“Are you sure you’ll be ok?”
Noriaki smiled and kissed Jotaro’s cheek, “I’ll be fine, love. I have Hierophant to protect me and help me get around. You can pick me up after my last class.”
Jotaro grumbled, “I don’t like it.”
“I know, but I promise, I’ll be fine. Go enjoy your first day as a college student.”
Jotaro sighed, “Fine. I’ll go, but I won’t enjoy being away from you.”
Noriaki laughed, “Who could have guessed that the Jotaro Kujo was such a softie.”
“Shut up!” Jotaro complained as he tried to hide his smile.
“I love you, Jojo.”
Jotaro turned dark red, “Love you to.”
“Jojo…”
“Hmm?”
“You have to let go…”
Jotaro quickly stepped back, “Sorry.”
Noriaki’s smile was beautiful as he laughed, “I’ll see you later, ok?”
Jotaro nodded, then quickly scolded himself, “Yeah. Sure. I’ll be here at 2:30 waiting. Be careful.”
Noriaki waved as he turned and walked towards the art building. Jotaro watched him walk away, nervously drumming his fingers against his leg.
It was the first time they had separate classes other than PE and Braille in high school. The whole idea terrified Jotaro. Noriaki had insisted they take separate classes to get them both use to living in separate careers. Jotaro had decided to go into marine biology and Noriaki into psychology. While their initial classes could be taken together, Noriaki decided he wanted to get use to navigating on his own. Jotaro argued but eventually had to give in to his boyfriends need for independence. He refused to smother the redhead and potentially drive him away.
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be a nervous wreck until Noriaki proved himself capable of navigating the college campus by himself. Their entire first few weeks, Jotaro missed nearly everything his instructors said due to worrying about his boyfriend.
Noriaki, on the other hand, was greatly enjoying his new found freedom. While he loved how protective Jotaro was, he still needed his own space, his own life. He loved Jotaro deeply but knew that life wrapped around Jotaro would lead to heartbreak for them both.
After about a month of classes, Jotaro and Noriaki settled into a comfortable routine. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Jotaro walked Noriaki to his classes at 7:30am and met him at 2:30pm to walk home. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, they both worked at the Speedwagon Foundation for about 6 hours a day.
Time passed.
With that passage of time, so passed other things like distance and mystery.
Noriaki, despite his blindness, knew every inch of Jotaro’s body. He could picture every muscle, scar, hair and mark on his boyfriends’ body. In the months they had lived together, his lips had traced and kissed Jotaro’s body from head to toe.
Jotaro, too, know every inch of Noriaki’s beautiful milky skin. Each scar earned during their days of battling enemy stand users had been properly worshipped by the brunette. His previous dream of running his fingers through that silky red hair was now something he did multiple times a day. He cherished the feeling each time. He cherished Noriaki.
They argued and fussed about small things but always cleared the air. Life had taught them that tomorrow could always be taken and it was a lesson they remembered well each time they spoke to their French friend.
Months moved to years. Research papers, exams, sleepless nights studying...or not, occasionally took their toll.
“Nooooorrriiiiii. Wake up little cherry.”
Noriaki whimpered and slid further under the blanket.
Jotaro chuckled and raised the blanket just enough to kiss the top of Noriaki’s head, “Come on, Nori. Time to wake up.”
“Noooooo. Sunday is sleepy day.”
“I made pancakes…”
“…pancakes?”
“Mmhmm"
“Cherries?”
“Fresh from our tree. Picked them just before I came in here.”
“Hmmmmm…” Noriaki smiled as he turned over, “Kisses?”
Jotaro leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Noriaki’s lips, “Mmmmm, as many as you want.” He said when they separated.
Noriaki put his hands on Jotaro’s cheeks and pulled him down so their foreheads touched, “Why do you spoil me so?”
“Because I love you.”
Noriaki kissed him again, deeper, more lovingly, “I love you to.”
“Are you going to get up now?”
