jojo-fantasy-aus - Tumblr blog

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

I had to reblog this from my main acc soo.... yeah.

Anyone else read their own fics and get angry that there's no update?? And then remember that you have to write it??? Bc F U C K

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

OH MY GOD YESTERDAY WAS FRIDAY-

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Oh!!! I subbed to It Takes Two on AO3 and found you on here by coincidence!! Hello ! 💜

Hi!! I'm so glad you found me!! :)

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

GFGDHSG I DIDNT MEAN TO POST THAT RN-

Oh well.

Enjoy the early chapter!

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy AU!

Josuke x F! Reader- ch9

It takes two!

Minor TW for bullying.

Can't wait to see ya'll next week!

"So," Josuke starts. "What did you have in mind?" Shigetchi smiles, almost vibrating in excitement. You were all seated comfortably in the carriage, promptly entering when Shigetchi asked you to, and unfortunately, Shigetchi had a bit of a rambling habit. Finally, after a few minutes on the road to his villa, he stopped talking long enough for Josuke to get a word in.

"I'm throwing a party this weekend." Shigetchi paused as if he was expecting immediate praise, but the carriage was silent. Okuyasu whistled and started to clap out of pity.

"... anyway." Shigetchi rolled his eyes. " I thought it'd be a better fit for the three of you to gain some leverage on the whole rescue situation. Viscount Brimsey, his family, and his colleagues all will be attending." Your face scrunched up in disgust.

"Family?" The Viscount has only one family member to speak of. His daughter, a redhead named Gwendolyn, was intolerable. Just like her father, she was a Royal suck-up, only she was more of a spoiled brat than her father. Shigetchi nodded.

"Yeah. I'm not too 'xcited about that. His daughter's always been a… well," You frowned.

"Trust me, I know. She used to visit the palace during her summer vacations." That, and pay the stable boys to put mud under your pillows. She's always been a rather jealous thing, and you can't imagine how well a future meeting would go without Yukako by your side to defend you from the Royal menace. Okuyasu scratched the back of his neck, looking quite confused.

"What's so bad about her? I thought all those rich ladies are supposed to be hot, and well mannered, and..." You couldn't help yourself from laughing. Where in the world would he get that idea? Josuke sighed out of embarrassment, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okuyasu, You've been reading too many newspapers." You giggled. Josuke's warm smile was a welcome sight at the action.

Shigetchi stretched widely, causing Okuyasu to shift uncomfortably next to him. He snatched a fancy flask from the inside of his coat pocket, taking a swig of something you hoped wasn't alcohol before shoving it away again. You could feel Josuke stiffen next to you. Wonder what was up with him?

"Anyway, if the three of you are up for it, I have jobs for you that I think will work perfectly for the information you're looking for." He smirks in an almost evil way. "What do ya say?"

----

"I can't believe you agreed to this." You muttered in a playful tone. All the jobs Shigetchi assigned to you were fitting, you as a server once again, Okuyasu as the guard just outside the doors, but out of all the jobs for him to give Josuke…

Apparently, he had caught Gwendolyn's eye while the three of you had been traversing the town over the past few days. Unfortunately for him, (and you) she had asked Shigetchi about him. After a little conversation with undoubtedly some bribery involved He agreed to get Josuke to be her escort. That's how you found out the real reason the kid had "invited" You all.

"She can't be that bad." You shook your head as you buttoned Josuke's borrowed tailcoat. He had no clue about this woman. He also had no clue on how to dress himself properly in such formal fashion, which was why you demanded to help him with his many layers. Honestly, it felt good to be this close to him.

"Oh please, she's like your worst date experience times ten."

"... well, I'm sure I'll be able to handle her." You rolled your eyes.

"Maybe. Rich girls like that tend to fall easily for a handsome face," Did you just say that out loud? Josuke stiffened a bit, and you prayed that it wasn't because you made him uncomfortable. You had to change the subject fast.

"Let's just hope she doesn't try insulting that hair of yours," you giggled a little awkwardly as Josuke ran a hand across his carefully styled pompadour defensively.

After finishing with his coat, and flittering around him to make sure everything was fine, you took a step back. You looked him up and down, appreciating how nice he looked in the clothes, even if they did look a little stuffy.

"You look great!" Josuke chuckled, a light blush on his cheeks. For a moment, but just a moment, he stopped, looking at you fondly with a smile. You smiled in return before a sudden look of shock flashed across his face.

"Hey! Before I forget…" You followed him with your eyes as he walked over to the grocery bags on the bed, pulling a round hat box out of the fray. You immediately recognized it from the same ones behind the counter at the market earlier today. Josuke walked over to you, holding out the box for you to take, and after a moment of confusion, you realized what he had done.

"You didn’t!" You gently scolded. He smiled, nudging the box forward again. You gently lifted the lid, a bright smile spreading across your face at the sight of the old hat.

"I meant to give it to you earlier, but with Shigetchi rolling in I didn't have time." You picket the hat up by the rim, holding it delicately in your hands. You were overjoyed, at first. But when the doubt sunk in it was impossible to get rid of.

The three of you only had so much money to use while you were here. Not to mention you weren't sure how long you would be away from your job. You were sure Okuyasu and Josuke weren't going to be paid by the foundation either. Why would he spend this money on you? There were so many other things you all had to worry about-

"But… Why this? Why for me?" Josuke paused, furrowing his brows at you with a sigh and setting the box back down in the bed. When he turned to look at you again it was hard to look away from his blue eyes.

"You deserve to enjoy the little things sometimes. Everyone does. Whether that little thing is an old, out of season hat or not." He started to reach out for you, but hesitated, sticking his hands in his pockets instead. "Plus, with everything going on, you gotta give back to yourself once in a while. Trust me, I know."

You smiled softly, that fluttery feeling blooming in your chest once more. Without thinking, you carefully set the hat back down in the box. Josuke looked like he was about to question you, but he didn't have time before you grappled him into a warm embrace.

Josuke returned the hug promptly. The two of you sat there for a good moment before a servant knocked on the door, letting you know that the guests have started arriving.

"I hope you're ready for this."

"Trust me, as long as you're around I'll be just fine."

----

It started just like any other party. With hands gingerly reaching out for oeuvres, simple gossip, sneering Nobles. It wasn't anything you hadn't seen before. It was easy to glide through the crowd, to catch snippets of conversation. Whatever you lacked in strength you definitely made up for in your ability to eavesdrop.

One by one businessmen and noblemen and their wives and family were announced at the door, every once in a while you'd glance up to see the faces entering. You tried not to let it get in the way of the job you were supposed to do, but when Gwendolyn Brimsey's name was announced you couldn't help but lookup.

What you saw made you go red in anger. It wasn't the fact that she was escorted by Josuke, or that she was smugly attached to his arm, it was the disgusting, powder pink dress she had on.

Wrong. That's what it was. It was wrong. The floral elements and lace were gone, replaced by satin and useless frills. The slim, A-line changed and puffed up with surely more petticoats than you could count. That was Yukako's dress. That was your mother's design. Or at least a cheap knockoff of the beauty that it was designed to be.

"Miss...?" You were startled out of your angry stare by one of the other servers. You smiled politely at the young man, hoping that the disgust hadn't been too evident in your face.

"Lord Yangu says that we should start serving champagne now."

"I'll be right there." You nodded, heading over to the kitchen. You pushed down the anger and disgust as you walked. Gwendolyn was not innocent as to what her display meant. That design was the last dress that Yukako was seen in. Your mother's dresses were remarkable. Each cut, design, frill- all of it was signature as your mother's specific tailoring. Everyone who looked at her knew. The only difference is that you knew she was begging to replace your best friend in the social circle of nobility.

You wove in and out of groups with the tray of champagne, trying your best to focus on what they were saying instead of the hate in your heart. You had a job to do, and no spoiled girl was going to take that from you.

"They say the duchess-"

"Oh! These are quite divine-"

"-and he said that to you? I'd-"

"... I can't wait till we can get that bitch out of our hair." The quick part of the conversation caught your ear. And you slowed for a moment, offering the tray to the others around you all the while Laser-focused in on the conversation, it wasn't hard to realize that it was once again the Viscount's goons from the dinner the night before. One out of the duo of men speaking shushed the other, glancing around before speaking softly.

"In more ways than one." The other scoffed. "I've been pulling my hair out for weeks with my stand-" There was that word again. Damn, it was so hard to tell what it meant based on context. Frustration aside, you knew that it was important to mention to Josuke. You busied yourself by refilling glasses around you, intent on listening to the remainder of the conversation.

At least, that was the plan. The high-pitched squeal of your name caught your attention. It was Gwendolyn, still attached to Josuke's side, and waving you over to her crowd with an empty champagne glass.

