Chapter Text
Vultures were common down here.
Jolyne didn’t know if she could ever get used to that.
They circled above her, like she was a dead deer, laying in the middle of the road.
Perhaps she just felt like that was the case.
Their black wings blocked out the sun, leaving no sanctuary from the chilly autumn air. It had taken until late November for it to actually start to get cold.
Four hours. She had less than four hours until she had to board a plane for a few hellish weeks back home.
And then she would return. And see Hermes again.
And everything would be ok.
But until well after the new year came, she went back home to a mostly lifeless house full of scientific papers and clamshell samples.
For now, she was busy packing and doing fucking nothing.
Hermes had plans. She headed home two days before break, despite living not far from campus.
Jolyne would have envied her. If she liked her family.
But she didn’t.
She would be staying with her father. And because her father was a divorced professor who was probably seeing some chick in Japan that Jolyne didn’t know about, Christmas was going to be… Weird.
If they had a Christmas at all. She only ‘celebrated’ it when she was with her mother and that absolutely massive side of her family. But her mother was on the east coast with her grandparents- and it would be more expensive to fly all the way out there then just up to the northern coast. Her mother already assured her that her gifts for Jolyne were at her father’s house.
Shoving a bra into her bag, she kept her phone at arms length. Hermes’ infrequent texts were the only thing that was going to get her through this.
That and sending Foo memes.
Zipping the suitcase shut, she scanned around her room again.
It felt weird. Leaving her dorm. It had been become home for her very fast, even if it was hard to sleep sometimes with the people fucking upstairs and her own bothersome thoughts of love.
But it was home. More of a home than that empty house on the coast up north.
She had everything she needed to survive out there.
Grabbing her backpack and suitcase, she checked everything one more time before grabbing her keys. Flicking off the lights before she entered the hall and turned to lock the door.
Her Lyft would be there in a few minutes. Waiting on the front steps of the dorm building in the cold gave her some time to confirm she was all set to go.
Just three more hours. Three more.
-----
The flight was easy. Jolyne knew the airport back home like the back of her hand, weaving through crowds over ugly carpet with ease.
Her father had hardly bothered to text her, other than to ask for the flight number and to tell him when she landed.
Typical behavior for Jotaro Kujo.
Pushing through the rotating doors, Jolyne walked onto the sidewalk, a never-ending stream of cars moving past her at a snail's pace.
Harsh street lights burned her eyes as she tried to pick out her father's car from the glare of the headlights.
Not like that was necessary. She could hear it creak and grumble from a mile away.
The rusty old hatchback pulled up to the curb. Her father had the decency to at least exit the car and open the trunk for her, helping her with her luggage in silence.
Just how he always did.
They got in without a word, Jotaro flicking off the news radio station, a sign she had free reign over the music choices.
He didn’t speak until they were on the highway.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“...Is that little diner halfway home open this late?”
“Probably.”
“Then let's go there.”
-----
"You're bouncy today."
Jolyne grit her teeth.
Sitting at the little restaurant at the side of the highway, she wanted nothing more than to throw her father onto the asphalt and see what kind of public art she could make with his remains.
But she suppressed that urge.
She hasn't seen the bastard in three months- and she would have been happy to not see him for much longer than that, with how little he seemed to care. He just had his dinner in peace as she inhaled greasy fries covered in salt. She hadn’t eaten since she left campus.
Jotaro Kujoh wasn't the kind of man to flap his lips. So a silence blanketed the table as the neon light of the ancient sign cast strange shadows over his face from the window.
"So. Classes."
"What about em?" She scoffed.
"Are you passing them?"
"Yeah."
"...Good. That's all I can ask for."
"Thought you would be more into straight A's"
Jotaro grunted out something resembling a laugh. "So long as you get a degree eventually. Doesn't matter to me."
“...Really?”
“Yes."
She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know if I believe that.”
“Well you should. It’s the truth.”
Jolyne still had her doubts. “Thought you would be the one on my ass about that. Not Mom.”
He scoffed, finishing off his burger. “She wants you to go to grad school.”
“Do you want me to go to grad school?”
“That’s not my choice to make. I’ll pay half for whatever you want kid.” He said, sipping his shitty drip coffee.
It seemed strange. He was never the parent to ask her opinion on things. But if he was willing to go through with that sort of thing, she may as well take advantage of that when the time came.
“I just want you to be fine on your own.”
Jolyne couldn’t believe her ears. Again. “...Were you like. Worried about me?”
“Wouldn’t say that.”
She laughed, pushing back her messy hair. “Shit, you really got a heart in there, don’t ya?!”
“Again, a bold claim.”
