Just a little thing I had in mind. Written for Joseph's birthday in 2015 and posted earlier on AO3!

'Papa,' a curious voice piped up to Joseph's right all of a sudden, 'what are you doing?'

Joseph tried to hide the fact that he had been thrown off balance by the sudden words, but it hardly worked out well. He almost dropped the kitchen knife he had been holding and struck a defensive martial arts pose on instinct – which, needless to say, looked awkwardly out of place in the cosy little kitchen of their home.

An amused giggle came from the little form standing next to him.

'Ho–Holly?' he stuttered out at last and wiped the sweat from his brow, heaving a sigh of relief. 'Sheesh, you gave me a scare!' he said dramatically with hand still against his forehead.

She pouted lightly and cocked her head to the side before giggling once more. 'Papa, you're so weird!'

Joseph furrowed his brow lightly. 'Oi, oi, young lady!' he said dramatically, fake hurt in his voice, and pointed a finger at her. 'This is how you speak to me? I think I need a word with your mother!'

Holly smiled at him wide, very much like Suzi often did, seeing right through him and not at all intimidated. A few of her primary teeth were missing and it made him think that her grin looked especially endearing. Even if Joseph wanted to act like a strict parent, he would be unable to and he found himself flashing a silly grin of his own instead.

He loved his daughter too much for his own good and she knew it well, that little one.

He put the knife safely on the kitchen worktop and bent down to hoist Holly up and sit her on the cool working surface. Immediately after, she started kicking her dangling legs lightly while gripping the edge of the worktop and looking at her bare feet with a somewhat curious expression.

Joseph was deeply convinced that his daughter was the cutest in the entire universe.

Of course, she's got the best of genes, he thought smugly and chuckled under his breath, poking her little nose.

Holly laughed again and stared at him in pure adoration, which then changed to curiosity as he reached for the knife again.

'Papa,' she piped up, her eyes following Joseph's gloved hands.

'Hmm?'

'Didn't Mama say that touching the cake is a no-no?' She cocked her head to the side as the knife sank into the fluffy mass of chocolatey goodness.

'I–It's OK, isn't it!' said Joseph in a slightly higher, nervous pitch. 'What she can't see, won't hurt her, Holly!'

There was no way she could not notice a piece of cake missing when she came home, but the piece would already be in his stomach anyway. Joseph let out a slightly shaky chuckle.

'Really?'

'Absolutely! Would Papa lie to you, Holly?'

Holly stopped kicking her legs for a moment, pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, considering the words. Joseph thought it was quite a sudden change – and quite an unexpected one for such a child as Holly – but mere seconds later she looked up at him with a bright, radiant smile.

'Can I have some, too?'

'… Fine,' he relented.

Holly let out an excited squeak and squirmed on the worktop.

'Just a little, though. And don't you skip dinner later!'

'OK!'

'Joseph,' Suzi furrowed her brow and put her hands on her hips menacingly when she finally appeared in the living room an hour later. 'I told you not to eat it, didn't I?'

Despite planning to face her coolly, Joseph froze on the sofa like a deer caught in the headlights. 'W–Well …' he coughed out sheepishly, hiding his face behind the comic book he had been reading. 'You couldn't possibly expect me to resist my lovely wife's culinary skills, could you? Could you?' he blurted out, hoping to butter her up a little.

Suzi sighed loudly and pouted at his excuse, still scowling. 'You know Miss Lisa Lisa is coming and yet …'

Some of the colour drained from Joseph's face at these words. He had forgotten, but it would be uncool to admit that now – that much he knew.

'All the better! I mean …' he said, trying to sound as casual as possible. 'The Ripple training is one thing, but she's already a granny …' he paused with an awkward smile, 's–sort of … So she wouldn't want to get fat, would she! Right, Suzi?'

He saw it as a good sign that she seemed to consider it, and then she stuck her tongue out at him. 'Maybe I should tell her you said that.'

Dread filled Joseph for a moment as he imagined how she could react and he jumped to his feet in front of her, but before he could protest, Suzi flashed a toothy grin and swatted his chest playfully.

'Just kidding! Tee hee!'

'…' Joseph flexed the fingers of his mechanical hand slowly, ominously. '… God damn it, Suzi Q –'

'– Joestar!' she cut in melodiously, still smiling wide, then stood on her toes and reached up with her arms to embrace him.

But Joseph leaned down instead and kissed her chastely while holding her in his arms. He should be more upset at her messing with him, but his wife was quite adorable and her silly antics just made her all the more endearing, so he forgave her yet another time – as she always did to him, because he was an idiot, too, and he knew it too well.

Suzi was just fine the way she was and she was his.

The thought made him smile stupidly into the kiss and want to deepen it, but then his wife pulled her head back and squirmed out of his arms.

Joseph gave her a puzzled look and she grinned slyly in response.

'Punishment for earlier, Mr Impatient!'

Joseph stood there, dumbfounded for a moment as she walked off to the kitchen, and finally he moaned: 'God damn it, Suzi …'