You begrudgingly trudged over with the bottle, making quick eye contact with Josuke before slowly filling glasses. After calling your name, Gwendolyn paid you no mind as she continued her conversation.

"Honestly, how did you find such a beautiful dress? It looks so much like the one Princess Yukako… " The woman trailed off as Gwendolyn shot her a glare. "It's incredible, I mean." Incredible was an exaggeration. You managed to hide your annoyance for the time being.

"I know~ I saw the design on some street in the royal city and just had to ask my seamstresses to recreate it!" You tried not to scowl outwardly. Gwendolyn was only mentioning it because she knew the shop was your mother's. It's like she's just trying to get under your skin.

"It's quite flattering on me, don't you think Josuke?"

"I-erhm," Josuke coughed politely, and unfortunately for him, she held his arm closer. The anger you felt now started to feel like a sad, stabbing pain as she did. Josuke's confident posture hardly changed through the conversation, despite his stuttering, and honestly. It hurt. You knew he was a lady's man, you had known since you met him. Did that fact stop you from being hurt? From being jealous? No. Should it have? You weren't sure.

"The dress is beautiful." His confident tone returned. "Who was the original designer?" Josuke's eyes flickered towards you for just a moment as you finished pouring their drinks. You had had quite enough and quickly walked away from them. You almost felt bad for leaving Josuke behind, but he looked like he could handle himself. He surely didn't need you to chaperone his little date.

----

Josuke honestly had no idea how he was going to go the whole night without snapping, and with you walking away from himself and the Red-head girl, angry and torn, he wasn't sure if he could.

He was distracted as the women continued to talk, following your form with his eyes as you faded into the party-goers.

"Sir Josuke?" He snapped out of his haze, turning towards Gwendolyn. He gave her a half-assed hum in response. Her face scrunched up in a mock-up anger.

"Were you even listening to me?" He smiled sheepishly. Damn, he has to think fast.

"No, sorry. I've been a little distracted, I haven't eaten yet today." Gwendolyn's face lit up into a smile again, waving the other noble Woman away as she led him by his arm. Josuke tried not to cringe. The feeling of her skin on his was just… It wasn't welcome. It didn't feel right. It didn't help the fact that he wasn't actually hungry.

She wasn't you.

"Oh! That's completely understandable!" Gwendolyn started walking over to the small table of savory appetizers, and he begrudgingly went along with her. He didn't want to respond when she kept talking. But the responsible part of him said otherwise.

"The food here is usually good, but honestly, the selection today is awful."

"Is it now? I thought everything was pretty good."

"Oh dear sir, you can't mean that. Look-" "Hate that- hate that. I'll only have caviar with truffle- oh! You should try the deviled eggs~"

Josuke smiled nervously as she shoved the egg in his face, offering to feed him. Oh no. No-no-no. He needed an excuse to get out of her grasp, and fast. Then, in a sudden moment, he spotted you across the room, heading into the kitchen. An idea flashed in his head, but he had no clue about the consequences that it would cause.

"I'm so sorry, but if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with my friend over there-" He moved away from her tight grasp with ease, her strength nothing compared to his, but he caught his arm again, looking at him with an accusing, disgusted look.

"Friend? That servant is your friend?" Josuke stiffened. Maybe you were right about this woman. She was awful after all.

"Yes. She is. I'll see you again in just a moment." He said, turning curtly and staking away, all the while a polite smile played on his face.

Although a few groups closest to where they had been started to gossip, most guests were completely unaware as Josuke wove through the floor and over to you. Gwendolyn snarled at no one in particular, narrowing her eyes as Josuke walked away.

"Need any help with that?" The deep voice startled you, causing you to almost drop the tray of dessert in your hands. Two hands steadied you, and you scoffed at Josuke.

"What are you doing? Where's Gwendolyn?" At this point, you were somewhat concerned. Josuke smiled sheepishly, warm hands brushing against yours when he was satisfied that you wouldn't fall.

"Well…" After his short pause, it took less than a second to figure out what was happening. You smirked.

"You couldn't handle her, could you?" Josuke rolled his eyes, a smile still wide on his face.

"Let's just say I needed a quick break from the party." You laughed.

"Sure, but try not to get on her bad side in the process." You mused, lifting a finger to point to Gwendolyn, who was still staring at the two of you, a dirty look on her face you were sure that she would hide once Josuke turned around. And she did, scowl turning into a bright smile when the knight spotted her. She waved him back over, and he sent a quick nod back, turning to you again.

"What time does this thing end again?" You couldn't help but burst out laughing from his words, switching the tray over to one hand while you pushed him with the other. His dazzling smile flooded your chest with comfort before he said goodbye, and walked over to the woman he was escorting.

The rest of the night flew by for you, but you can't imagine how long it must've felt for both of your companions. Strangely, it felt nice to be working again. Your feet started to hurt from all the walking, and you savored the thought of how wonderful you would sleep tonight. Unfortunately for you, a pair of envious eyes caught your daydreaming look. A sharp tug of your earlobe made you yelp, and you stopped in your tracks.

"Pay attention, Churl. Or you'll lose your footing." You glared at Gwendolyn, remembering about politeness and appearances after, and shifting your face into a lin-lipped smile.

"Sorry miss, did you need something?" Her smile did nothing to hide the malice in her eyes.

"I need you to remember your place. Low-borns like you have no place mingling with nobility." So that's what this is about. It was laughable. She had only known Josuke for a few hours at most and yet she was still laying her claim on him. You'd seen it multiple times before, with other various young men at court who she simply couldn't give away to any other woman. She'd lash out at anyone who spoke to the man she had fixed her desires on until she had bored herself with him and moved on to the next.

It wasn't healthy, and you used to hope that she would get help. To be better. But that was when you could still see good in her. Now, all you could see was the entitled person who her father had made. You didn't want to disrupt your appearance as the mild-mannered, polite servant, but someone had to burst her bubble.

"Sir Josuke has every right to speak to anyone he wishes." You had more to say, but you stopped prematurely. You had said enough. She certainly wouldn't take it well if you continued to say that she certainly wasn't exclusive to his affection- attention. Attention.

You had to remember before you went any more down the rabbit hole that whatever relationship you had with Josuke- or whatever you wanted to have, was one-sided. You were pining over a man who wouldn't return your feelings, and yet you wouldn't give up his friendship for anything in the world. If you could just stay his friend, that would be enough for you.

You didn't stop to look at Gwendolyn's face before you turned away from her to walk back to the kitchen. You thought she had taken the words rather well until your foot caught on something.

The ground came fast, and when you hit the marble, the tray of deserts pushed into your stomach. After a moment that felt like an hour of you desperately trying to catch your breath, you sat up slowly, covered in the frivolous dessert. You scowled at the giggles and laughs of the girls behind you, and began scooping the mess off the floor and into the trey.

"Some servant you are, can't even walk without tripping over your own feet. How sad." Gwendolyn sneered at you. You promptly finished cleaning up to the best of your ability, and stood. The red-head stood in your way when you tried to leave however.

"First you were fired from the palace, and now you're failing Lord Yangu and Sir Josuke. I'd just quit now if I were you." Hell. No. Usually you knew when to hold your tongue, especially in situations and settings like this, but you had worked too hard for your place at the palace to let that disrespectful statement slide. You'd been through hell in back for both your station and your friends and this was your fucking snapping point.

"I wasn't fired from the palace, you'd know that if you plucked your head out of your ass during your summer trips and paid enough attention to Princess Yukako and the King to figure out that she wasn't going to let me go anytime soon. And another thing-"

You quickly snapped yourself out of your daydream, completely aware that such words could get you completely kicked out of both your mission to find Yukako and the inner circle of Viscount Brimsey. So instead, with hands shaky from adrenaline, you simply tipped the trey forward. A simple mistake for a shaky servant. You looked straight into Gwendolyn's eyes as a glob of cake fell on her infuriating intricate, powder pink dress.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! That's entirely my bad, madam. I'll bring you some towels after I clean myself up." You relished in the sounds of her immediate wailing. What you did not expect however, was the skinny teenager to grab you by the collar of your dress and seemingly ready herself to hit you. The trey slipped from your grip once more.

"You little twat! I'll-" A pair of strong hands separated the two of you, Josuke pulling you back from her and making sure the trey was held tightly in your grip. When did it- you were sure that you had just dropped it!

"There we go!" He smiled, face a complete contrast to his eyes, which burned with anger. "You still seem a bit shaky, I'll escort you to the kitchen." Gwendolyn huffed, but didn't say a word to Josuke as he led you away.

As soon as you stepped through the kitchen doors you set the tray down, hands shaking even worse now. God- you thought you had seen spoiled brats in your days at the palace, but this chick was impossible!

