A/N: Well, that took a good long while... I warned you guys! But anyways. Sorry about that. I've actually had 3/4ths of this done since I posted the first chapter but I got really busy for a while. And I've had the darnedest time figuring out exactly how I wanted to end this one. At any rate, now I get to explain a bit more about Kameko's Stand. So Be excited.

Thanks for the great response by the way guys! I'm so happy you've all enjoyed it thus far!

ENJOY!

-\/-

Chapter Two:

June, 1981

"It's not much further, I swear! For sure this time," Kameko promised as she ducked around another corner, her hand wrapped around Noriaki's wrist to drag him along behind her, while he let himself be led in silence, a bit of embarrassment lingering around him at her forwardness. At least he could stop worrying about having been to forward with her earlier. After all, they had just met, and she was already holding on to his wrist?

After introductions had been taken care of, the two had gone on to discuss more of the ins and outs of their Stands. However, as time passed, more and more people kept filtering into the park since it was such a warm and pleasant day, and though the redhead didn't know much about the other girl yet, it was not difficult to tell that she cared little about what everyone else thought and possessed no qualms with being as loud as she pleased. She would make these wide, animated gestures, and her expression changed often as she spoke. In some ways, it was refreshing. Such openness and enthusiasm nearly contagious, and Noriaki found himself matching her excitement at times in their conversation. However, embarrassment had won out this day as it was awkward to receive so much attention from the strangers around them. Noriaki wasn't used to drawing looks from anyone, much less people he didn't even know as manners had been one of his mother's top priorities.

With that in mind, he had expressed his desire to continue their discussion further away from the park so they could speak more freely. She didn't seem to understand what his problem was, but although she had given him a confused smile, Kameko agreed to his request and explained that she knew the perfect spot they could talk. Then, to his surprise, despite having just met him, the brunette girl hadn't hesitated to reach out and grab his wrist before heading towards a narrow – and questionably safe looking – alleyway.

Normally, that was not something Noriaki would've been inclined to allow. He wasn't the sort of person to run off to goodness knew with a stranger, and beyond that, the redhead valued his personal space. Yet, here he found himself: not only following this random girl, but also excited to see what else was in store for the day.

Ever since Noriaki had realized that summoning Hierophant Green was an ability only he had, the boy had been hoping to meet someone else with a Stand. He had done as much research on them as possible. However, mentions of Stands in any form of literature were few and far between. He had found out very little about them, and had yet to find a single scrap of information concerning the origins and manifestation of such abilities. Though he had always kept an eye open with the hopes of finding a Stand-user, Noriaki hadn't thought he would actually find anyone. And yet …

Here she was.

"And~!" she began in a singsong-type voice as they came upon another corner, where the pavement seemed to end. "Here we are," Kameko announced, rounding it before dropping his wrist finally, and the redhead idly reached down with his other hand and rubbed at the spot where she had touched him. The brown-eyed girl spun around to face him, walking backwards now, a grin in place as she bit her lip. "What do you think?"

"What is this place?" Noriaki asked, glancing around the clearing she had brought him to. It wasn't very large. Perhaps there was enough space for three cars were they pressed together. Buildings bordered it on three sides while the west side was left open. And a grassy hill sloped down away from them, leading off into some farmland and distant housing. There was a small, dried-up fountain filled with dead-leaves in the very center of the clearing, and surrounding it were unruly patches of wildflowers. In fact, the flowers dotted the entirety of the space in splashes of reds and yellows. Against the walls of the three buildings, a few, untrimmed shrubs spread out. It was wild and untamed and beautiful all at once.

Taking a seat on the edge of the dried-up fountain, Kameko plucked a small yellow flower and began toying with it before giving an answer. "It's an old prayer garden," she explained with a shrug. "My dad and I used to live up in that apartment." She was pointing towards one of the higher windows on the building to their right, and she gave a fond smile. "We had to leave though because there was something wrong with the buildings in this area, so no one can live here anymore... I kinda miss it."

