So a quick warning for starvation just in case.
Why the fuck did he do that? Jotaro didn't really know. If he had to guess, it was hunger spurring him on. He hadn't seen a real human in who knows how long. Tonight proved why that was a good thing.
He had never been like himself around humans since that awful night. Managing his emotions used to be easy, now he can't even think clearly to do so. His mind only focused on the hunger that ate at him every time a human came near. That's why he forced himself to isolate from them. Even when a worker from the Speedwagon Foundation delivered supplies, he locked himself in his room and had someone restrain him if it was needed.
Lately though, it's been harder to control himself. He wasn't calm around anyone anymore and constantly had fits of extreme rage or depression. At least before he could keep all of his feelings inside. He just missed being normal, not that his life was normal before anyway. However, back then he was in control of himself.
He would be fine, as long as no human ever came near him. He was content to just be alone and never interact with them ever again. But no. That just isn't how life works, and because he thought with his stomach instead of his head, there was now a human in his castle. Just thinking about it drove him crazy. Fuck that stupid curse.
Then again, what was he supposed to do? It wasn't every day two random strangers came to the castle. No one tried to steal precious family heirlooms on a daily basis either. In all fairness, he wasn't quite thinking rationally when he took the old man prisoner, and he definitely wasn't when he agreed to that boy's deal. Honestly, Jotaro thought his body and mind were against anything he actually desired.
"You know how to fix that." Ah yes. The ever-present jeering of the unwanted voices in his head. Just another way that son of a bitch liked to fuck with him. As if the curse wasn't enough. At least it wasn't the asshole's own voice at the moment, that would just really suck right now. For the time being, it was just some random one.
He should let the boy go. It wouldn't hurt anything, would it? If anything it would be beneficial for both of them. He would be free to go home and live a happy life, and Jotaro could stay here and never be bothered by people like him again. Yes, that sounded wonderful, but for some reason, he couldn't. As much as he wanted, he couldn't let himself go through with that decision. Was it ravenous hunger preventing him? Probably, but even though he didn't want to admit it, that wasn't the full truth. Maybe a part of him still had some small foolish hope.
Jotaro trudged back into the castle and sighed after watching the old man leave with his horse. He opened the door getting ready to retreat into the solitude of his room, where he wouldn't leave for a long while. Then, waiting for him in the main entrance was his mother.
"Jotaro." He ignores her and keeps walking. "Jotaro." She clutched onto his sleeve trying to get his attention.
"What do you want?" He wrenched his arm away and scowled.
"I overheard what happened with the young man, and I-"
"What, were you spying on me?" He interjected and stared at her with contempt.
"Jotaro, you can't keep him down there," Holly stated seemingly unfazed by Jotaro's outburst. "I'm certain he's frightened. The least you can do is give him somewhere comfortable to stay while he's here."
"He's serving in his father's place. Why should he get special treatment?" Jotaro began ascending the stairs. "After all, he still trespassed. I'm sure he's no better than his father."
"Does the same apply to you, Jotaro?" He stopped dead in his tracks, his anger starting to flare up. He spun around to see his mother grin knowingly at the bottom of the staircase.
"He's still a prisoner," he huffed, dodging the question and looking away.
"He also could be the one, Jotaro." Holly met him in the middle of the stairs and touched his hand. "He might be able to help."
"You still believe that crap?" Jotaro pulled away and walked farther up to the second floor. "There is no way to break this curse. He only told us that because he knew it didn't exist. You should know firsthand, Mom."
"Jotaro, you don't really believe that." Holly tilted her head and gazed at him sympathetically.
"Shut up, you bitch." Jotaro didn't turn around and kept going, trying to avoid his mom's kind eyes. He hated treating his mom like this, but he was just so frustrated. "You're so damn annoying." Without another word he went up to his room and laid down on the torn covers of his bed that he hadn't bothered to have fixed. They would just get destroyed again, so there was no point.
He closed his eyes to get some sleep, but it never came. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get that stupid boy or his mother's words out of his head. He just wanted his mind to shut off. He smothered his head with a nearby pillow as if it would drown out his thoughts. He sighed and forced himself off of his bed. He pushed the doors of his room open and envisioned the smirk his mother would have on her face knowing she was right. He headed down to the dungeon, dreading seeing that red-haired boy again.
