Chapter Text
‘Such a man deserves a retinue to attend his needs in hell.’ – George R. R. Martin, A Feast for Crows
“And then what did you say?” asks Noriaki, rapt on Reimi’s every word.
“I said that even I don’t know where he was being dragged off to,” replies Reimi, “but that he’d definitely never get a peaceful life.” She grins. “He was screaming all the way.”
“Congratulations.” They smile warmly. “Does it feel good, knowing that he’s finally gone?”
She glows, face beatific with satisfaction. “It does.”
“Then I’m glad.” They step back, join Jotaro at a respectful distance. “At last you can move on peacefully.”
She nods, and with a calm and peaceful expression, begins to say her goodbyes to the others one by one.
“Well,” remarks Noriaki to Jotaro, “we did it.”
“They did it,” corrects Jotaro, nodding towards Josuke and Okuyasu and Koichi. “We just helped a little.”
Noriaki smiles proudly. “So I’m not the only one proud of them, then.”
“…good grief.” He pulls at his cap. “You ready to go home?”
“As long as there’s nothing else that needs wrapping up here, yes.” They lean against him gently. “It’s about time we went back to see how JoJo is doing.”
“Dad called.” He sighs. “Poor kid is sick, and… you know. We can’t rely on Dad forever.”
“I know.” Noriaki watches as, with a few last goodbyes, Reimi and her dog begin to float upwards into the sky, glowing gold, faces upturned. Is that what happens to everyone when they die? What will their own face look like when the time comes?
…That’s a little morbid. Noriaki shakes the thought off and waves to Reimi with the others, shouting well-wishes until she has disappeared into the clouds.
It really is time to go home. Reimi has gone, Kira is dead, and Josuke… well, Josuke and his friends can look after Morioh and each other. Noriaki and Jotaro have their own kid to take care of.
JoJo is thrilled to see them. He looks a little pale and thin, not quite his usual healthy self, but it seems he’s recovered from whatever illness he had. He runs towards Jotaro and Noriaki with his arms outstretched, and Noriaki didn’t realise how badly they’ve been missing him: Green can’t help but trill in delight, tentacles already extended towards him.
“Tou-san! Oya-san!” He giggles as Jotaro picks him up, grinning from ear to ear. His long hair has been gathered up into two haphazard-looking buns, the blond from DIO mixing into the blue of Jonathan’s to make JoJo’s whole head look almost green. “You’re home!”
Jotaro nods, hand catching JoJo’s chin; Green’s tendrils catch hold of his hands and feet and squeeze his cheeks. “And who are you? This can’t be our JoJo, can it, Noriaki?”
“I can’t believe it,” they agree. JoJo takes after them so much, messing with his presentation like that and looking so cute doing it.
“Ah, let me guess—” Jotaro snaps his fingers. “You lost another tooth.”
JoJo giggles again and points to his hair. “No, look! I made myself pretty!”
Noriaki gasps in delight: “You did that all by yourself?”
“Yup!” His smile is big and perfect and everything Noriaki needs right now. To see him again after so long… It’s good to be home.
"What happened out there, Noriaki?" asks Sadao-san later, when JoJo has worn himself out with all the excitement and is being put to bed by Jotaro. "What took you so long?"
"There was a serial killer, " says Noriaki. "Jotaro nearly died in an explosion."
He hesitates, looks at them as if to try and discover a joke, but Noriaki doesn’t flinch. It is, after all, exactly the truth. Maybe not the whole truth, but enough.
“…I see. You two have really got to stop doing this, you know…”
Noriaki nods. That they can agree with. But they’re safe now. Jotaro is safe. JoJo is safe. Perhaps, for a while, they’ll be able to lead a peaceful life…