Noriaki nodded absently as he took a closer look at the structures. Now, it was easy to notice the way most of the windows were boarded up and the overall abandoned feeling the structure put off. "I see."

"Anyways, enough of that stuff," she dismissed with another wide grin and began patting the spot beside her enticingly. "C'mon. I think I promised that I would show you Teen Spirit earlier."

Tilting his head to the side, Noriaki sat down beside her, where she had gestured, and raised an eyebrow. "Teen Spirit?" he repeated.

"That's what I named my .. erm... What do you call it?"

"Stand," the redhead supplied.

Kameko snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Yeah, that's the one. That's what I named my Stand," the girl explained.

"Actually, did you know that Taro Cards suggest the Stand you have and what their abilities are? We should find out what your Stand's actual-"

"You don't like the name I picked out, do you?" Kameko questioned, her lip pouting out and brows furrowed.

Holding his hands up in surrender as she crossed her arms over her chest and began to scowl, Noriaki sweat-dropped. Had he really offended her so easily? It hadn't been his intention. "It isn't that," he tried to explain before she grew any more upset. "I only mentioned it because that's what I read about Stands. It's only the way they work."

"Well, I don't want to change her name. I really like Teen Spirit, and I already know what it does. So I don't need Taro Cards to figure any of that out," she informed him primly.

"Of course," the redhead placated, not wanting to argue further over something so trivial with her. It was a very small detail in truth, and only something he had found interesting. However, it was a little annoying that the girl wasn't even open to the suggestion. Regardless, he could not force her to do it if she didn't want to. Perhaps he would broach the subject another time... And that was the moment, Noriaki realized that he was already planning to see her some time in the future. It was a strange realization to say the least, but as long as there wasn't some detestable personality trait she had yet to display to him, he knew that he wished to speak with her again.

When the silence verged on being awkward, Kameko broke it with a squeaking noise and a blush. "I, um, that was extremely rude of me. I'm really sorry," the brunette girl apologized, biting her lip and averting her eyes as she tossed the yellow flower she had been holding into the pile of dead leaves in the fountain.

"It's alright."

"It's just, I'm not good at naming things, and my dad always laughed at the ones I picked. Except I really do like the name Teen Spirit for my Stand, you know? It might seem a little out there, but I thought of it.. for some reason a long time ago. And it stuck for me really well. So I want everyone else to like it too, but you're the only one who can actually see it. So-"

"It's really alright," Noriaki assured her, his earlier frustration with her dissipating and an amused smile creeping across his face.

Blowing out a relieved sigh, a grin spread across her face once more, and she looked back over at him as she tucked her knees up under herself. "Okay, good. My dad says I can be too aggressive sometimes, and I didn't want to drive you away after just meeting you." The girl spoke quickly and quietly so that Noriaki had to listen closely not to miss anything, and she gave a little nervous laugh afterwards, scratching the back of her head. "But yeah, Stands! Let's get back on track, hm?"

Then, before he could say anything else to reassure her he wouldn't be going anywhere – there was no way he would be leaving today without learning as much about her Stand as he could – with a slight, nearly inaudible hissing noise, her Stand, Teen Spirit as she had dubbed it, swirled back into existence. Now that he was closer, Noriaki could make out all the intricate carvings he had thought he saw before. They wrapped around the base of the Stand in swirling, if a little plain, patterns. "Ta-da," Kameko singsonged once it was fully materialized, and with a quick jerk of her hand, she twirled the small, ordinary-looking paintbrush around with her fingers.

"It's amazing," Noriaki told her honestly. He raised a hand as if to grab it, but then hesitated, thinking better of the action.

"Did you want to hold her?" Kameko held out Teen Spirit to him, her palm open. "I don't know if you'll be able to, but it's worth a shot, right?"