"Are you alright?" You rolled your eyes.

"Oh, sure. I'm just dandy." Josuke frowned at you, stepping closer.

"Look, you know she's hard to handle. Just try to make two more hours, alright? Just two more hours and you'll never have to serve her again." You scoffed at him, grabbing a kitchen rag from the cabinets to wipe off the sticky mess that used to be desert.

"You don't think I already knew that? I don't know what's changed but she's completely- it's like she's gone mad! She managed to turn worse than she used to be. I just don't understand how she's managed to inflate her ego so much since the last I saw her." You turned to the indoor water pump and grabbed a bucket, slowly filling it with enough water that you could rinse your arms. Josuke paused after your words, brows furrowed, thinking.

He was about to speak when Okuyasu burst through the kitchen doors, he scared the shit out of the both of you. The bucket almost knocked over until it rocked back onto its bottom, the water stilling unnaturally. When you turned, Josuke's gaze was still on you. Soft gaze shortly turning to Okuyasu as the loud man sighed.

" 'don't know about you guys, but I'm starting to think that this is a waste of time." He looked up, scanning faces in the room, immediately sensing the fading tension.

"Everythin' alright?"

----

The moment you got back home you went straight to your room without speaking to either of your companions. You were frustrated, angry, sad- today had been such a disaster. You sighed, folding back the covers on your bed and preparing yourself for bed. You had just finished changing out of your ruined clothes when someone knocked.

"Come in." You said, maybe a bit more sour than you had planned. Josuke enters, face already scrunched up in a concerned look. Fuck! You were so tired of that look- even if it was from Josuke, you were tired of being worried about. It's not like he actually… cared.

But you know he does.

It's just not in the way you wished it could be.

"What's wrong? You haven't said a word to Okuyasu or I since we got home." You huffed, busying yourself with removing the necklace and setting it down with unnecessary carefulness.

"I'm just not in the mood to talk, ok?!" You snapped. Josuke slowly approached you from the door, sitting down at the foot of your bed so that you couldn't ignore him or go to bed unless he moved.

"Is it about Gwendolyn?" You stiffened.

"Who else would it be about? Josuke, she humiliated me today." He frowned.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Are you?..." You said, your tense shoulders had fallen. You felt dejected. Remembering just how she treated Josuke, how she touched him.

"She was all over you Josuke. I'm not sure you would've even noticed the accident if she hadn't been the one to do it." The words felt wrong as they fell out of your mouth, and the wrongness increased as josuke stood, insulted.

"I- you really think I wouldn't notice that?"

"I don't know!" You tore your eyes away from him, looking at the floor instead. Your insides felt like they were tearing themselves out.

"... I don't know." You repeated. Josuke started slowly walking towards you.

"Have you really not realized it yet?"

"What Josuke?! What could I possibly be missing right now besides a temper?" You said bitterly. Josuke's skin burned hot against your own as he grabbed your arms gently, staring straight into your eyes with an almost- an almost sad look. He lifted a hand to your cheek, caressing your face fondly. You tried your best to not melt into his touch. Regret immediately flooded you. Why were you acting so mean? So jealous? There was no point in it. Josuke deserves to love anyone he pleased. You certainly weren't on the table, you never would be-

Josuke called your name.

"I am hopelessly, irrevocably, in love with you."

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Chapter 9 drops tomorrow, how we feeling?

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Oh boy

Ya'll are gonna kill me when chapter 9 drops next week.

And that is the only thing I'm going to say, feel free to guess what happens until then. ;)

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy Au!

Josuke x F! Reader-ch 8

It takes two!

The fic is back!

Updates should be every Friday from now on, but don't be surprised if I miss a day by accident, or need to go on hiatus again!

No major TWs, but a small warning for crowd anxiety in the very beginning.

The market was alive with the hustle and bustle of customers the next morning. Sidewalks crowded, vendors almost sold out even in the early morning hours. It was a good thing that you tried to get here so early, in an attempt to come before the crowd, but it seems everyone else had the same idea. 

It was nice at first, when Josuke, Okuyasu, and yourself arrived at the outskirts of the market. But when you tried to venture further to find a pumpkin and the many spices sold at the market… The crowds started to make you queasy. It all seemed too similar, and it was making you feel like you were trapped back in the same memory. The vendors and tents and never-ending buyers and endless turns-

"Josuke," You called, grabbing a hold of his arm. He stopped, turning back to you with a concerned look. Okuyasu kept walking, more enamored with the endless produce than the rest of his party.

"Is everything ok?" You shook your head, stepping closer to him anxiously as another large crowd pushed past the two of you. You swallowed thickly.

"Can- can we just… The crowds are-" Another man bumped into you harshly, earning a glare from Josuke. You squeezed his arm, holding him closer and taking his arm with your other hand as well, desperately trying to make yourself look and feel smaller so that the crowd would hopefully pass you by. Josuke gently slipped his arm out of your grip, instead slipping it around your waist and guiding you out of the thicket of people. You hardly noticed.

You let out a sigh of relief, that was horrible. Who knew crowds could be so suffocating? You had almost forgotten that Josuke was still with you, only remembering when you felt his hand rubbing your back. You flushed, glancing at his concerned face for a moment before immediately stepping out of his hold.

"Sorry!-"

"Sorry-" You both spoke at the same time, giving each other a bewildered look before laughing the slightest bit. Josuke's warm smile made you feel fuzzy, and you prayed that he couldn't see your blush.

"You go first," Josuke said with a smile, relaxing with his hands in his pockets. You subconsciously fiddled with the flower necklace again, whether it was out of anxiety or trying not to focus too much on Josuke, you honestly didn't know.

"I- well I was going to apologize for freaking out back there. I just haven't been in a large crowd since-" You quieted a bit, trailing off. "...Since the Gala." Josuke gave you an understanding look.

"... Yeah, I kinda figured. Don't worry about it. Are you alright now?" You nodded.

"I am. But…" Remembering suddenly,  you immediately turned around, standing on your tiptoes to look over the crowd.

"We lost Okuyasu!" Josuke's eyes widened, immediately trying to look over the crowd with you.

"Damn. There's definitely no finding him." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's just hope he doesn't get into any trouble." You sighed, conflicting emotions crashing over another in your chest

"Well, we could just… go back into the crowd to find him? I'll just… I don't know, I'll just power through it." Josuke scoffed, pouting at you in an annoyed way.

"Are you kidding?" You almost went to respond but bit your lip when you realized that it was a rhetorical question. Duh. You folded your arms sheepishly, and Josuke sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. I just don't want you to push yourself. We'll catch up with him eventually." Josuke glanced around, eyes focusing on something. You couldn't help but admire those eyes for just a moment. His azure irises were stunning. Why hadn't you noticed that before? Josuke called out your name, and you snapped out of your haze. 

"Did you hear me?" You flushed

"No, sorry. I spaced out for a moment." Josuke smiled at you, an action that made your stomach flutter, and he nudged his head in the direction of a vendor with colorful crops displayed. Most were picked through, but many squashes and gourds remained. Butternut squash, crookneck squash, acorn squash… pumpkin.

"Pumpkin!" You exclaimed, excitedly making your way over to the stand with Josuke not far behind. 

"We completely missed it while trying to keep up with Okuyasu. I doubt he's found any yet, we can go ahead and get one if you'd like." Smiling, you nodded to greet the lady on the other side of the stand, before picking through what was left of the smaller pumpkins.

"I think we should. I'm sure Okuyasu would appreciate it." Josuke stepped a little closer to you, helping you look through the produce.

"So, now that we've finally got a moment to talk about it…-oh! Here." Josuke's strong arm reached past you, your eyes lingered on his muscles for a moment before he handed you a perfect pumpkin. Your face remained flushed. 

"-You and Okuyasu, huh?" You snapped your head over to look at Josuke's face, shocked.

"P-pardon?" You stammered, handing the vendor the cash for the small pumpkin. She smiled at you, fishing over some change before tending to the next customer. Josuke cocked an eyebrow at you.

"You don't have to be coy about it. Okuyasu's a good man. It's good that he's finally got someone like you to-"

"Whoah, whoa, whoa! Slow down there." You let out a nervous laugh. "Okuyasu and I are definitely not courting each other," Josuke smirked at you, nudging you with his elbow as the two of you made your way to the next vendor.

"Well, why not? He's big, strong, a family man. You've already tried his baked goods, he seems like the ideal suitor for a nice girl like you." You shook your head, face a deep red from embarrassment. Ho boy, how were you going to get Josuke off your back without spilling something you'd regret later? 

"Look- I appreciate the insight Josuke, but I…" You glanced at his face nervously, quickly looking back towards the streets and holding the Gourd just a little tighter.

