Bloody Golden Butterfly [JJBA Fanfiction] (Giorno x Jolyne)

29. Think About Things

The rain hadn't stopped, so they were soaked by the time the car picked them up. The heating helped so that at least they did not shiver, but it could not eliminate the feeling of discomfort that hung in the atmosphere. Of course, that was partly because humidity was the least of the things that floated in the air.

They had been on the verge of kissing in a perfect moment. But the moment had been shattered the moment Jolyne heard her dad's voice. He was at the palazzo, having come for her.

As always, it didn't take too long for them to arrive. That's what happens when you don't care about traffic regulations.

"Maybe you should go change your clothes before meeting your father," Giorno said, seeing her hug herself.

"I'm not cold. Just overwhelmed," she replied. Her tone became hopeless. "Also, my dad isn't known for his patience. I'll remind you that he's said to be the most powerful Stand user in the world."

"Well..."

"You're right, I've never given a shit about making you wait either," she replied sharply. "Sorry, I'm nervous. It's not your fault. I can become an asshole when I'm nervous, and you don't deserve it."

"Okay, I understand. I won't leave you alone, so you don't have to be nervous."

"Actually, I would rather you left us alone. Go shower with hot water and dress up as a big bad mafia boss. I need to talk to my dad."

The heating hadn't dried them, but they were only slightly damp when entering the palazzo. Jolyne mentally prepared herself to meet him, her always cold and serious dad. The last time she had seen him, he had told her that he had always loved her after almost a lifetime of not showing it. She wasn't expecting a loving reunion.

Giorno tried not to break his expressionless facade. He might have been confident with Jolyne and trusted the Requiem, but only an idiot would be calm after challenging Jotaro Kujo, and technically, he had kidnapped his daughter.

Both had guessed wrong. Jotaro was talking to his mother, but as soon as he saw them, he stopped mid-sentence and headed towards them at full walking speed. He didn't even look at Giorno; his full focus was on his daughter. Without a word, Jotaro engulfed Jolyne in a bone-crunching hug. She could almost swear he was trembling as he did so.

"Are you okay?" Despite his cold tone, Jotaro was careful as he examined his daughter's face.

"Yeah, I mean, yeah." She felt slightly self-conscious. He hadn't hugged her since she was a little girl. "And you? With all the disc stuff..."

"I'm perfectly fine, or at least I am now." He wore a small hint of a smile.

It disappeared, however, when he looked over her shoulder. Giorno met his stare head-on.

"You and I need to have a serious talk," Jotaro said to him. "But I think you have saved my daughter, so for the moment, I'm grateful to you."

Giorno nodded, his face equally serious. The meeting had certainly gone down a lot better than he had thought, but he couldn't get too confident just yet. Still, he was safe enough to go take a shower while Dr. Kujo stayed with Bucciarati and his lovely mother. Thinking it over for a second, perhaps if he had met him all those years ago with Bruno's diplomatic presence, things would have gone better for everyone. Surely not much would have changed, but he had faith in Bruno.

He was more hurried than usual and smiled slightly as he dressed in his intimidating black Don suit, just as Jolyne had suggested. He worried that he was hurrying too much and might expose his anxiousness, but as he entered, he found Abbacchio in the meeting as well. Although Giorno appreciated him and would trust him with his life, he had absolutely no faith in the man's social skills.