Noriaki nodded. "I've never heard about a Stand that manifested as an object before..." Carefully, unsure of what would happen if he just up and grabbed it out of her hand, the redheaded boy's hand hovered over the Stand. Noriaki's fingers just brushed against the handle, and he flinched back when Kameko yelped, her Stand disappearing as her hands flew to hold her side. Concerned that he had hurt her, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I … I don't know," she told him with a frown, confusion spreading over her face, and she pressed her lips into a thin line. "That tickled."

"Tickled?"

"Yeah. It tickled my side when you touched Teen Spirit."

"You're not hurt though," Noriaki confirmed.

The girl shook her head. "No, I'm fine. It just surprised me is all," Kameko assured him with a smile. She seemed to spend most of her time smiling in some form or fashion. Then she offered her hand to him. "Here. Try again. I'm ready this time."

Giving her a dubious look, Noriaki said, "Are you certain? Maybe we shouldn't without knowing more." Since he didn't know as much about Stands as he would've liked to, the redhead was worried that his actions could end up hurting her, and though she was more than willing to go along with this, she knew even less about their powers than he did. From what he had seen of her character already, he assumed that Kameko wouldn't tell him even if it was hurting her. She seemed like a person who refused to admit something like that, no matter the consequences. Which, although it was foolish, he supposed he could understand. She wanted answers just like he did.

With an exasperated sigh, Kameko reached out and grabbed his hand, yanking it towards herself. "Good grief. Don't be such a wuss about this. How do you expect us to find out if we don't try?" the brunette chided him with a withering expression. Then, not letting him protest it further, the girl shoved her paintbrush directly into his hands.

Shocked by her brashness, Noriaki froze, not wanting to do anything that might hurt her as he held the Stand in his hands, palms open wide as the little cylinder rolled back and forth. The redhead's eyes shot over to Kameko, watching for any signs of trouble or pain. However, aside from the way she was squirming and giggling – not automatically a bad sign – she seemed completely fine, and relief flooded his system. "This doesn't hurt?" he asked one more time for the sake of his own conscious.

"Nope. Just kinda tickles like last time. Told you I could handle it."

Nodding, the redheaded boy closed his hand and shifted it into a better position to get a better look at it. It wasn't a terribly long paintbrush, nor was the tip very wide. It looked like it was made for finer lines rather than broad strokes. The top end of the handle was a little wider and stubbier than the rest, and it narrowed on the other end. Every time he moved the Stand, Kameko would jump and sometimes giggle, which distracted him from his scrutiny. However, to his relief, it didn't seem to have any side effects beyond that. Looking down at the little paintbrush, it was odd to think that it was actually a powerful ability. It even felt like a simple utensil in his hand, nothing special at all, aside from a small hum of warmth it emitted.

"Oh!" Kameko interjected suddenly, twisting around to dig through the back pocket of her skirt, her tongue sticking out in determination. After a second, she pulled out a small notebook and offered it to him. "Try to use it. You should make something," she told him with an encouraging grin.

"How does it work?" Noriaki asked, knowing that there was likely some trick to it that one needed to use it, and grabbed the notebook from her hands before flipping to an empty page. Most of them had doodles and sketches scrawled across them, but towards the back, he found a few free pages.

Tapping her fingers on the side of her leg, Kameko explained, "Well, mainly, you just paint. It can make anything I can draw, so it should do the same thing for you. Just start off with something simple.. Oh! And it makes it out of whatever you paint it on, so technically you don't even need the paper. But it seems to work best on it." She paused for a moment in thought. Finally, she shrugged and laughed a little. "Just don't get whatever you make wet."

"Why not? Does it not work in water?"

She shook her head no. "Not for long. I mean, it'll hold it's shape for a little bit. Maybe a minute? After that, it starts breaking down pretty fast," the brunette told him. "Kinda like when you hold a piece of tissue paper underwater for a while."

"That makes sense," he told her, nodding. 'Something simple...' Noriaki could do that. He wasn't the best artist by any means, but the boy thought he could make a few passable drawings. Taking a moment, he decided what to make before lowering the brush to the paper …

… And nothing.

"It isn't working," the redhead told her.