"... I kinda have someone else in mind." You didn't quite catch Josuke's slight frown before it was replaced by his normal, radiant smile.

"Well, you'll have to tell me about them then." You rolled your eyes at him, pace beginning to slow as you left the produce-centric part of the market and stumbled into the colorful rows of retailers.

Out of all the beautiful dress displays, hairpins, and winter cloaks, a small hat stand caught your eye. You slowed to a stop to admire the handy work, cozy, winter bonnets and hats set out to be seen by travelers and working women who will be amongst the elements as the days grew colder. And to the side, simple wicker hats left over from the summer season.

One, in particular, stood out to you. The wicker hat had a deep, emerald green ribbon. It was a little stiff, and definitely out of season, but it had a charm to it. You set the pumpkin in your bag and gingerly picked it up to get a better look at it.

"Pretty simple, isn't it?" The milliner's words caught your attention and your gaze flickered to him with a smile.

"Simple, but pretty." He smiled, shaking his head at you.

"It's been here for a while, sadly. You seem pretty enamored by it though, so I'll cut you a deal if you're interested." He was called away by another customer and promised to be back in a moment. You looked back at the hat, and after a moment of indecisiveness, set it back down.

"You're not going to get it?" Josuke asked. You had almost forgotten he was there. You stepped away from the stand, turning to him and pressing your lips into a thin smile.

"No, I don't really need it. Besides, it's out of season… and we're not in a place to be spending frivolously right now anyway." Josuke opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by someone calling both of your names. The two of you turned to see Okuyasu, bags in hand, waving you over excitedly. You smile widely at the sight, beginning to head over.

"I'll be over in just a moment, you go on ahead." You were a little confused at Josuke's words, but with Okuyasu's insistent calling, you gave him a well-meaning nod and walked over to your friend. 

Okuyasu was ecstatic when you showed him the pumpkin you bought, sadly showing you the disappointing Gourd he bought himself. (For way too much, mind you.) His happy demeanor returned when you began to discuss where the three of you could stop to eat lunch. Before long, Josuke had joined the two of you once again. 

"Sorry about that, hey-" Josuke called your name, you could tell he had something in his hands, but the crowd erupted in cheers. The three of you quickly turned to see what was going on, Josuke switching hands with whatever he was holding, and stepping in front of you protectively. A small action that reminds you of just how… well, how kind, and brave, and lovely he is. You pinched the bridge of your nose. Damn. You had it bad.

The crowd sluggishly parts with yet more cheering and celebration, as a fine carriage rolls through. Funnily enough, it stops in front of you and the boys. You almost laugh when you realized who the crowd was treating like royalty.

"Oi! Punks!" Josuke and Okuyasu both scowl as the door slides open, Shigetchi speaking from the large carriage. He sends a wink at you and you respond with a wave, flushing more from uncomfortableness than flattery. God, this kid felt so much younger than you. 

"I've got a job for the three of you." He smiles brightly, opening the door wider. "What are you waiting for? Come on in!" 

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

PFFT

Ok so I was wrong

I underestimated my ability to speed write while completely sleep deprived. Chapter dropping just as soon as I finish editing!

i

Uh

I have been gone for months and I am sorry

BUT

Chapter 8 will be coming out this week I promise

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

first off I'd like to say,

IM SO SORRY

and second I'd like to let yall know that it might be a little bit longer before it's done. I've been super busy lately and I promise I'll try to write more ahead of time so that I can post regularly.

But trust me, this next chapter will definitely be worth it.

i

Uh

I have been gone for months and I am sorry

BUT

Chapter 8 will be coming out this week I promise

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

i

Uh

I have been gone for months and I am sorry

BUT

Chapter 8 will be coming out this week I promise

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy Au!

Josuke x F! Reader - ch 7

It Takes Two.

This chapter is a but shorter than usual, but I hope Ya'll enjoy!

----

Your eyes fluttered open as you lay in the comfy, warm, bed. This was useless. You had been trying to fall asleep for hours, it felt like, but all you could do was twist and turn and flip your pillow over and over again. 

With a sigh, you sat up in bed, reaching over to the side table with a blind hand. The square matchbox was easy to find, and with a flick of your wrist you lit the candle next to you. The room filled with a soft warm light.

It felt impossible to quiet the thoughts in your head. You thought that you'd gotten over the guilt from the fight this morning, but you couldn't stop thinking about it. You were so angry, but why? After years of serving at the palace you thought you had learned to hold your temper, but everything had just felt so out of control.

And then there was Josuke. How had he remained so… so calm? He wasn't angry, just shocked. Or was he angry? Was he just hiding it? The more you thought about it the more your head hurt. You needed a break.

The cold floors slightly creaked under you as you stood and picked up the candlestick, gingerly opening the door to your room. 

You tiptoed down the stairs as silent as you could in such an old house, and the sound of a fire going was loud and clear in the quiet night. That was curious, who else could be up at this hour? A split second thought of the person being Josuke made your stomach flutter, and you pressed a cold hand to your hot face. Were you…? 

No. You decided that you would analyze your own thoughts later, it was much too late for this.

Finally reaching the last step, you headed towards the living room where the main fireplace was. 

Warm light leaked through a small crack in the door, and for a moment you hesitated before opening it further. The cold doorknob pressed into your palm as you pulled the squeaky door open to peer into the room.

The man half-asleep on the couch caught you by surprise, and your heart sunk when you realized it wasn't Josuke, staying up a little later, wandering the house with those fitted sleepshirts he wears…

You physically shook the thought from your head, stepping into the room fully. Okuyasu's eyes were open, but it looked like he hadn't noticed you. In fact, you were pretty sure he was snoring. A notebook and quill had been abandoned in his lap.

"Okuyasu?" The man snorted violently, and then choked on the breath, doubling over in a cough. You covered your mouth to keep yourself from laughing as he tried to regain his composure.

"Keeping vigilant watch over the fire I see?" You mused, blowing out the candle in your hand. Okuyasu gasped dramatically and ran to the fireplace in front of him, peering at the dying embers. He settled back on the couch once he was confident that the fire wasn't an immediate threat.

"Thanks for waking me up, Shigetchi would'a killed me if I burned down this house." You smiled brightly, settling down on a rocking chair yourself. 

"Not if Josuke got to you first." He let out a goofy chuckle before stretching his arms with a big yawn, stiff joints popping all at once. The silence settled for just a moment. 

" 'Mind if I ask why you're up so late, Miss?" Okuyasu said a little too loudly. You shush him, reminding him that there was, in fact, another person in the house. Once he nervously apologized you answered him.

"I haven't been able to sleep. I guess I've just been thinking too much." You subconsciously rocked back and forth on the chair as you spoke. Okuyasu nodded, leaning comfortably back on the couch. 

"We all seem to have that in common, huh?"

"All?" 

Okuyasu smiled in a goofy way, shaking his head before speaking up in his gruff, sleep deprived voice. 

"Josuke wouldn't go to bed until you got back, all he did was wait out in the stables the whole time. And even then he didn't fall asleep until a few hours ago." He laughed. Instantly your face flushed, a strange feeling blooming in your chest when you thought about it. Josuke worries too much.

" I fell asleep right after you left for the dinner thing. Had a dream- No! A divination about a new pumpkin bread recipe. Woke up 'bout an hour or two later with an itch to write it down, but…" Okuyasu glanced at the papers in his lap, some scrawled over and scratched out with the ink. He frowned, just slightly.

"I just can't seem to get it right." You hummed, brows furrowing. That was quite a predicament. The one thing you had learned about Okuyasu was the sweet man had quite the gift for baking, so much so that you'd much rather call it an art, and him an artist. Even then, he still hit walls in inspiration. Your face lit up when an idea flashed in your head 

"We could go to the market tomorrow? I heard from Shigetchi that they harvested the last of the fall crop recently, so they should have some good pumpkins ready. -mabye we can ask to borrow some of his spices too! I'm sure you'll have it figured out by then." Okuyasu's face lit up immediately, looking at you with stars in his eyes.

"Whoah!! That's such a great idea- I didn't even think about adding spices!!" Okuyasu cheered, snatching the quill back into his hand. You must have given him some kind of idea already, because he was already aggressively writing things down. He quietly rambled off the things he would need to get from the market under his breath. The small action ignited a smile, it was nice to see him so happy. It was no wonder that this goofball and Josuke were best friends, they were both filled with passion and excitement for even the littlest of things. 

You didn't realize you had spaced out until Okuyasu spoke up again.

"You're so smart! It's no wonder Josuke likes you so much!" Your face heated up in a split second. Did he really just say that?

"He what?" Okuyasu looked up at you, a face of confusion turning into panic. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could the door creaked open.

"What're you guys doing?" You jumped at the sound of Josuke's voice. Turning around in your chair to face him.

