#I promise I meant for Jotaro to confess first // but Eileen wormed her way in front and said “I don't GOT THIS”

[dogsofardour]

Alright, so this started as gushing on the same JJBA server, but it evolved into a confession piece! I'm tempted to say this happens a little after the Bast and Set arc but before Osiris, but I won't say that definitively until I've finished reading SDC. This was really fun to write. The reactions from the server were so, there are fantastic people on there. I love them (platonically, of course). I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I, and those nice people, did!

***

Jotaro has spent a good chunk of his recent life rejecting people. How exactly is he supposed to win her over? Know if she's interested in him? She's so affectionate! Not just with him but like, EVERYONE, his wires are so crossed.

What's he supposed to say? ‘Hey Eileen, I really like it when you sit next to me, and doodle on my hand, or share your headset with me. Wanna catch a movie after we kill this vampire guy?’

He could never. So, he resorts to passive-aggressively trying to express his interest. Like a very frustrated crow or half-tamed cat. He simply cannot confess, it's too much of a risk. He will get her to confess to him.

It's a genius plan! NO IT ISN'T USE YOUR WORDS JOJO.

Eileen is elated by the fact that Jotaro lets her cuddle up to him, that they go for walks together, that he points out shops she might like. That she stole his hat one time and he didn't pulverize her.

There is a precedent for that expectation by the way! Polnareff had Jotaro's hat for a single second before his nose got rearranged! So, imagine, if you would, Eileen being so ecstatic with this hunk of wood Jotaro found for her to carve and he's like, intensely staring at her, like waiting, anticipating some sort of reaction. She's doing her cute little squealing, he is happy that she's happy but is a lil sour he's not being rewarded thanked.

Then, from out of left field, she plants a big wet kiss on his cheek… He doesn’t know what to do with himself!

"Wuh?!" flies out of his mouth.

When Eileen realises what she's done too and she is mortified. 

He's making high pitched noises while she's going "I AM SO SORRY?! I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME!!! THAT WAS AS A FRIEND!! AS A FRIEND!!!"

Meanwhile, his heart is pounding, Star Platinum has been summoned.

Polnareff and Joseph, who have been snooping, laugh like it's the funniest thing they've seen in the world (it is). Jotaro's face is red as a tomato. He makes this very pointed eye contact with Eileen for a split second before he stalks off.

Poor Eileen's shaking like a leaf, mumbling to herself, "Why did I do that?! I've ruined everything." 

Polnareff is still in shambles, but Joseph has somehow found the strength to calm down. He walks over to her, she's sitting on this makeshift stool, clutching the wood in her hands, staring at it like it's gonna tell her what to do, and he pats her shoulder consolingly.

"Eileen," he begins, and it's a little ridiculous, given the noise Polnareff is still making, but she startles at his touch. "My grandson really likes you."

She looks up, tears still spilling down her face. "He's so angry at me, I messed up."

Joseph bites back a chuckle. "That... That wasn't anger."

"He's never going to want to see me again!"

"Young lady I-" he huffs a little. "- he just wasn't braced. He's liked you for a long while now."

Eileen looks up at Joseph, brow scrunched, crying and confused, so he continues.

"You ever notice how much...less crabby he is with you?" he sits down beside her. "Or how he looks at you so kindly."

"Well that's just cause... well. We're friends. He's in a better mood," Eileen sniffles.

"He goes on walks with you. Offers to do snack runs in the middle of the night. Laughs at your jokes. Smiles. Brings you gifts!"

"Let's you wear his hat," while Joseph's been listing these things off, Eileen's quieted, no longer grasping onto the wood like a life line.

"You know when he got upset that Polnareff wouldn't switch seats with him on the plane? When we had that little baby with us? You know why he was so adamant?"

"I... I dunno."

"The front seat had a lot more leg room for sure, so why would my grandson want give up such a good space?"

"...To sit with me?"

"Yes!" Joseph is finally getting through to her, Holy shit!

"Now, my Jotaro isn't too... He's a do-er but, not as much as a say-er." Joseph pauses. "I think you need to let him know how you feel about him."

Eileen face flushes, but not in the blotchy 'i am about to cry' way. "How I feel?"

Joseph shrugs. "Well, I'm not going to presume you feel the same way, and I'm not going to ask you to lie to him if you don't like him like he does you. That would be cruel."

Eileen's posture straightens so sharply, Joseph nearly loses his balance.

"Oh! He thinks...!" she exclaims quietly, the urgency is present but her voice is wispy. "I SAID I KISSED HIM AS A FRIEND. A FRIEND!"

Polnareff's laughter is heard kicking up again in the background.

"Thank you so much, Grampa Joestar, but I really gotta go!" Eileen squeaks and then rushes off in the direction Jotaro fled in.

Joseph's 'wise-old man' facade cracks so swiftly after that.

“She said she kissed him as a friend" he rasps between bouts of laughter, "Holy shit… they're worse than SUZIE was!"

The old man gets up, cracking his bones and joints, y'know, as you do when you've been crouched down to give grandfather-ly advice and mutters something about "weird lips" as he tries to haul Polnareff off to the rest of the group.

***

Eileen finds Jotaro throwing pebbles into into the distance. It's sandy as hell where they had been hanging out, Eileen can feel the pound of rocks and silt just shuffling about in her shoes.

She approaches...carefully.

"Taro?" she asks. 

Jotaro jolts at her voice. He's usually very alert. He turns towards her, but angles his head down, Eileen can only see shadow where his eyes are.

"...What," he mutters.

"I..." she swallows. "I'm sorry what I said earlier."

"No- the kiss it was fine I-- did you say 'said'?"

She gives him a tight little smile in a 'hah, you caught me' kinda way.

"I shouldn't have said..." she passes the piece of wood between her hands, like an amateur juggler. "I shouldn't have said, 'friend'." 

There's this horrible lump forming in Jotaro's throat, and Eileen sees his frown deepen. 

"So you don't..." a space as he stuffs his hands in his jacket. "We're not... I ruined it." 

Eileen's eyes go WIDE AS SAUCERS. ‘WRONG CHOICE’ a tinny voice rings in her head, ‘WRONG CHOICE!! FIX IT!’

"I MEAN," she nearly yells, Jotaro's eyes are briefly seen beneath is hat, bewildered as hell and a little teary. "I really!" she stomps forward, angling her face UP, just to SEE him. "I! I love you!"

‘Woah... that was a strong word,’ that dumbass voice belated mumbles.

Her face is frozen in terror, jaw clenched. Time stretches forever, Jotaro staring at her, Eileen gawking back. He moves a hand from his coat pocket, and without true drive kind of waves his hand at her. 

"You..." he says slowly. "love me?"

In a tiny voice she whimpers, "I really really do. And it..." her hands are trembling again. "it would mean a lot... if you told me how you feel."

She clenches her eyes shut tight. It... If Grampa Joestar was wrong about this she might actually die. Then the clinking of his chains and the swish of his coat fill her ears.

And she's clutched into a warm embrace, Jotaro's fingers digging where he's crushed Eileen to his chest.

"I love you too."