Frowning, Kameko snatched it out of his hand and streaked it down the paper, leaving a wide black track. "Yes it is," she denied.

"It didn't work for me at least."

"You must have done it wrong," she dismissed with a wave of her free hand. "My Stand is working fine thank you very much. Just keep in mind exactly what you want to create? That might do something. Again," Kameko ordered, and she pressed the brush back into his hand.

He flipped to a different page and did what she told him, but it produced the exact same result to his disappointment. He'd had the sinking suspicion that would be the case. Though he knew it was pointless to do so, Noriaki continued trying to make the paintbrush work for him. Finally, he handed it back to her with a shake of his head.

"I just don't get it. Why isn't Teen Spirit working?" Kameko complained, making a wide swinging gesture with her hand and shaking out the Stand as though it would correct whatever the problem that prevented it from working was.

Setting the notebook back between them on the side of the fountain, the young Stand-user thought aloud, "I think you're the only person who can use it – even if I was able to hold it." He nodded to himself. "It makes sense that you would be the only one who can actually make it work."

Her mouth made an 'o' shape, and she nodded a couple of times. "I guess so. Still... That's disappointing. I really was curious about what you wanted to make. It's amazing the first time your drawing comes to life."

"It was going to be a cherry," he mused.

A light flashed behind her eyes, and she held up a finger as though she'd just had an idea. "Hold on," Kameko told him. Then, picking up her notebook, she began drawing. Her smile was a bright one, and Noriaki matched it with a small one of his own. "I can manage that one just fine."

-\/-

December, 1988

The gate and fence that surrounded the Kujo's traditional style home was a little intimidating to be perfectly honest. This wasn't the sort of neighborhood Kameko was used to hanging around. She and her dad lived in a tiny apartment in the city, and Noriaki... well, his house was pretty nice, but this was something entirely on it's own. Even if it was simplistic in design, it spoke of money and nice things, and she wondered if the inside was just as nice. Regardless, the brunette had never been one to let a little thing like anxiety hold her back. Especially when she had shit to do. Noriaki was in trouble, and Jotaro had been the last person to have been seen with him. So, it stood to reason that her redheaded idiot of a best friend was here. And she would be damned before she let anyone get in her way when it came to finding him.

So gritting her teeth, Kameko stormed over to the entrance like the woman on a mission she was and began banging on the door. "Hey, open up!" Her stomach was a mess right now, all full of butterflies, frogs, the works, and her mind wasn't doing much better, the way it was swirling with questions. Was he here? What if he wasn't? What if he was? Was he hurt? Was he dead?

However, everything silenced when the door opened.

"Good morning~!" a bright-faced woman with light colored hair and eyes singsonged. From her appearance and the slight, strange accent to her voice, Kameko could tell the woman was a foreigner. However, she spoke excellent Japanese so that it would be difficult to tell by voice alone. "Is there something I can help you with?" Her smile was practically glowing... For that matter, this woman just seemed to glow on a whole, and she had this youthfulness to her that made it difficult to pinpoint how old she actually was.

Before she could stop herself, Kameko was giving a deep, respectful bow despite her urgency, and the brunette just knew that wherever he was, Noriaki would be smirking triumphantly at the deeply ingrained manners he had somehow managed to instill in her over the years. Shaking the thought off, the young woman straightened. "Yes, I'm looking for my friend, and I was told that someone named 'Jotaro' was the last person seen with him. Does a Jotaro live here?"

"Mhmm." The woman gave a prim nod, and Kameko released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. At the very least, she was in the right place... Now, if she could just find out if he was here or not... If he wasn't... "Jotaro is my darling little boy," the woman explained brightly, her eyes sparkling with pride at the mention of her son, pulling Kameko back into the present, and the brunette found herself returning that smile. What was it about this woman that put her at such ease? Though Kameko had never had trouble actually talking to people, she never really felt comfortable with most of them. At best, she simply didn't care enough of what their opinion of her might be, but with this woman, she felt like she could let her guard down. She was very easy-going. "You said you're looking for a friend?"