He looked dead tired, almost half awake as he stood there. He was still in his pajamas, (weren't you all,) which were just some baggy pants and a green shirt with a neckline that maybe dipped a bit too low… But even still he looked so handsome.

The flush of blood in your face was hopefully still hidden by the looming night, as it had become even worse when you realized you were staring.

"I- well I couldn't sleep, so I came downstairs and found Okuyasu…" He sent you a pleading look. Right, maybe you shouldn't tell Josuke that he could've burnt the house down.

"-Trying to write down a recipe all night." Josuke's face shifted a bit, but he nodded. He sent a disappointed glare in Okuyasu's direction, and the mercenary panicked, frantically waving his hands back and forth in surrender.

"Look- I know you told me to stop staying up so late- but bro- this recipe!" You giggled a bit as Okuyasu struggled out the excuses. Josuke sighed, shaking his head at his friend. He was so caring. You could tell that from the moment you met him. You looked at him fondly, but he didn't turn to see.

Maybe having a little bit of a crush on Josuke wasn't such a bad idea after all. 

When the three of you eventually dispersed and went to bed, it was almost difficult to remove yourself from Josuke's side. An exchange of a soft Goodnight made your stomach flutter all over again, and the moment you closed your door you slid down the surface and onto the floor.

This was definitely not just "a bit of a crush" anymore.

Shit.

Josuke sighed heavily as he closed his door, heart wrenching as he pried himself away from you. You and Okuyasu had just been talking, that was all. Right? He shouldn't be jealous of his friend. There wasn't even a reason to be jealous. But then he thought of your giggle as Oku rambled, and the short moment you hesitated while explaining why you had been up so late, and his chest felt like it started to squeeze in on itself. 

He was overthinking this. Okuyasu would never try to court her when it was so obvious that he was trying to himself. He's a good friend, always will be too. 

He couldn't stop thinking about what Okuyasu said after he came home from Shigetchi's. Sure, he didn't know that Josuke had been watching over you instead of taking care of the horses all night, but his words still hit in all the fuzzy places.

"She's worried about you too, Ya'know that? Barely got a foot in the door before asking where you'd gone off too. 'Didn't get to answer before you walked back in to say hi," 

He had only been standing there for a moment before you changed the subject and started telling the two of them about your lead. He remembered how you couldn't look him in the eye. He had no doubt that it was because you felt terribly guilty for slapping him.

 Josuke pulled back the covers and crawled into the bed that had long gone cold. You had never meant to harm anyone, not for the short amount of time he knew you however. You certainly never meant to harm him in the way you did. It was the first time in a while that someone had gotten physical with him, and he didn't get mad. He supposed that it was simply because it was you. You, looking so… so scared. He would've been offended that you thought he was one of those men from back at the camp, but he out of all people definitely knew the toll that trauma can take on people.

"Love is fickle like that sometimes…"

The sentence had been burning into his mind for a while, and so had you. 

He fell asleep with the thought of you on his mind.

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy Au!

Joksuke x F!Reader-ch 6.

It Takes Two.

I call this chapter "please dont bottle up your feelings"- enjoy!

----

You had only ever seen royals eat such extravagant, foreign food. Things like that just weren't on the menu for the working class unless it was a holiday or festival. Even then, you still had never had any yourself, until now that is.

Rows upon rows of lunch courses were laid out in front of you on the rosewood table. You were already salivating, this was quite a feast, and a delicious one at that. The savory smells that filled the air could make a man go mad. You weren't the only one stuffing your face, but you certainly were the only one out of your original group to restrain yourself just enough to not look like a feral squirrel. Shigetchi laughed as he looked over the table.

"I hope you enjoy this Josuke, Okuyasu. Because it's the only free meal you're going to get from me!"

You smile a bit at the small man's exclamation, but Josuke and Okuyasu only groan.

"Come on man, aren't you a little too rich to be so stingy?" Okuyasu huffs, mouth still full of food. Josuke nods aggressively in support, chewing avidly on his lunch. Shigetchi chuckles, and you almost flinch when he grabs his fork a little too violently. It was just a way for him to bluff retaliation, you were sure, but even so the action had you on edge. It was normal, considering the events in the past week.

The men's conversation became a little muffled, and you had almost lost your appetite. Simply pawing at the food with your fork. Life really had gotten a bit strange, hadn't it?... Would it ever go back to normal again? You had tunnel vision, dead set on your plate. You were starting to feel defenseless as you recited everything over again in your head. No wonder you were so jumpy, you were living your worst nightmare. One in which you were constantly in peril and haven't been able to do shit about it. You really weren't hungry at all anymore, anxiety had filled your stomach instead of food.

"Miss? Did you hear me?" You snapped your head up, and everyone was staring at you. You swallowed the food you had just now realized you were still chewing, and nervously set down your fork. You had spaced out for a bit longer than you realized. You noticed before you spoke that Josuke had tensed, avoiding eye contact with you.

"Sorry, I'm a bit out of sorts today. Could you repeat that?" Shigetchi nodded. Wiping his face with his napkin.

"I've invited the rich man that you are investigating over for tea this afternoon. I have vowed to him not to discuss any of our business operations, but that doesn't mean I can't plant a spy." He started to twirl his fork in between his fingers, setting his elbow down on the table to rest his head in his hand. He had such bad manners for a man with so much money.

"Okuyasu would stand out right away, and Josuke has no clue on how to properly serve tea, or food for that matter. You are the only person that can properly get the job done without raising suspicion, or be legally tracked back to me."

"Oh," You murmured. He wanted you to spy? Such a thing was so adamantly discouraged at the Palace, that you almost immediately rejected the idea. But you knew he was right. This was definitely something you could do quite well. You pursed your lips as you thought about it, you would finally have a foot in the door of finding the princess, instead of just watching others help the cause. You were about to answer when Josuke spoke up.

"I don't think she should do it." Your brows furrowed at Josuke, Shigetchi looked confusedly at him. Okuyasu was still eating.

"You took a vow not to speak about anything you discuss with this man, correct? So what do we do if he finds out She's a spy. Shigetchi, this too dangerous in the long run." He was right. You knew he was right. It was just so frustrating to realize. If you did this- you would finally be useful again. You would stop being completely useless to the team you had devised. If anything you had been more of a nuisance than a teammate all this time anyway.

You suddenly felt determined to see this plan through. Josuke was sweet, and smart, and kind, but you couldn't play it safe like he wanted you to. You told him that already, earlier today. You realized that in a flash of anger. You had to do this. If not for the princess, for yourself.

"Everything that we are doing is dangerous, Josuke. Why would this be any different than anything we've done before?" You hadn't meant for your voice to raise, but you were much too angry to apologize. The food was long forgotten by now, even Okuyasu had stopped eating. Josuke raised an eyebrow at you.

"It's different because it's you. You, all alone without any sort of defense in case things go wrong-"

"I'm not defenseless!" You shouted, standing straight up and slamming your hands on the table. You were shaking from the adrenaline. Why did you do that? It was like all the emotion from the past few days started to catch up with you in one awful moment. All three men looked at you, suddenly very concerned. You felt the need to leave before you were flooded with shame and regret. You looked straight at Shigechi.

"I'll do it. Let me know the details later, I'm afraid I must take my leave." Just like that, you had stormed out of the dining hall and into the corridor.

Your vision had started to tear up. Why had you snapped so suddenly? It was so hard to understand everything that was going on, besides the fact that the people around you clearly didn't have faith in you. Your heart was pounding in your ears. Whatever this was, it wasn't healthy. You used to sit with Yukako for hours, and you would just let each other unload, obviously it hadn't been possible to do that lately. You took a deep breath, desperately trying to keep yourself from crying. Josuke's call of your name cut clear through the air, but you kept walking. He called again, this time right by your side. Damn him and his cardio.

"I never wanted to imply you were- I'm just- worried about you!" You snorted, speed-walking faster. Josuke easily kept up.

"I told you this morning that I was not going to go home. That also meant that I was not going to just sit back and do nothing while you and Okuyasu are out working your asses off to find Yukako!" He huffs at your words, eyes casted downwards.

"I'm sorry. I know you've already given me your answer, but I just don't think doing this without m- without at least one of us is a good idea." You didn't want to talk to him anymore. You were starting to feel bad for yelling again, but it was understandable right? You had a reason to be angry, didn't you? After a silent split second Josuke called your name again, and grabbed your wrist.

You didn't know if it was the tug from him stopping dead in his tracks and pulling on your arm, or how overwhelmed you were. It was just a reflex. You knew it was him but for a moment it felt like that disgusting man again-

The slap stung your palm long after it was over and done with. You didn't know what to do. You just stood there, wide eyed at your own actions, looking at Josuke. He stared back, heart-wrenching incredulous eyes looking through you.