“Hmmmm, I’m thinking about it. Why are you waking me up so early?”
“It’s a beautiful day, not to hot. I thought we could go to the beach and be lazy there today.”
Noriaki laughed, “You mean you want to sneak off to the Speedwagon beach when no one is there and work on your thesis assignment.”
“…maybe.”
“Jotaro, it’s Sunday. We have a strict rule about working on Sundays. It’s for your own good, my star.”
“But Nori…I’m almost done. Just a bit more and I’ll have my thesis paper finished. You finished yours last week…”
“And what? You’re jealous?”
“No!”
Noriaki grinned, “You’re jealous I turned mine in first!”
“Shut up!”
“How much do you like?”
“I need to log 3 more hours of observation.”
“Just 3 hours?”
“…and a few notes…”
“Jotaro…”
Jotaro sighed, “It will take most of the day…”
“You will owe me….soooo big.”
“I swear! Next Sunday…whatever you want! Anything! I’ll be your personal slave as soon as we get home Saturday night! I’ll take you on the fanciest date you can imagine!”
“Wow. You are desperate.”
“I really want to get this finished. When both of our thesis’s are accepted, jiji gives us the house. It will be ours for real!”
“Ahhh. Ok. You’ve convinced me. I’ll go to the beach with you. But you will take a nice long lunch break with me. I want the big tent, not the umbrella! Oh, and my cherry cocktails after lunch!”
“Fine! Anything. I’ll even bring the stupid little umbrellas for your drinks.”
“And my fancy date next Sunday?”
Jotaro had a feeling he’d dug himself into a rather large hole, “Yes, and your date. Now, do you want your cherries and pancakes?”
“Yes, please, my beautiful star.”
Jotaro blushed, “Come on then, cherry love.”
****
“Joooooojooooooo."
“Yes, Nori?”
“I need more sun screen.”
“You’re under the tent. In the shade.”
“I can still burn! If I turn into a lobster, I’ll never forgive you!”
“How many of your cherry drinks have you had?”
Noriaki hiccupped, “Couple…”
Jotaro walked closer, almost laughing at his boyfriend’s appearance. Noriaki sat back in his lounge chair, legs crossed, feet bouncing to the beat of some song on the radio. He was dressed in mint green cherry print swim trunks and a white button-down shirt he’d left open, flaunting his lean but sculpted body and the few bite marks Jotaro gave him the night before. He also wore ridiculous looking, triangle shaped, lime green sunglasses that he, somehow, made look stylish and sexy. The half empty glass in his hand held the remains of a bright red drink and a little orange umbrella.
The 23-year-old redhead grinned up at the blurry form of his boyfriend, “Helloooo, my sexy Jojo. Come to take care of my delicate, fair skin?”
Jotaro chuckled as he shook his head, “You’re drunk.”
“Noooo. I’m not drunk. I do feel wonderful, though! I'd feel even better if you’d umm…rub…some sunscreen over me…” He replied, sliding his sunglasses down enough to wink at Jotaro.
Jotaro couldn’t help but laugh. Noriaki was always a flirt but became downright shameless when he had a few drinks.
“Do you think you can wait ahhhh 45 minutes? I’m almost done. Then I’ll take you for a swim.”
Noriaki pursed his lips together in a mock pout, “I suppose I can wait if you tide me over with a kiss or 2.”
“Hmmm. Sounds fair.” Jotaro said, kneeling next to his tipsy love and giving him a kiss that fogged up the sunglasses.
“Ohhh…wow…” Noriaki said, breathless, “Holy fuck…”
“Will that hold you until I’m done?”
“Jojo…you’re mean. Kissing me like that and asking me to wait.”
“It’ll be worth it.” Jotaro purred into his ear.
Noriaki shivered despite the afternoon heat, “Go on then! Hurry up! You know I don’t like waiting!” he said, pushing Jotaro away, “Damn fucking cock tease…”
Jotaro laughed even more as he headed back to the water to finish his work.