Nodding eagerly, Kameko shifted her weight, a little hesitant. "Yes, ma'am." This was it. If he wasn't here, then she would have to start from scratch, and if she had to start from scratch... Well, there was no telling if she would be able to find him at all with how much time she'd wasted.

Mrs. Kujo tapped a finger against her chin, eyes thoughtful, and Kameko resisted the urge to tell her to hurry it up or make any other impatient gestures even though she really wanted to. "Well... My Jotaro did come through here carrying someone earlier. That's who this first aid kit is for, but that was a boy. So I doubt it's your friend."

"No! That could be him," Kameko denied. "And first aid kit? Is he hurt? What happened?"

Realization dawning on her, the older woman smiled and knocked the palm of her free hand against the side of her head. "Of course! Silly me. I didn't even consider your friend could be a boy." She let out a light laugh through her nose, her lips pressed together primly. "Forgive me. I guess I'm a little too old fashioned like that sometimes; I assumed it was a girl."

A blush bloomed across her face, but the young woman ignored it, knowing it wasn't the time to worry about whatever assumptions this ditz of a woman was making at the moment. Embarrassment could be dealt with later when her best friend didn't apparently need a first aid kit. Besides, whatever this Mrs. Kujo was thinking, she was wrong... Mostly. Probably.. Unfortunately... Dammit. Sucking in a deep breath, Kameko asked, "Could you... Can I go see him? I mean, I'm pretty sure it's my friend. I even have a photo of us if you don't believe me."

"Well, he's unconscious ri-"

"Unconscious?" Kameko interjected, horrified. Of course, the students from earlier had implied as much, and Mrs. Kujo had said he needed a first aid kit. However, she'd assumed it would only be a scratch or bruise or something like that. What if he... She had thought... Well, she wasn't exactly certain what she had thought, but for some reason, she had assumed he would still be conscious at least. How was she supposed to knock the life out of him for scaring her like this if someone else had already done it? And how dare someone else lay a hand on him? Oh it made her furious. "What happened to him?" she demanded, and the words came out more forceful than she had meant them. Tempering her voice to a politer tone, she added, "Please, tell me."

Mrs. Kujo gave a small frown, the first Kameko had seen mar the woman's visage up to this point, and shook her head. "I'm not certain. They only arrived here a little while ago, and my Papa, Jotaro, and Mr. Avdol took him at once to a spare room."

Stepping forward, the young woman reached out and grasped Mrs. Kujo's free hand with her own, ignoring social conventions that she had never much cared for to begin with, and she locked eyes with her, letting her know how sincere she was about this. "Please, Ma'am. I need to see him. He's... He's the best thing in my life, and I need to know that he's okay." Pausing, Kameko reached into her pocket and withdrew the photograph that she had brought. "See? This is the photograph I mentioned. This is us.. Is he..? I mean, is that...?" She was frustrated that the words kept refusing to come out right, but it was like her throat decided she didn't really need to talk after all. Or maybe she had been talking too much like Noriaki always accused her of, and she finally broke it. It was bound to happen eventually.

However, Mrs. Kujo saved her the trouble. With another smile, the older woman gave an affirmative nod. "That's the boy that my Jotaro brought back earlier. Your friend is definitely here."

She took a step back and gestured for Kameko to enter, and the brunette felt so relieved she thought she might honestly cry. He was here. She really did it. She really did find him, and oh, she was so going to break his nose the second she found out he was alright. And he damn well better be alright by the time she got there. "Come in, come in, Miss..." Mrs. Kujo trailed off meaningfully.