"I- I'm so, so sorry. I didn't- I don't-" Tears started to well over in your eyes. You didn't know what to say. Josuke didn't let go of your arm, gently holding it in his grasp.

"It's okay. I'm sorry for tugging on you like that." The tears started to come faster, and your face started to scrunch up in an ugly cry. Josuke softly pulled you into an embrace, testing the waters almost, and you couldn't help but melt into his warmth. You held onto him like he was your lifeline, your bodies pressed as close together as they could.

 

After that, Josuke realized that part of the reason you were acting so strange had to be the lack of control you had. There wasn't really any other explanation to it. He could see how overwhelmed you were, and made a decision for both of your sakes. He would follow you back to Shigetchi's tonight, and you would never know.

Maybe he should've listened to his mom when she suggested he be a doctor.

 

You felt much, much better after crying. Of course, the guilt of this morning still remained. Shigetchi probably thought you were crazy though. After taking the few hours in-between lunch and the meeting to calm yourself, you were confident you would do this job perfectly.

You had never blended in so well before. Serving the dishes and the tea was a piece of cake, you were a bit smug that all of those years serving the royal cook's food with hard-earned poise and grace finally came in handy.

The man that Shigetchi had over for tea was Viscount Brimsey, a man you had seen quite often in fact. One word to describe him thoroughly would be, "royal ass-kisser". It seemed that his reputation at the castle followed him here as well.

"You've quite outdone yourself, Yangu. These scones are quite divine," you fought the urge to roll your eyes as you served the tea with ease.

"Thank you," Shigetchi smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Sarah, my cook, has always done an excellent job."

"I'm jealous, the old maid at the villa has started to get sloppy with the preparations. Just last week she…"

The fine China teapot gently landed on the tray with a clink, and you carefully picked it up and set it on the trolley. The Viscount paid you no mind as you rolled the tray out of the room. Shigetchi gave you a slight nod as you left. You knew what you were to do. No one noticed when you left the door open by a crack.

You stood there for quite a bit, and it was definitely quite boring. You busied yourself with checking on the food and tea still on your trolley, trying to look like you weren't peeping in to any other servant that would pass by.

"...The economy lately…"

"...have you been to the theatre recently?..."

"...my rose garden is…"

You had been hunched over the trolley for so long your back started to hurt. Was this truly the man you were supposed to investigate? If he was in any way dangerous, it certainly didn't show in his conversation. It was getting rather difficult to not fall asleep standing. You could hear someone's footsteps come down the hallway, and stood up straight immediately, starting to place more tea cakes and sweets on two more serving plates.

"The princess was always a brat anyway." It was the Viscount's coach and footman, walking down the marble-floored hallway in their disgusting, muddy boots. Were they seriously talking about such a sensitive topic so openly? You glanced at him from the corner of your eye.

"It's no wonder she was grabbed instead of the king. The little bitch had it coming." They both let out a loud laugh, and you tried to hold your temper. Yukako wasn't a brat, nor was she as patient as you were. She would've socked them in the jaw by now.

"Did you see her face when-" The first plate slipped from your hands by complete accident. Fuck. You frantically bent over to pick up the glass and ruined food. "Did you see her face," that had to be talking about her while at the Festival, right? The words had caught you so off guard that you ruined a good lead. Damn it. Maybe you should be investigating this guy and his employees after all.

The men had approached you fast, looming over your bent form, but instead of looking intimidating, they looked nervous.

"Sorry miss, did you, uh, hear our conversation just then?" You had to think quickly.

"Veux-tu manger?" The men were taken aback for a moment, and then started to laugh.

"Just another dumb foreigner." That was a close one. You really said "would you like to eat?". Thank God they didn't understand your awful French pronunciation. The men waved at you, and opened the big door that led to the sunroom. You could hear Shigetchi and the Viscount stop conversation immediately.

"Sorry, my Liege. Your daughter is requesting your presence at the villa." The Viscount chuckled. Wiping his face and standing from the table, tipping his head at Shigechi.

"I'm afraid I must go. Thank you for your gracious meal, Yangu." Shigetchi nodded, giving his regards as the Viscount left. You curtsied slightly as he passed you no matter how disgusted you felt. The conversation overheard was more than enough to place blame on the man. You held back a smirk, a feeling of triumph rising in your chest.

You hoped Yukako and Koichi would hold on just a bit longer. You were on the road to finding them.

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy au!

Josuke x F! reader- ch 5

It takes Two

So I just realized after a month that I forgot to upload ch5 here-

Anyway! No TW today! We've escaped the era of creepy men.

It wasn't over as soon as you would've liked, but the moment they popped that lid back open it was possibly the greatest feeling you ever had.

"Oh thank god." You stood up a little too quickly, and stumbled for your balance for just a moment.

"Please, never make me do that again." Josuke laughed a bit, helping you out of the barrel gently. It felt so nice to stretch your legs, arms, and everything really. You had made it out of that godforsaken barrel. Night was still well overhead, and the cold breeze remained as awful as ever. Okuyasu had sat back in the front seat, complaining about the late night endeavor. Josuke scoffed at his behavior.

"You're tired. We get it, but we still need to go over the plan with her, dumbass." Your face shifted in confusion.

"Ouch bro!"

"Plan?" You said over Okuyasu's fake offended words. Josuke nodded, taking his satchel out of the back of the cart and pulling something out. You recognized it as a map as he unfurled it.

"The good News is, Jotaro and the Foundation have been on the search for the Princess and Koichi as well. But…" You felt your heart drop.

"There's bad news?" Josuke nodded solemnly.

"...That man from the alleyway gave us false information. The town he named doesn't actually exist. Jotaro believed that the direction was correct though, so we're going to rendezvous with an old friend that believes the kidnapping has to do with some Duke in his town." He pointed at the town on the paper, it looked like it was at least a few hours away. You might make it there by dawn if you travel through the night without stopping. There was hope, but exhaustion was weighing you down.

"It's good that we have a lead," you yawned, wiping at your eyes in a feeble attempt to keep yourself awake. "Are we traveling through till daylight?" Josuke smiled softly at you, nodding. You couldn't figure out why his smile was so infectious.

"Since you're tired, Okuyasu and I will take the first shift." You couldn't protest that! Josuke went around front as you happily hopped into the back. Okuyasu's tired groans made you feel at least a little guilty, but soon enough you felt yourself slipping away into sleep.

 

Slowly blinking yourself awake was harder than you expected it to be. You were so tired...

"I've never seen you look so soft around someone, Jo. Hehe. After acting so annoyed at all the girls after you too! you've-"

"Shut up, Okuyasu!"

It was hard for you to understand what the two men were saying. You still felt exhausted from the night before. Wait a second, did they ever wake you up to drive the cart? The sleep-deprived brain started to fade away, and cleared up completely when the cart came to a stop. You sat up as Josuke called your name.

"Yeah?"

"We've made it." Your back popped as you sat up, evidently sleeping on a rickety wooden cart wasn't that comfortable. With daylight finally overhead, you realized that your dress was clean..? You figured it had to do with Josuke, his powers baffled you to a great extent. Okuyasu was the one to help you out of the back this time, you didn't see the smirk he sent towards Josuke. Your group had stopped just outside the town, where a little farmhouse stood. It was a little shabby, and certainly not much to look at. What really baffled you was the extravagant carriage just outside.

"Josuke! Punk! Its good to see you!" You instantly recognized who it was, even if you had never officially met, you had seen him be announced at royal events many times. Shigekiyo Yangu, usually referred to as shigetchi, was 17. After having a bad accident In his early youth, the kid had wanted to make a better neighborhood for his parents, and did so by buying the entire town. This teenage landlord was richer than most of the royalty you had met, and being Yukako's right hand, that said a lot. You never expected Josuke to know someone like this.

He ran up to the two, excitedly shaking their hands. Josuke and okuyasu looked happy to see him as well. Shigetchi glanced over at you when he had calmed.

"Oh? Who's this?" You introduced yourself, and he smiled wide.

"It's good to meet you, what's a nice girl like you doing with these thugs?" You suppressed a laugh as the two in question bristled in annoyance. You could almost feel the heat that the two hot-headed men produced. You waved him off, desperate to relieve the tension even if it was hilarious. Josuke was the one who calmed himself first, sighing.

"Shigetchi, I'm desperate to sleep on an actual bed, can you please just let us in?"

"Oh! Sorry I had almost forgotten!" He fished around in his pockets for a bit, before finding it in a triumphant moment. He was such a funny little man.

"So when can I expect payment from Jotaro's foundation, huh?" Shigetchi said the words so casually, smile still bright on his face as he reached a hand out to give Josuke the keys. Both Okuyasu and Josuke stiffened up.

