Chapter Text
Late summer of 2001, Kakyoin laid back in his hospital bed. The sounds of a busy hospital washed over him: machines beeping, distant footsteps, and the hum of the lights.
He was exhausted and sore. His emotions were all over the place. There was so much he wanted to do, but he was hardly strong enough to get out of bed. His mind raced with anxiety.
But it all melted away when he looked to his left to see Jotaro sitting by his side, holding their newborn son in his arms.
Jotaro’s full attention was on him. The corners of his lips pulled upwards into a small smile as he watched their son doze.
Kakyoin’s eyes flitted between them, not sure who he wanted to stare at more. His eyes wandered back to Jouta, as they had been doing ever since he’d been born.
Baby Jouta was hardly a day old, and he was perfect in every way. He peacefully slept after Kakyoin nursed him moments earlier. Kakyoin felt like he could watch him sleep like this forever and never get bored.
Kakyoin marveled over how he ended up at this moment.
He hadn’t been thrilled at all when he had gotten pregnant only a few months into his and Jotaro’s relationship. It certainly wasn’t planned. He never thought of himself as the maternal type, but with Jotaro by his side, he felt like he could do anything. As he stared at his son, he felt a bone-deep contentment. He was happy. He was in love.
A knock at the door reluctantly pulled his attention away.
Holly quietly led a wide-eyed Jolyne in by the hand. Kakyoin smiled and waved them both into the room.
Jolyne had been excited to hear that she was getting a younger brother. Jotaro and Kakyoin had both regularly spoken to her over the phone and gave her updates up until it was time for her to spend the summer in Japan with her dad.
Jolyne’s mother seemed rather unimpressed that her ex-husband had knocked up the nanny he had hired for their daughter. She nearly refused to speak with Jotaro over the phone when she found out. Jolyne must have put in good word for Kakyoin, however, because she seemed much more willing to speak to him. They had even begun to have longer conversations lately. Kakyoin actually enjoyed speaking to her about how Jolyne was doing, or about his upcoming plans for the new baby. He even enjoyed watching Jotaro pout at him out of the corner of his eye while he spoke to her.
Kakyoin thought about it fondly as he watched Holly lead Jolyne to her father and newborn brother. Jolyne stood stiff and blinked at him. She looked flustered.
Holly crouched behind Jolyne and held her by the shoulders as she softly spoke to her. “Jolyne, this is Jouta. He’s your brother. Isn’t he so cute!?”
“He’s sleeping,” Jolyne whispered, nervously.
“He just ate, so he’s a little tired, but you can still say hello,” Kakyoin offered.
Jolyne stepped forward and leaned against her father’s shoulder as she stared down at the sleeping baby.
“He looks just like you did when you were born,” Jotaro said fondly.
Jolyne’s face crinkled. “But he’s all pink and wrinkly,” she said.
Jotaro huffed a laugh. “Yeah,” he murmured.
Jolyne reached out and lightly ran her finger down the side of his cheek. “He’s so soft,” she whispered in wonder.
Jouta shifted and make a few gurgling sounds before he let out an alarmed cry. Jolyne straight, spooked by his cries. The rest of the room remained calm.
“Does he hate me?” Jolyne asked.
“No,” Jotaro answered her as he stood from his chair. He carried Jouta to Kakyoin and lightly placed him in Kakyoin’s arms, against his chest. Kakyoin felt like they were two puzzle pieces slotting back together. Jouta’s cries immediately quieted. Jotaro stroked Jouta’s head for a moment before he stood and turned back to Jolyne. “He’s a Mama’s boy,” Jotaro explained.
Kakyoin cuddled his baby closer and shot Jotaro a side-eye. “Sounds like someone else I know,” he said.
Holly giggled and hugged Jotaro around the waist. Jotaro wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he answered.
Kakyoin rolled his eyes. “Come here, Jolyne. He’s awake and calmed down, so you can properly meet him now.”
Jolyne carefully crawled up onto the hospital bed and lay by Kakyoin’s side. Jouta curiously cooed up at them both.
Jolyne poked at his tiny, balled-up fist and softly greeted him. Jouta opened his fist and grabbed onto her finger. Jolyne gasped with delight.
Unbeknownst to Jolyne, a tiny green hand manifested from the bundle of light blue blankets that Jouta was wrapped in. The green hand waved around, looking for a connection. Kakyoin conjured Hierophant Green’s hand to poke at the smaller hand, much like Jolyne did. The tiny green hand grasped onto the larger green finger belonging to Hierophant Green.
Kakyoin, Jotaro, and even Holly were not surprised at the sight of the little stand’s hand. They had known about Jouta’s stand for months. It would occasionally manifest and pop out of Kakyoin’s stomach, waving and grabbing curiously. Kakyoin and Jotaro had held the little hand in the final months of Kakyoin’s pregnancy, watching as the hand grew bigger and stronger. It had been unnerving at first, especially considering the experience they had last summer, but Jouta remained calm, soothed by his parents' presence.
The hand was green, like Kakyoin’s stand, but the shape and structure reminded Kakyoin more of Jotaro’s stand. He knew it wouldn’t be easy raising a child with a potentially powerful stand, but as he held his baby in his arms and gently patted the stand’s hand with his own, he almost couldn’t imagine it any other way.
Avdol and Polnareff were on their way from Italy. Kakyoin and Jotaro had decided they would be Jouta’s godparents, and they would have Avdol name his stand, just as he did with Jotaro’s stand.
Star Platinum reached toward the Jouta’s stand, and Kakyoin dematerialized his stand to let him hold his hand. The tiny green hand immediately latched onto Star’s massive one. Jouta let out a small grunt as he squeezed Star’s finger.
Jolyne giggled. It seemed Jouta had been gripping onto her finger as well. “He’s so strong!” She commented.
Jotaro nodded in agreement. He wore a small, proud smile. Holly wiped a happy tear from her eye.
Kakyoin felt warm and happy. He knew he was in for many sleepless nights, but he could weather anything if he got more moments like this.
He held onto the family he never knew he wanted and savored the moment.