Blood Ties

[buon_giorno]

Giorno had saved his business for the council meeting that evening for last. Everything had gone more or less now he’d expected after that.

Chilchuck had questions. While he didn’t raise an objection of any kind, he had spent the rest of the meeting watching Giorno’s face.

Zelda had questions but they were all centered around the technicalities and how she could assist.

Evandor kept it simple, as always. “Giorno has never lead anyone astray.” He said nothing more.

And Juli…she was supportive but he knew she had questions of her own. He offered to walk the scenic route with her back to her room.

“We may not see each other much over the next week.” There was an apology and a lament in there.

Comments

[nohardwork]

Joseph gave Caesar's face a few soft pats as a growing smirk pulled itself across his face.

"Who said I was joking?"

[youre_the_sunflower]

Joseph’s finger brushed against his bottom lip and Caesar could barely take it. “Or you’ve lost your senses after one puff cut off the oxygen to your brain.”

[nohardwork]

"Do you really think that?" Joseph's grin widened. "Would you say the same thing to a bella donna?"

[youre_the_sunflower]

'You're no bella donna!' Caesar screamed in his head. 'You're Jojo.'

If Joseph was a bella donna, he would have asked if this was her first kiss. If Joseph were a bella donna he would have leaned in to kiss her tenderly. But he wasn't--they weren't--and maybe the day was too overwhelming and he was too desperate but his composure crumbled and desire was hitting him like a kick to the stomach.

He gave Joseph what he asked for and kissed him--hard.

[nohardwork]

Joseph grinned against the kiss as he pulled Caesar close to his chest. He wrapped his arms around him. Did Caesar always feel this small?

[youre_the_sunflower]

Caesar broke apart from him with a small gasp — he was on top of him now. He hasn’t even remembered how he got that way.

“Are you…really doing this now? You have to leave any moment.” As if Caesar wasn’t doing it too.

[nohardwork]

"Do you want to stop?"

[youre_the_sunflower]

Caesar’s head fell to his shoulder. “Of course I don’t. Idiot. But you’re on a time limit here.”

[nohardwork]

"Later, then?" Joseph cupped his hand on Caesar's cheek.

[youre_the_sunflower]

“We’ll talk once you’re cured.” Even if his words were stern, his eyes were soft. He turned his head to press a small kiss to his palm.

“So come back to me.”

[nohardwork]

Joseph let out a little snort.

"No way I'd let anyone stop me."

[buon_giorno]

~~

"Good evening, Mister Joestar." Giorno was perfectly polite when Joseph was at his door this time around, stepping back to invite him inside his room. "Please make yourself at home."

Giorno's room was spacious and scenic--the far end of the room lit up by a broad balcony. The rest of the walls were decorated with plant life draping around bookshelves. Notably, since their last meeting, space had been cleared for an additional bed.

"Have you had dinner?"

[nohardwork]

Joseph was on-edge. He didn't like it. But most of all, he didn't like showing that he was on-edge.

"Yeah," he said, in the most casual tone he could manage. "That's a question I should be asking you. If you had been at dinner, you wouldn't need to ask!"

[buon_giorno]

“I’ll eat later, so please don’t worry needlessly on my behalf.” Giorno grabbed a neatly folded towel off his desk and extended it to Joseph. “Since you’ve already eaten, you should have a bath before settling in. It was a long trek in the desert, after all.”

[nohardwork]

"Yeah. You're coming too."

[buon_giorno]

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

[nohardwork]

This kid really didn't have a relaxed bone in his body.

A devious grin pulled itself across Joseph's face. "Do you want to be carried out?"

[buon_giorno]

Giorno was already returning to his desk, thinking little of the threat. “The quickest way to the baths are out of the south entrance. Follow the stone lanterns.”

[nohardwork]

Before Giorno could register what was happening, Joseph scooped the young blonde into his arms with as much ease as a parent might their baby.

"Ohh! South entrance, right?"

Joseph began sprinting in that direction.

[buon_giorno]

Giorno yelped rather inelegantly when his feet weren't on the floor anymore. "Wha--!?"

[nohardwork]

"Let me see... should I throw you in because you didn't come willingly?"

[buon_giorno]

Giorno was too polite to say what he wanted to in that moment--though they were mostly self-admonishments for letting his guard down.

"Put me down." His voice was on the edge of being fully raised. "I understand. I'll go with you willingly."

[nohardwork]

"Good, good!" Joseph said in perfect English. He gently set Giorno done as if he were a child placing their favorite doll on a shelf.

[buon_giorno]

Giorno quickly went about readjusting his clothes. Even if it was a simple linen tunic and dark pants—not the finest clothes he had lying around—he took great care of them.

The only one nearby to witness the manhandling by the time Joseph had whisked him outside was an old men who watched over the horse pen. He was busy packing his smoke pipe and hadn’t even looked up. Giorno could count that as a small blessing. The entrance to the apodyterum was just about a hundred feet away.

“If you wanted company you could have simply said so.”

[nohardwork]

Joseph snorted dismissively. It wasn't like he wanted company or anything. "If I said that, would you have wanted to come?"