"Uhh, well…" It was like a flip switched, and Shigetchi snatched the keys back immediately. You yourself might've been intimidated at the dark look on his face if he wasn't so… small and pudgy. Josuke immediately panicked.

"You little turd! I should grind you into dust!" Okuyasu's threat was ignored.

"Hey, hey! Don't get so greedy now! Jotaro had to finish some business but said he'd be here by the end of the week ok?!" Shigetchi had a funny, whistle of a laugh. Switching back to a happy-go-lucky persona within seconds.

"Alright!" The keys jingled in his hands as he held them out to Josuke. "I'll be expecting you guys for lunch, we'll talk about business then." Shigetchi winked at you, blowing a kiss before hopping back into his awaiting carrige. You shuddered, this kid was a little too young to be flirting with you. Josuke slipped the keys into your hands in a weird way, his hand lingering around yours just enough to make Shigetchi scowl and stick his tongue out at him as the carriage rolled away.

"What was that, Josuke?" He huffed, turning his head away to avoid your face.

"I was handing the keys to you." He murmured, muttering "what a creep" as he walked over to the door. Okuyasu had been rooted in place since Shigetchi left. Was he… crying?

"Okuyasu, whats wrong?" Josuke rushed over in a flash, covering his mouth before he could speak.

"He's fine! Haha! Let's just get inside shall we?"

"Okay?"

Delicious smells filled the air of the farmhouse when you got back from settling the horses in the stable outside. You hadn't actually realized how hungry you were until just then. When was the last time you ate? Your stomach growled embarrassingly loud as you entered the kitchen, whoever was making breakfast was an angel.

"Aha! I see my bread has claimed another victim! Hehehe." Okuyasu bragged. He was indeed, baking in the small kitchen. You smiled at the surprise, you'd never thought that Okuyasu of all people would be a baker.

"Smells really good Okuyasu." He smiled brightly, and you immediately knew that this was a puppy dog of a man.

"Thanks! I started to bake after getting roped into helping Tonio while he was understaffed. 'Found out that I'm pretty good at it, so I've been making my stuff for a while now!" He chattered excitedly. You nodded along as you searched the kitchen drawers, happy when you managed to find some plates and utensils.

As ridiculous as it sounded, it felt good to set the table, to pretend to be normal again. You never thought such a simple action would help you relax so much. Of course, you knew it wasn't going to last, but it was nice in the moment.

 

After breakfast, you and Josuke headed over to the stables to feed the horses. It felt so nice to do everyday things again.

"Do you need any help with that?" You shook your head, lifting the heavy bag of feed onto your hip. Josuke nodded, you guessed he understood that you just needed to do things yourself, and headed off to the well just outside the big doors. The horses were blissfully calm now that they were under a nice, stable roof. You laughed a bit as you poured their feed, you supposed that you would be too if it weren't for the looming anxiety.

Josuke returned with a heavy bucket of water to put in their troughs, and you couldn't help but eye his shoulders a bit as he lifted the bucket high enough to do so. You blinked, startled only a bit by the nose and tongue of a horse against your hands, trying desperately to take the rest of the feed.

"Oh no you don't!" You laughed, setting the feed down on the other side of the stables, out of his reach by quite a bit.

"Is he trying to steal the feed again?" Josuke's smile just about lit up the room as you returned to the horses, gently petting the muzzle of the one in question.

"Yeah, he's just a bit of a glutton, isn't he?" Your voice lifted into an awful high-pitched baby talk that made Josuke laugh. The noise made your stomach feel all fuzzy, and you hoped it was just a little too dark in here for him to tell you were blushing.

Still, there seemed to be something hanging in the air. Something that Josuke really wanted to talk about. You could tell by the funny way his face shifted every once in a while that he was thinking hard. You had seen Yukako do the same thing, and you wondered if you would have to fish the thought out of him like you always had to do with her.

"Is there anything on your mind, Josuke?" He hummed.

"There is, but you're not going to like it." Your heart catches in your throat. You're nervous, and he could tell. But what did you have to be nervous about?

"Jotaro said something to us in the tent that I didn't actually tell you about... The reason he didn't want you to go, was because he was worried that you'd get hurt." You quirked an eyebrow. Worried? It really seemed like he was just misogynistic.

"...I thought it was just him implying that Okuyasu and I couldn't protect you, but I've been thinking," He stepped closer to you, just a bit, and reached out to pet the horse's side.

"I just want you to know that this is much more complicated- much more dangerous than you are aware of. We've been in tight places before, but there is nothing that could prepare you for what's to come." You scoffed, almost offended. You were so tired of this! Tired of them thinking you were helpless, tired of them skirting around almost everything about the kidnapping. It felt so awful to know about the secrets that were being kept from you, and still having no idea what they were about.

"Josuke." You warned. "I am not going back." You left it at that, almost afraid that you'd snap and say something that you would regret. Josuke nodded, eyes cast downward. Only in this moment did you realize he still had bruises on his face. He spoke up when you started to pull the supplies you "borrowed" from tonio out of your pocket.

"Okay. I figured you were- hey, what are you doing?" He laughed as you pressed the soaked cloth to his face. The sound made you smile.

"What does it look like?" You brought your other hand up to keep his face still as you delicately patted his cheek, making sure to run the cloth over the small cuts left by that man's nails. Josuke was smiling even when he had to wince from the sting. He brought a hand up to hold the wrist that wasn't working, his gentle, warm signature hold burning into your memory.

"You're much nicer than you give yourself credit for." You glanced at his eyes and back with a smile, gaze catching on his lips for just a moment. But you didn't say anything in reply. You removed your hands once you were satisfied, shoving the cloth and such back in your pockets.

The short walk back into the house felt really nice. Just the two of you enjoying the cool weather of late fall. You didn't know what dangers lie ahead, but you felt safe as long as he was by your side.

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy au!

Josuke x F! reader- ch 4.

It takes two

MAJOR TW for handsy old men this time, I promise there won't be one in each chapter. I've made a system for those who are uncomfortable with these scenes or squeamish at blood.

(Very minor TW for claustrophobia at the end)

* is when you should stop reading.

** is when the handsy scene stops.

*** is when the squeamish scene stops.

The cold chill of the night started to bite into your clothes after sitting still for so long. This, frankly, sucked. In less than a few minutes you had found out that Josuke was an uncle, his nephew was older than everyone in your traveling party, and was working with the speedwagon foundation.

The foundation was so well-respected, devoted to making medical miracles for all lands. Protectors of endangered species, plant, and animal alike. Why in the world did they have a roadblock set up? The questionable men in their employment set aside, this baffled you to no end.

You had tried to ask Jotaro, the nephew, but he never actually talked to you directly in any way shape or form until he demanded that you stay outside the "base of operations" tent. Okuyasu and Josuke could waltz on in though, which pissed you off.

And so that is where you had been for the last several hours. Not wanting to wander off and run into the greasy man from earlier, you stayed as close to Josuke as you could-

You flinched.

You mean, you stayed as close to your traveling companions as you could. The two of them. Right.

-You had been slowly slipping in and out of consciousness, sat right outside of the tent's entrance on some old wooden crates as you waited for them to finish whatever business they had to discuss. Night had long since fallen, and the longer you had to wait the more anxious you became. The look in that man's eyes still lurking in the back of your brain. You shuddered. The quicker you could leave, the better. The sound of voices raising in the tent took your mind off of the memory, just for a moment however.

"Are you kidding? We're not leaving her." The agitated voice was Josuke's. Were they talking about you?

"She has no stand. She is weak. If you take her with you she will be killed." Lower and gruffer in tone, Jotaro's response was a bit harder to pick out. There that word was again. Stand. It was easy to tell that there was just so much about Josuke, Okuyasu, Jotaro, the foundation even! So much that you didn’t know. It was frustrating. When you were in the Princess' service it was so easy to learn everything about politics, about the inner lives of nobles and almost everyone in the kingdom- just by listening. But here, it was like you were just a dunce!

"If she goes home she will be killed. As long as she's with me I can keep that from happening I-" a breath. You assumed that Josuke was trying to collect himself. When he spoke again he was quieter, you had to lean closer to the tent to hear him.

"She knows the princess better than anyone else. I promise she will be of use but I'm not taking no as an answer."

"No is my final answer." They were talking about you. Your heart sank. They couldn't actually be thinking about leaving you here?! You knew it was dangerous when you agreed to accompany Josuke, you knew you might get hurt, you knew it would be difficult! But now, after you've come so far away from home, Jotaro expects you to just go back? Hell no!

You were so caught up in your own thoughts that you almost didn't see the shadow lurking in the corner of your vision.

