Day 1: Staying up Late
The sounds are hazy: something like a buzz, the slide of metal, and tiptoes. Jotaro doesn't even hear the groan of wood under someone's weight until his name is spoken.
"Jotaro," Noriaki calls, "Did you hear something?"
He speaks the words with enough of an edge that Jotaro stirs from half-consciousness. As he blinks his classmate into bleary vision, Noriaki is turned from the hotel desk to look back at him. Jotaro sits up, pushing his legs to fall off the side of his mattress. A glance to the other side of the room shows scrambled sheets and 3:45 AM on the night stand clock.
Jotaro yawns, "I zoned out. What was it?"
"Something… booming outside?" With a sigh, Noriaki shakes his head, "It was probably my imagination. You should go back to sleep. Sorry to disturb you."
"You're not disturbing me," Jotaro assured. Noriaki hums like he doesn't quite believe him, as he turns back to hunch over the desk. With a soft groan, Jotaro braces his fingers together and stretches his arms to the ceiling. His footsteps creak across the wooden floor as he closes the distance to see what Noriaki's been up to. There's a book in front of him, alternating lines in English and a language he can't read.
"So that's what's been keeping you up?"
"It never hurts to know a few phrases for where you're headed. You don't know when it will come in handy."
Before he can comment, the noise comes again, for both of them to hear. Noriaki nearly jolts out of his seat, nearly knocking it backwards. Jotaro's hands fly instinctively to catch the back of the chair.
"That the noise?"
"Yes," Noriaki utters, throat tight and struggling for a steady voice. Jotaro thinks he knows the sound, and quickly makes his way towards the window.
As he nudges the curtains open, he sees bright strings dancing across the dark skies.
"It's thunder," Jotaro answers, not looking back at him. "Weird. There's no rain."
"Oh," Noriaki sags a little, with a weak laugh, "That's called a dry thunderstorm. They can occur in desert areas, so… no wonder…"
As the sound strikes again, Jotaro shuts the curtain to see Noriaki clapping his book shut, eyes screwed tightly closed.
Jotaro's brows soften with concern, "You okay?"
"I have a phobia," Noriaki admits, but the words come out with shame in them.
Jotaro is silent for a moment, eyes moving over his classmate's tense form. The foreign book is trapped tightly between Noriaki's shaking fingers. His arms have gone rigid, pulled tight against his sides, and his knees are drawn together under the desk. Where he had been bent over the text before, now his spine has gone stiff as a rod.
"What would help?" Jotaro asks, his hand leaned against the edge of the desk, arm like a protective brace.
"Give me a moment." Noriaki carefully lets the book fall to the desk, before resting his head against his propped up hands. After a few deep breaths, he explains, "I used to turn off the lights and plug my ears. But I left my ear plugs at home."
"I have my grandpa's Walkman, if that helps."
Noriaki looks up with an expression of skepticism, until Jotaro fishes it out of his uniform pocket.
Shaking his head, Noriaki smiles, "When did you get that?"
"Doesn't matter. Here," Jotaro reaches out to put the ear buds in, tucking back a lock of Noriaki's hair. Their eyes linger on each other's for a long moment. But it's something comfortable, something that Noriaki leans into, fingers skimming across the hand leaving his face.
"Thank you kindly." There's a warmth in his smile that makes Jotaro shift, wishing he could hide behind his absent hat. Instead, he finally averts his eyes and plays whatever tape his grandpa left inside, dialing up the volume a little.
It drowns out the noise rather well. Jotaro is pleased to watch Noriaki's faces as he recognizes songs on the tape. But weariness comes dripping back into his bones. He sways standing, leaned against the desk, determined not to leave until he's certain his companion feels alright. Noticing the way Jotaro sags, Noriaki decides to silently return to his own bed with a short bow.
"So it's working?" Jotaro asks, and Noriaki nods, killing the lights.
"Thank you again. Good night, Jojo."
Jotaro takes that opening to go back to sleep. But Noriaki doesn't join him. He sits with his back against the headboard, humming to himself, eyes running fondly over the slack shape of his classmate in repose.
Around 6 AM, Jotaro stirs to the sound of someone shouting in the room next door: a distant "oh no!"
"Kakyoin," He grumbles, "You hear something?"
"What?" Noriaki replies, taking out his earphones. When Mr. Joestar barges in an hour later, he snatches back his possession with a laugh and a mutter on his lips.
"Kids these days." He wags his finger, "Don't let me catch you again. Now get up. We're going."
When they head out, Noriaki finally knocks out in the car, leaning his head against Jotaro's frame. And for a moment, he's worried that the sound of a different kind of booming will scare him, will ruin everything he's been too afraid to hope for. But when Noriaki seems to nuzzle closer, completely slack as if Jotaro's chest is the comfiest place in the world, he's able to breathe easy. He hears something.
Noriaki's heart is thudding hard too.
A/N:
I got carried away and finished this late. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet a deadline for another project ;w;
[All characters in these ficlets belong to Hirohiko Araki, Lucky Land, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, David Productions, Warner Bros. Japan, and all other additional entities responsible for the creation/ownership of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.]
-Reddie
