#sorry for the chibis as pic but at least this one has a pic TvTb

[miru-p]

So, here the last part of the Nobody Dies AU trilogy aka Two Zeppelis being idiots(tm) and everyone suffering because of it. Probs I’ll be doing more NBD AU stuff, but atm I’m trying a CaeElla writting so :3c Here you can read the previous ones: Part 1. Part 2. Soo, yep, part 3 under the cut~~

A month and a half since the Crusade in Egypt had passed, and finally Avdol could return home. Everyone on the Joestar household received him with a bright smile. Joseph patted his shoulders. Karina just ran and threw herself into his arms for a hug. Everyone was surprised, but Avdol knew her well enough, so he could catch her without a glitch.

“You know, I was testing that your new arms are working perfectly.” She smiled.

“Of course you were.” Avdol smirked. “So then you don’t want a kiss or anything right?”

“Hmm…. Maybe I should test your lips too…”

“Okay, okay, enough, lovebirds” Joseph said, laughing.

Avdol let Karina on the ground, and both she and Joseph show him his (and Karina’s) room, plus more things about the apartment.

Karina didn’t let go her beloved Momo’s hand during the whole day. She was so happy to finally have him there with her. And everyone there were so happy to see them like that. They do such a nice couple, uh? Suzi Q thought smiling wildly.

“So, when you two are going to get married?” Billie asked, during dinner.

Both Avdol and Karina blushed, especially the latter, who was the one who broke the silence.

“I mean… it’s not like we don’t wanna…” she started to feel her blood boiling.

“We didn’t think about that so much, to be honest.” Avdol said, rescuing his flustered lover.

“But it’s the next step, right?” Billie continued. She was so happy about the couple that didn’t realize that they were a bit uncomfortable with the matter. It was obvious both of them agreed with her, but didn’t want to bother the other. “It would be nice! We can do the ceremony here, with all the family! Oh, it would be nice to meet your mom! She’s like my half-sister after all.”

“No.”

Karina declined Billie’s offer with just a word. A word that came out really cold and serious, something so unusual in Karina that everyone on the table looked at her. She was looking down to her fists.

“Ah, I didn’t want to sound that I was forcing you two or something” Billie said, trying to apologize after noticing the tension. “I didn’t mean to bother you or anything, sorry for that”

“It’s not like that.” Karina replied without raising her head. “I do want to get married. I do want to be with my family celebrating that. But…”

“Karina, please…” Avdol whispered to her. He knew something was wrong. He knows she was going to break in pieces if anyone wouldn’t do something. But it was too late.

“I just… can’t bring my mother near that bastard!” Karina yelled, pointing at Caesar. Suzi Q and Avdol tried to calm her, while Billie was just so shocked. Caesar didn’t even blink. “He is the reason why my nonna had to live an awful life! Her parents just kicked her out of their house with a baby! My mother had to grow up without a father. Almost without a mother, since my nonna had to work very hard to maintain them both!” Karina bursted into tears. Her face was red due to her anger. “All that suffering… and you were just living a perfect life… I… I really hate you…”

“Karina, please, this is enough, stop”

“I just can’t allow you to be in my mother’s life. You wouldn’t ruin her life again!” Karina dried her tears.  “I just… I just wish you would be actually dead as you were supposed to be.”

-Slap-

Everything went quiet. Everyone looked at Joseph, who had just stood up and slapped Karina.

“You didn’t know shit yet you are brave and stupid enough to say all those things about him, uh?”

“Oh my” Suzi Q murmured. “Joseph, dear, don’t.”

“You don’t know anything. Living a perfect life? You don’t know shit. You don’t know how much he suffered until he could be happy.” Joseph yelled at her. “In first place, he almost died, I have to remind this to you? You don’t know how is to feel like someone precious to you is on a hospital bed during months and months without even the certainty that he would wake up.” His voice started to break, but continued anyways, he was so angry with the young Zeppeli. “And when he woke up, finally, he had to go through a hard rehabilitation, his injuries were so severe, damn it! Yes, he went here, but because I told him to. Because” he gulped. “… I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t lose him again. That time I’d protect him, not take him to death.”

Both Caesar and Suzi stared at him. Suzi tried to stand up and hold her husband hand, but Billie didn’t let her. She knows that it was better for her dad to just vent out. For him and for Karina too.

“He didn’t know he had a daughter, I know that if he knew he would probably stay with them in Italy instead of going here with us. I know that. But sadly he didn’t know, so he couldn’t be with them.” Joseph said. His tone was calmer now. “So, don’t you dare to say those things ever again.”

Karina didn’t even look at him, and just ran away.

“I think you overdid it, Joseph.” Caesar said softly.

