather than the other way around.

Still, he gives a grumpy frown when he stares down at him.

"Good grief..." He starts, trying to act like he isn't hopelessly flustered. "I thought that...it would make you blush or somethin'."

          to merely state that noriaki is charmed by his husband’s flustered display would fail to encapsulate the extent to which he is both enamoured   &   entertained .   a blindingly bright smile spreads along the wide expanse of his tender mouth ,   so large it nearly forces his eyes shut ,   the violet hues phasing into crescents of mirth .     “   that sounded suspiciously like something mr .   joestar would say ,   ”   he says ,   leaning forward   &   lifting up onto his toes ,   limiting the space between them so that jotaro may not avoid his coquettish gaze .   “   don’t tell me you’re starting to become your grandfather already ,   jojo .   you aren’t   that   old ,   yet .   ”   he snickers ,   stretching the mere six - month gap between their nativities .

          upon closer inspection of the shift in jotaro’s expression ,   noriaki’s heart flutters just like it had over twenty years ago ,   his affection for the other man as juvenescent now as it had been then .   “    my ,   my !!   ”   he exclaims ,   his laugh like mellow music as it fills the air around them .   “   kujo jotaro ,   are you   pouting ??   you’re adorable !!   ”   to emphasize this opinion   (   which noriaki would argue is   utter fact   &   purely undebatable   ) ,   he reaches up   &   takes the other’s face into his hands ,   tugging him down until their foreheads can meet .   

          “   i’m sorry ,   i didn’t mean to make fun of you ,   ”   he snickers ,   brushing his thumbs gently over his partner’s cheekbones .   “   here ,   i’ve got one of my own .   life without you would be like a broken pencil   . . .   ”   the redhead pauses ,   allowing the silence to build anticipation like any seasoned comedian would .   “   . . .   pointless .    ”

↳               @lumitris​​  wrote   :     ❝   didn’t your grandmother ever tell you to finish what you start ?   ❞    prosciutto 🔫 👁👁

                           prompted          /          selectively accepting !!

          the sharpness of   discerning lavenders   form amethyst daggers behind the sable lenses of his eyewear ,   the intensity of his gaze managing a seemingly impossible feat by cutting right through the blackout shades .   kakyoin takes a good look at the other man ,   surveying his austere expression   &   unyielding disposition ,   &   considers the possibility that he may foster intent to kill him   ———   even so ,  it is not something he concerns himself with to a greater degree than necessary .   clearly the blonde is shouldering some kind of   ego ,   &   for now ,   kakyoin elects to humour it ,   seeing as though his original goal of moving on with his mission without embarking on any detours inches further from reality with each passing second .

“   any grandmother i’ve had died long before i may have been presented with any opportunity to meet her ,   ”   replies the redhead ,   a loose ,   though refined   nonchalance   about his tone .   in reaching up to remove his glasses ,   symmetrically scarred eyes are revealed ,   &   the severity of his unwavering glare achieves its full ,   unobstructed potential .   “   despite that ,   i’m not the kind of man that leaves loose ends behind .   you’ve mistaken my   compassion   for carelessness .   ” 

kakyoin clicks his tongue in an almost tauntingly   maternal   manner ,   eyes remaining fixed on the other man ;   cool - toned irises glitter like brandished blades in the broadness of daylight .   “   you see ,   prosciutto ,   i intended to allow you to walk away with your life .   as to whether or not that   changes ,   the choice is yours ,   ”   he utters simply ,   as if presenting any mundane ultimatum .   “   i know all about your stand .   &   while i can concede that it is quite a unique ability ,   i’m afraid you are   no match for me ,   signore .   ”

↳               @lumitris​​  wrote   :     ❝   you came all the way here to see me ?   ❞ - jolyne 🥺💕💕

                             prompted          /          accepting !!

          a wide mouth pulls into a taut line ,   the plushness of the redhead’s lips vanishing as they press into one another ,   while the gentle indentations of his dimples appear .   the moment she says those words ,   the guilt he’d felt for allowing this to happen in the first place steeps in density ,   rendering the crackling heart in his chest an   anchor   that plunges deeper   &   deeper into a sea of grief .   since jolyne had been put away in this   awful place ,   noriaki hadn’t stopped agonizing over the loneliness   &   anxiety   &   distress   she must have been experiencing ;   her distraught cries as she was forced out of the courtroom   &   into custody echoing in his mind .

“   i don’t like how surprised you sound ,   ”   he utters almost airily ,   swallowing the urge to sob at the sight of her .   she carries herself well ,   a skill she had undoubtedly inherited from jotaro ,   but as he peers into her eyes   &   thus beyond whatever display of strength   &   agency she feels compelled to offer ,   the fear for her future   &   heartache   toward her circumstances   (   &   how severely they have   shaken her   )   manifests in perfect clarity .   a moment’s brevity sees kakyoin holding his breath ,   raising a hand to rest against the plexiglass separating them ,   wishing he could reach for her   &   provide some comfort .   unfortunately ,   only one visitor is allowed at a time ,   &   after the chaos that had ensued during jotaro’s time with her ,   unrestricted encounters are off the table .   unfortunately ,   this is the best he can do   ———   without leaving her   worse off ,   at least .   