"Higuchi," she filled in as she stepped across the threshold into the house. "Kameko Higuchi." Glancing around the place, the young woman gave a little sigh of awe and unconsciously straightened her shoulders and stood a little taller. Boy, but she had been right about this place. It sure was full of swank alright. It was a bit subtler than she was expecting, but the Kujos were definitely well off, no doubt about it. Inside, everything was kept nice and tidy, and the space felt open but homey. On the walls, Kameko noticed a few family photos of the woman and a boy whom she presumed was the ever-foretold Jotaro. Swallowing and averting her eyes, Kameko realized that maybe those girls hadn't quite been exaggerating as much as she thought about how cute he was. Coughing into her hand, Kameko turned her nose up with a stubborn frown. Whatever. He still sounded like a jackass, and she swore that if he had harmed even a hair on her best friend's head, Kameko would make it her personal mission in life to make him not look so pretty anymore.

"It's good to meet you, Miss Higuchi. My name is Seiko Kujo," she introduced herself, sliding the door shut behind her and stepping around the young woman to lead her to wherever they had carted Noriaki off to. "Your friend is just this way, through the courtyard."

Kameko nodded and followed behind her, unable to stop the way her eyes wandered across the walls and over the furniture within the house. "Thank you. I really, really, appreciate this."

"Of course, don't mention it!"

Mrs. Kujo hummed as she walked, and though Kameko didn't recognize the tune, she nodded along to the pleasant melody, trying to focus on that instead of the flutter tickling the back of her throat. God, but she was tired of feeling so nervous all the time. He really did owe her big for this one, and to think, he had the gall to yell at her the time her phone line had gone down after she had... Well, maybe he was a little justified there, but now they were definitely even.

As they stepped up onto a wooden walkway to the guest-house, the young brunette heard some raised voices from the building as well as a fairly loud commotion, and once again, god damn it, her heart lept up into her throat, her breathing quickening. What was going on? Decidedly past worrying about her manners, she hurried her steps, placing a hand against Mrs. Kujo's shoulder to rush her along as well. 'C'mon, c'mon already.' Closer now, the noises and shouts reached a crescendo, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled with some sort of weird charge to the air. Then, with a zapping sound and a word she didn't quite catch – something about an 'overflow', 'overwide', 'overdrive?' Whatever that was – the noise dropped off. Kameko grit her teeth. What. The hell. Was going on here?... Well, you bet your behind she was gonna find out, and in just a few seconds too since they were just around the corner now. Just then, to Kameko's ever-increasing frustration, the older woman put her arm out to prevent her from going any further, and with a cute tilt of her head, she placed a finger against her lips, telling her to stay quiet – not rudely either.

That was when she heard it. Probably, the best thing she had ever heard in her entire life.

"Why... Why did you save me?" came a voice that she had missed so badly her stomach cramped. He was alive! Noriaki was alive! Really, if she had figured out how to make her mouth work, she would've whooped for joy right then. Jumped too probably. So what if he was hurt as long as he was alive and well and... Wait. Saved? What did that mean? Snapped back into reality, Kameko, perhaps a little rudely – unlike the sweet but ditsy Mrs. Kujo – pushed the arm out of the way and thundered around the corner, practically foaming at the mouth.

"Who knows? I'm not really sure my- Who are you?" A tall, good-looking – not that Kameko would ever admit it – man, who she recognized from the photos in the main house, questioned in a dry tone, giving her an unamused once-over as she came into sight.

However, the brunette ignored him for the time being with little more than a glance at him, pushing past him and into the building, tuning out the voices that rose in protest. As soon as she saw him, Kameko froze, her heart lurching from either excitement or relief or joy or some combination of the three. Maybe she was just happy, she thought, her eyes running over him to make certain that he was really there and alive and alright. Noriaki was sitting up on the floor, wearing their normal school uniform and staring at her with a wide-eyed, confused, gaped-mouth expression splayed across his face. There was a small injury on his head, Kameko noted, which blood trickled from in a thin, lazy riverlette, but otherwise, he seemed fine and whole. A shaky smile wobbled across her face, and Kameko took disjointed steps forward until she fell on her knees in front of him, her smile widening to a full-out grin that probably seemed more than a little crazy. Not that she cared at that point.

"K-Kameko?" The disbelief in his voice was hard to miss. "What are you doing here?"