After carefully pressing the door open, he was greeted by soft sounds of snoring. The boy had passed out against the cell wall. Jotaro almost considered leaving him there and letting him sleep, but the tear stains beneath the boy's eyes convinced him otherwise. A pang of guilt went through Jotaro's body at the sight, and he rubbed his hand against his neck. He knew full well who was responsible for this boy's grief.
He got closer and quietly unlocked the cell door. He stepped in and noticed how peaceful the boy was when he slept. This was nothing like the person who bargained with him earlier. Another wave of remorse went through his body. He exhaled, it wasn't the time to feel sorry for himself, right now he needed to clear his conscience. So how was he going to move the boy?
It wasn't that Jotaro wasn't strong enough, in fact he knew he was more than capable of carrying him. He just didn't want to be near the boy, let alone touch him. Now that he was up close, the awful voices chanting in his brain grew louder. He was afraid he'd lose control. Then again, if he kept procrastinating, he definitely would.
Jotaro apprehensively knelt down and gently moved the boy into an easier position to lift. He moved him painfully slowly, but the last thing Jotaro wanted was to deal with him if he woke up. The boy was now lying flat against the cold stone floor. Jotaro propped up the boy's knees and back, and softly grunted as he scooped the boy up into his arms. He was a lot heavier than Jotaro originally thought. Jotaro nudged the cell door open with his shoulder and cringed at the shrill screech it made. He looked down at the boy. Nothing. Still sound asleep and out like a light. Either he was a very heavy sleeper or was extremely tired. If only he could sleep like that. It would save him a lot of trouble.
Jotaro harshly kicked the exit door and started descending the stairs. He was already cramped enough going through these stairs by himself. He discovered that two people made it even more so. Reluctantly, he pulled the boy closer to his chest to at least try to help them both fit in the passageway. Unfortunately for him, while it did allow for easier maneuvering, the boy was too close now. Jotaro could feel every slow breath the boy took and could hear every single heartbeat. It was enough to drive him crazy. The whispers in his head grew louder and more incessant. He had to find a guest room quickly.
Once they made it to the main hall, Jotaro remembered there was a vacant suite on the eastside near the library. That would work for the moment and would be far away from his quarters in the westside. He ran up the staircase going to the right and tried to navigate the halls as best he could. He rarely visited the east wing of the castle. Then again, he rarely visited any of the castle. He had barely left his room since he was first cursed. After all, he couldn't hurt anyone there.
Finally, he stumbled upon the entrance to the library and the room not too far from it. Carefully, he angled himself so he could reach the door handle, and pushed the door open. It wasn't as grand as his room used to be, but it would probably be just fine for the boy.
After lighting the gas lamp on the close wall, Jotaro walked over to the dusty bed and laid the boy down. He was glad he didn't have to carry him anymore. With his conscience a little clearer, he turned to return to his own quarters until the smell of copper hit him like a brick. Glancing back to the unconscious boy on the bed, he noticed a small bandage with red seeping through it. Shit. Shit. Shit. Not now. Not now. Not now. He was so close to making it without losing his mind.
His mouth started to water and his stomach growled loudly. Panic washed over him, as his body began betraying his wishes. The voices that had temporarily vanished rushed back with a vengeance and were even louder than before.
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up," Jotaro gritted through his teeth, burying his head in his hands. For once they did. Jotaro sighed with relief.
"Go on JoJo. You know what you want. Why hold yourself back?" There it was. The singular voice that haunted his dreams every time he dared to sleep. The bastard that was the whole reason Jotaro was in this mess to begin with. The taunt stopped Jotaro in his tracks, and a small smirk appeared on his face. Maybe he was right. The boy did trespass and took his father's place as a prisoner. The boy didn't mean anything to him. Who's to say he didn't deserve a meal for once?
He approached the boy now, eyes wide with hunger and delight. He was inches away from the bed before he stopped himself. What the fuck was he thinking? No. He wouldn't give in. Jotaro wasn't anything like him and refused to ever be. Jotaro retreated to the door, ready to retire to the safety of his room. He never wanted to leave it again after this entire ordeal. As soon as his fingers grazed the door handle, he heard a tiny groan signaling someone had awoken. Good grief, could this night get any worse?