“What? Me? She said all those things and you’re lecturing me?” Joseph said offended. “Well, actually it’s your fault in first place. You’re the one who shouldn’t let her treat you like that.”

Caesar stared at him. Joseph had still his fists clenched. He held his hand. “Grazie, Joseph, seriously.” He murmured. Joseph softened a bit. “Also, please, stop blaming yourself for things that happened fifty years ago, okay?” Caesar rubbed his hair, and he smiled. “I’m going to go after her.”

“Mister Zeppeli, I’m very sorry about this.” Avdol said, before the Italian left the room.

“Don’t worry. I guess she’s just as short tempered as her grandfather.” He replied smiling, and then left the apartment. He ran until he saw someone sitting on the ground.

“Hey.”

“What do you want?” said Karina in between sobs.

“I’m sorry” Caesar sat down near her.

“I told you that I wish you were dead and you’re the one apologizing? You sure are an idiot.” she mumbled. “Joseph is right. I… I don’t know anything. Plus, it’s not even my problem. The only ones who have the right to be angry with you are either my grandmother or my mother, and one of them can’t, so…”

“Yes, but it’s your family. It’s normal that you want to protect them.”

“But you’re supposed to be my family too.”

Caesar couldn’t reply to that, and Karina didn’t say anything more either. Few seconds later, Joseph, Suzi, Avdol, and Billie found them, but stayed far enough to not to bother but close enough to hear what was happening.

“My mom… she usually told me stories about you when I was a child…” Karina started. “Stories that Mister Messina told her when she was a child too. About how amazing you were. I really admired you back then.” She felt a pain in her throat and chest. “Back then, I really wished I could meet you… But when I met Joseph and he told me you were alive… I felt… so betrayed. My only hero betrayed me. Plus… you are not like the hero I imagined.”

“Do you hate me because I am not as you imagined I would be?” Caesar asked.

“I… I guess….” She started crying again. She hid her face on her knees.

“But you can’t know if I’m not as you imagined. You don’t even give me a chance to show you how I am. You don’t want to know anything about me.”

“I know that! I know I’m an idiot!” Karina shouted. “I just… I’m scared! Scared of betrayal, scared of disillusion! Scared of caring and losing again!”

Caesar hugged her with all his strength. Karina tried to avoid the hug, but finally she gave up.  

“Probably you think I slept with every woman I could when I was young, but it isn’t true actually.” Caesar said. “Your grandmother… she was a very special woman. I really loved her.”

“Are you saying that just by commitment?”

“No. Why should I?” Caesar replied smiling. “I’m just saying the truth. She was… a really strong woman… Very stubborn too. She didn’t really give a shit about me at first. She thought that I was just a womanizer and told me how disgusting I was several times.”

“Are you serious?” Karina asked, perplexed.

“Yes. I guess I have something for people who can’t stand my flirty tactics. Bonus points if they have teal eyes” Caesar snorted. “Maybe it’s true that physically you look more like me, but I can assure you that you are a lot like your grandmother.”

Karina wiped her tears again and rested her head on her grandfather’s shoulder. Caesar loosened the hug a little.

“I was… I was going to be with her. But-“

“You fell in love with Joseph” Karina interrupted. Caesar patted her hair.

“Yes.” He replied. “Besides, when I woke up it had been five months… and almost a whole year since the last time I saw her. I thought, and wished, that she could find happiness without me.”

Caesar paused for a few seconds. Karina looked at him. She could actually see regret on his face, making her feeling guilty about all of this.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be with her, supporting her. And I’m sorry I couldn’t be a father for your mother.” He murmured. “But I promise that, since now, I’ll protect all of you with my life.”

“Heh, it’s not necessary putting your life in danger for us, you know. Just… being there is okay.” Karina said, with a warm smile in her face. That was the first time in all the time she were in New York that Karina gave him a smile. Or just something that wasn’t a death glare in general.

The rest of the family, looking at the whole situation, couldn’t help but smile happily. Joseph looked proud of himself since he knew that earlier or later those two idiots would be able to improve their relationship; Avdol just sighed with a relieved smile on his face; and both Suzi and Billie just cried due to the happiness of the moment.

Caesar and Karina stood up and started walking to the apartment holding hands. Then, they found out the other four in their way. Caesar was kind of expecting it, but Karina wasn’t, and blushed.

“Seriously,” The Italian said. “so you really went after us…”

“We were veeery worried. Maybe you would end up killing each other or something, you know, Caesar-chan.” Joseph replied, grinning.

“I still can’t understand how you could fell in love with this utter idiot.” Karina said, while letting  go of Caesar’s hand due to her embarrassment.

“Yes, sometimes I ask myself that too.” Caesar said with a warm smile.