Messing with the straw in her drink, she let a smile hold onto her lips. “Never would have guessed you gave much of a fuck.”
“You’re my daughter Jolyne. I can’t just ignore you.” Jotaro grumbled, sliding his card onto the small tray that held their check.
“Most dads in this situation tend to.”
“I’ve lost too much to do something like that.”
And at that moment, all the heat vanished around them. Jolyne’s smile vanished. God. Why did these things have turn so fast with him?
It was like time had stopped. Like the rain was no longer hitting the windows beside them.
Jotaro took his card as their check was returned. Rising to his feet, he threw on his jacket before walking to the car.
Jolyne had no choice but to brave the rain and follow him.
And without a word, they were on the road again.
-----
Jolyne didn't bother unpacking. She just rifled through her duffel bag for pajamas and threw those on. By the time they made it home it was one in the morning.
Jolyne: made it home safe.
She waited impatiently, curled up in her old comforter, for a response.
Maybe Hermes wasn't awake. She wouldn't be surprised if she didn't get a response until the next morning.
But she was pleasantly surprised.
❤️Hermes❤️: Good! Just as rainy as you remember?
Jolyne: Yeah.
❤️Hermes❤️: Still hot as hell down here… miss you already.
Jolyne: Maybe I'll have to bring you up here sometime. The weather ain't bad in the summer.
Jolyne: And I miss you too.
❤️Hermes❤️: I would love to stay with you up there… much more quiet then the dorms
Jolyne scoffed. Her phone battery was getting low, but she didn't care. Curled up under her blankets, she smiled. She missed Hermes. Like a lot. But she didn't know how much she was allowed to voice it.
Jolyne: Oh, definitely more quiet. My dad's gone most of the time too.
Hermes didn't respond to that.
Fuck. God. Did she overstep?? Why wasn't she good at this like Hermes was?!
Her phone screen shifted, the device vibrating in her hands.
Hermes was. Calling her.
And she answered.
"Uh. Hi?"
"Hey Jojo."
Jolyne swallowed. God, she missed Hermes' voice… "Why did ya call me? Something the matter?"
"Nah. Just wanted to hear ya."
God. This was going to be the end of her… "Its late Hermes… you should go to bed…"
"Maybe I should. But you’re a bit more important than sleep."
She giggled. Fuck. Hermes was just too cute. "I think you should sleep. Gloria is gonna kick your ass if she hears ya."
"Oh, she won't. Her kid is keeping us up anyway."
Jolyne liked to think she could hear Hermes' smile through the phone. "Almost forgot your an Aunt now."
Hermes scoffed. "He's a cutie but god. He's loud."
"That's just how babies are."
"Guess so."
"...It's really cold up here." Jolyne murmured. She almost hoped Hermes couldn't hear her. But she had no such luck.
"Oh? Tell me more sweetheart."
God. She was gonna melt into the floor right then and there.
"My dad keeps the house ice cold too… I’m huddled under so many damn blankets…"
"Is that an invitation for me to come up there and help warm you up?"
Jolyne buried her face in her pillow. Hermes couldn't hear her blush, but she could probably feel it through the phone. “...Maybe.”
“It’ll be cold by the time you come back down here. Maybe I’ll help you then.”
Stuffing her head further into the pillow, she replied when she came up for air. “Yeah. I would… Like that. My room gets cold.”
“Although My room is a lot less noisy.”
Jolyne chuckled. “True.”
Silence from the other end gave her the hints of butterflies in her stomach. Caterpillars in her stomach, if you will.
“...We could try and be noisier then them.”
She was going to fucking implode.
“...Was that too much? Shit, sorry baby-”
Jolyne just grumbled something full of love as her heart melted out from between her ribs and onto her ancient sea-star patterned sheets. “No no… I’m just dyin a little.”
Hermes’ laugh made her just want to melt more. “ Don't die on me sweetheart."
"Gonna be hard not too if you keep talking like that." Jolyne giggled. "But my phone is dying."
She could hear Hermes's pout from over the phone. "Aww Jojo… don't go."
"I'm tired Hermes. I love ya but. I gotta sleep some. My dad's probably gonna have me up crack of dawn to do something."
Hermes huffed. "Fine… sleep well Jojo."
"Sweet dreams Hermes."
"...I love you."
"I love you too."
Hermes hung up.
Jolyne wanted to throw herself into the sun.
More than a month since their first date. They still weren't an item (were they?) And she was sure this wasn't their first "I Love You", but the bumbling of words and stress and her own incompetence had made this all much more complex than it needed to be.
Plugging in her phone, she prepared herself for a restless slumber.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll ask her what we are.
If I can stop thinking about what we could be.