“   jolyne ,   of course i came to see you .   if you think i’m mad or disappointed or anything like that ,   don’t ,   ”   he insists ,   speaking earnestly ,   almost   pleadingly   into the receiver allowing them to hear one another .   “   even if i was ,   it wouldn’t matter .   my focus is your safety   &   making sure we can bring you home   &   get you out of this fucking mess ,   ”   says noriaki ,   voice replete with sincerity .   

          “   anything beyond that is collateral .   ”

【   *  🍒     ·    JOTARO   /   @praeteritus-memories   /   x .   】

"Guess I'm still on edge, even years later." Is it that hard for him to just relax? He's sitting on the edge of the bed, of course he can already feel his husband's slender hands against his back where he clearly feels his tense muscles.

"Nori, how the hell do you relax?" He swears the red head is always so calm compared to how tense and almost heated Jotaro was at every moment. Perhaps it just shows the contrast between the two of them.

          touching had been nothing of a necessity where noriaki’s ability to perceive his husband’s unease is concerned .   since their hearts converged at seventeen ,   the redhead could detect even the subtlest intricacies of jotaro’s mood ;   he understands him like no one else ,   &   this aspect of their bond had only strengthened   &   deepened impossibly more over the years they’d shared ,   &   even now as they navigate their   forties .   

          yet ,   even if he does not need to touch jotaro to sense the tension that wrings his limbs in tightly like those of a   ball - jointed - doll ,   he finds the physical contact can serve as a grounding reminder of his presence in the life of his beloved ,   a wordless whisper of   ‘  i’m here for you ;  i’m right here ,  ’   when talking comes as too much of a chore for either of the two men .   noriaki recalls restless nights in foreign hotel rooms where he’d settled a deceivingly delicate hand overtop of jotaro’s much larger   &   more calloused one ,   &   similarly reassuring caresses on shoulders   &   thighs   &   upper backs .   this had   always   been part of their relationship ,   long before they’d fully understand just how far their feelings would go .

          “   no matter how many years it’s been ,   it’ll always feel like it happened yesterday ,   ”   replies the crimson - tressed ,   skating thoughtful fingers down the solid muscle of his husband’s back ,   pressing slightly into the emphasized bulge where the stress clusters into knots .   “   you know ,   jotaro ,   sometimes i wonder how the time passed for him .   we were so young back then ,   but he’d lived our whole lives ten times over   &   then some ,   even if he’d spent a lot of it locked away at the bottom of the sea .   ”   a pause ,   &   the wide seam of soft lips pulling tighter with unease .   he’s not a teenager anymore ,   but even still ,   it’s hard to talk about dio without that   bitter   feeling eclipsing his mind .   he’d faced his fear of the vampire ,   &   beyond that ,   he conquered it ,   but to say the whole process had   fucked him up   would be an understatement .   the blunt truth is that they’re   all   still fucked up after egypt .   &   it’s likely that in a handful of ways ,   they always will be .   “   those fifty days felt like an eternity to me .   but for him ,   for dio ,   was it only a few moments ?? ”

          the question makes his heart ache .   truth be told ,   noriaki is far from calm   &   collected at all times ;   he’s only learned to play the part well .   for the sake of quick wit ,   for the sake of not causing alarm in his loved ones ,   for the sake of being able to move on   &   enjoy his life to the fullest .   slowly ,   he wraps his arms around jotaro from behind ,   pressing his cheek to the larger man’s nape as he kneels behind him on their bed .   “   i keep busy ,   ”   he answers ,   the softest chuckle in his tone .   “   with spw ,   before i retired from the field so my children wouldn’t have to worry about me dying before they even got to high school .   now it’s mostly with research ,   &   teaching ,   &   training ,   not to mention the fact that there’s never a dull moment around here   . . . ”   there’s a smile on noriaki’s face ;   something of a bittersweet one .   “   but   . . .   there are still times where i lie awake at night ,   &   i see the streets of cairo from where i was crushed into that water tower .   &   i get scared to close my eyes ,   just like i was then .   ”   he’s pulling away now ,   but only so that he may sit at jotaro’s side ,   rather than at his back .   his hand does not move from its place at the dark - haired man’s shoulder blade ,   however ,   even as lavender eyes raise to meet the oceans of his beloved’s gaze .   

          “   but i’m still here ,   jojo .   &   you’re here with me .   &   we have a beautiful family ,   &   a beautiful life .   so ,   to answer your question   . . .   most days ,   just remembering that   ——   just being with you   ——   is enough to help me relax .   ”

tag dump  (  1  ) .