Realizing that he was indeed alright sent her brain stuttering back down the normal track, and his question, his disbelief – was it so hard to believe she would go after him? - transformed her relief into anger. Later, she would wonder if she hadn't been a bit impulsive, but then dismiss that worry with the self-assurance she was in the right here. Before she could stop herself, Kameko reeled back and launched her fist straight into his jaw to the shock of everyone in the room. A punch, not a slap – none of that pansy stuff for her, thank you very much – and the sting of her knuckles felt oddly satisfying.

"He-hey! What do you think you're doing to-" one of the older two men in the room tried to question her, grasping at her shoulders to pull her back when she looked like she might take another shot at Noriaki. She was certainly considering it. But, Kameko cut him off, shrugging his hold off as well, to yell at that.. that stupid idiot.

"What am I doing here? What am I doing here?" she shouted at him, voice dripping with incredulity, as she shook out the hand she had used to punch him with because, ow, okay, that sting wasn't quite so satisfying anymore and sheesh that hurt like a bitch. "I should be asking you that question, you jackass! But no, okay, let's go with me. I'll tell you what I'm doing here. What I'm doing here is looking for you!" The irate girl punctuated her last sentence by jabbing a finger against his chest, making him wince. "You don't talk to me for months. You worry your family – and yes I'm including myself in this – to death. And then I hear you're missing.. and, and hurt.. and... and..." Her voice broke towards the end there despite her efforts to hid how badly everything that had been going on had affected her, and damn it! She didn't cry! That wasn't normal. That was stupid, yet she just barely managed to choke them back, swiping furiously at the one or two fat tears that escaped.

His voice was gentle this time when he spoke, and though she was currently refusing to look at him, Kameko could guess at the concerned furrow of his brow and the frown she knew would tug his mouth. "Kameko … I'm sorry."

Oh, and why did he have to say it like that? She wanted to be mad at him right now, but that tone made it so, so hard. Without any preamble, the girl launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shoulder. And if she got a little snot on his jacket, then he had that coming too. "You jerk," she muttered into his shoulder, knowing that he could hear her even if her voice was muffled.

At that moment, someone cleared their throat, and a little embarrassed at having been so stupidly emotional in front of so many strangers, Kameko reluctantly released her friend and sat back on her knees, a blush heating her cheeks as she bore a hole in the floor with the weight of her stare.

After an awkward moment of silence had passed, a gruff voice spoke up. "I believe introductions are in order... However, first, those wounds still need to be wrapped." Then, making Kameko flinch, the man shouted, "Holly! You brought the first aid kit right? Good, good. You'll need to wrap the girl's knuckles as well." He chuckled as he said the last bit, and Kameko refused to bury her face into her hands. She hadn't cared what people thought of her … uncouth nature before. And she wasn't about to start now, no matter how silly she felt right now.

Just then, Kameko felt a comforting weight settle on top of her right forearm, and she glanced over to see Noriaki staring at her, another apology in his eyes. And even though she planned to give him all sorts of shit about this whole ordeal later, any real hurt or anger at him was already forgiven. She had never been able to stay mad at him for too long, and with a small smile, the young woman placed her hand on top of his, watching as the note of relief crept into his eyes.

He meant more to her than he would ever realize... And part of her wished she knew how to tell him that.

-\/-

A/N: Whew! WELL! She did say she would punch him the second she saw he was alright. Kameko's a bit frank with those sorts of things. At any rate, what did you guys think? Still liking it? Let me know!

Thanks to all my reviewers and everyone who favorited or followed. It really makes me feel honored to be a part of this fandom. :)

I can't promise the next chapter will be out soon, but as I said last time, it will eventually be here. Hopefully not quite so far away this time, hm? And to those of you who read my other Jojo's Bizarre Adventure story, The State of Dreaming: the next chapter of that should be out later this week. It's finished already, but it needs a little editing.

Until then, everyone!

ONWARD!

- Alyssa