Almost.*

You stood, ready to take off, but it was too late. The stench of tobacco and grime filled your nostrils as the greasy man from earlier grabbed you, covering your mouth with his good hand as his other arm snaked around your waist, restraining your arms. No one in the tent noticed as he dragged you far behind another set of cargo boxes. You struggled against his grip as best you could.

"Calm down. I'm not gonna hurt ya too much." He snickered, disgusting hot breath hitting your ear. It felt like acid. You tried to be louder, to make more noise through his hand, but he dug his nails into your cheek.

"Shh now, wouldn't want to have a little accident now would we?" Blood was rushing in your ears. Why did this always happen? It was always you who got into trouble, who always attracted creeps. And every time someone else had to come to your rescue! You were tired of being considered so… so weak. So defenseless. You started to get pissed at this guy. And a pissed gal's gonna do what a pissed gal's gonna do. You bit down on his hand. Hard.

He cried out in pain, retracting his hand immediately. His grip around your waist however, did not falter.

"JOSUKE-" Your shout was cut short as the man bluntly hit your nose with an open palm, leaving a stinging pain behind. You hadn't even thought before calling out for him, why had it become such a reflex? Blood dripped down your nose as his hand grabbed your throat this time.

"You wench! I'll-" Shouting made him hesitate for a moment. You didn't have time to figure out who's voice it was before the man threw you to the ground, by the time you looked back at him he was ready to run.

**

He didn't make it two feet before Josuke tackled him to the ground.

 

It was a bloody mess of fists quicker than you could've ever imagined. You stumbled to your feet when Okuyasu and Jotaro arrived at the scene. Okuyasu shouted words of encouragement, while Jotaro looked as pissed as he always does. It was like all the yelling had muffled as you spotted the blood dripping down onto your new dress. The red color was all you could think about. The blood, the bruise, the man's disgusting hands. Your own hands were shaking. When did that happen?

***

In the meantime, Jotaro had dragged Josuke off of the man. Okuyasu proceeding to yank him up and restrain him after Josuke had left him alone. Josuke only caught his breath for a moment before turning around, looking for you desperately.

You only looked up from your haze when you heard Josuke call your name. He looked completely out of sorts, bruises on his face, a stray sticking up out of his carefully styled hair. You flinched when he grappled you into a desperate, tight hug. The scent of dirt, blood, and the stupid, overly expensive cologne he always had on him- the scent of Josuke, comforted you. He was holding you safe again, he was there. You relaxed, returning the uncomfortable, chainmail embrace. He was holding you closer than anyone ever had before, and it was nice.

He pulled away and took each of your arms in his hands one by one, checking for bruises frantically. His worried face alone made your heart wrench. When he was satisfied that your arms were okay, his gaze shifted up to your face. Your eyes closed as his warm hands cupped your cheeks, his thumb running along your cheekbone before he let out a relieved sigh. Your stomach fluttered as he kissed your forehead lightly.

"Are you ok?" You weren't sure how to respond, but you didn't have time to.

"Josuke." Jotaro rumbled. He held you close for just a second too long, and only the residing heat of his warmth remained when he pulled away. Okuyasu and Jotaro had gathered around the two of you, and even though he had called Josuke's name, Jotaro looked dead at you for the first time. You tried not to wilt under his scrutiny.

"If you really want to help," He addressed you, "-you will be given a medical bag and expected to stay here as a nurse. Unless you choose to head back to the palace." Before you can detest, Josuke and Okuyasu do it for you. It might've been the overwhelming amount of emotions clouding your reasoning, but you started to get angry at the amount of times you had been interrupted.

It was hard to focus on everything they were saying. Words firing back and forth, Okuyasu starting to get just as defensive as Josuke did. You started to space out the more they continued on and on and on…

It was unnaturally strange when Josuke suddenly stiffened up, the fire in his eyes cooling into a steely rage.

"Fine." There was that spark of anger again. The same one from the first time you met him, but this time it had grown.

"Excuse me?!" You assert over the voices. "Josuke, you don't get to make that decision for me-"

"What the hell bro!-"

Despite your angered words and Okuyasu's frustrated confusion, Josuke grabbed a hold on your wrist and started to drag you towards the medical tent. You could feel Jotaro's eyes burn into the back of your head as you walked away.

"Let me go, Josuke!" You struggled against his grip, but he didn't budge. What the hell!? All that fluttery feeling in your chest, all the strange stomach flips, they all twisted into an anger you had never felt before. Who did he think he was!? You had to find Yukako with him and Okuyasu, he couldn't just ditch you like this!

"Josuke! Think about what you are doing bro, this is the exact opposite of everything we were gonna do!" Okuyasu complained behind you. You hoped that he would be Josuke's voice of reason right now, because he SURE AS HELL wasn't listening to you.

He led you through the flaps of the medical tent, and you started to struggle harder, to no avail. The confusion started to make the anger worse when he dragged you out the back and kept walking.

"Josuke? Oi!" Okuyasu's confusion was much less… explosive than yours was. Once Josuke led you to, what you assumed, was the supplies storage, his grip loosened dramatically. It felt good to rip your hand out of his grasp.

"Josuke, what the fuck!?" Josuke's face lifted in surprise, almost slipping out a laugh. Okuyasu was worse off. His laughter behind you just fueled the fire.

"What does it look like? I'm taking you with us." He muttered with a smile, searching through the boxes, and setting his eyes on an empty wooden barrel. He called Okuyasu over to help him open it, and the lid came off with a groan. Your mixed emotions just got a hell-of-a lot more complicated.

"I'm sorry." You said with a sarcastic tone."I'm having trouble figuring out what you mean. You just- and Jotaro-" Josuke finally turned around to look at you again, soft smile still on his face.

"I'm not above lying, I thought you knew that already. We're going to smuggle you out, now get in the barrel." Your jaw fell slack, face twisting in dread. What? There was absolutely no way you were going to be crammed inside of some dusty, old, disgusting-

"Josuke- pfft- I-I think I hear someone coming!" Okuyasu said in-between laughs. He was really still on the cussing thing, huh.

"Ok, times up for debate, we need to leave."

"I- what?! You're not-" He was. He picked you up swiftly, setting you feet first into the barrel despite your protests.

"No! Nono no no! Josuke-" The color had started to drain from your face. You couldn't be put in this- this thing! You already felt like the walls were closing in.

"Shh! Someone's gonna hear if you keep talking, I don't want to leave you here." Josuke took your hand in his once more, gently this time. The anger had disappeared, but panic surfaced instead.

"Josuke, I'm claustrophobic!" You hissed in a panicked whisper. He looked a little surprised, but his gentle face remained.

"You won't be in there for long, I promise. But I won't make you do this if you don't want to." You weighed the options. Stay here, go home, or help find your kidnapped best friend. The inner conflict hurt for a moment, until you decided that there was no decision to make. You had to find her. You stilled for a moment, carefully sitting down in the barrel, you fiddled with the necklace around your throat once more. Josuke gave you an understanding look.

"Keep your head down while we close the lid, ok?"

You closed your eyes. You had to remember who you were doing this for. It would all be over soon. Deep breaths, thats what you had to focus on.

It had to be over soon.

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy au!

Josuke x F! Reader- ch 3

It takes two.

This is going to be a loooong series. I hope you all are up for it!

Tw for creepy, handsy old men, but this chapter is mostly just fanservice. Enjoy!

----

You were sleeping rather pleasantly when you were suddenly shaken awake. A hazy fear flooded you, Immediately panicked in your half-asleep state. You sat up hurriedly to the sound of Josuke calling your name.

"We need to go. That bastard from the alley exposed our location." A hazy shock panged in your chest as the rest of the sleepiness wore off. Things could never be easy, could they? There was always something shitty around the corner. It was frustrating, but couldn't say it was unexpected.

Josuke set some dress on the bed. It certainly wasn't yours, it was a plain dress that looked as if it was travel clothes made for minor noble women. The pockets sewn into the thin brown fabric and long sleeves told you that. How did he get this? Surely he didn't buy it?!

"Tonio wanted me to give this to you, said that some traveling party left it here. I know leaving so soon is a shock but try and hurry, yeah?" Josuke said as he left the room, attempting at a reassuring look before closing the door with a quiet click.

A knight's undershirt, a night gown, and a dress? How many items did Tonio have from forgetful travelers?

You could hear Josuke and Okuyasu's muffled voices just outside the door as you changed, struggling to get into the dress as quickly as you could. You stopped for just a moment and looked around the room. Were you missing anything? Your gaze shifting to the basket of medical supplies.

You felt bad for Tonio, but continued to shove a small bottle of the disinfectant and some gauze in the pockets of the dress. The voices outside had gone quiet, and you started to anxiously fiddle with the necklace again. Mapping out the grooves of the flower. It was worrying, this entire situation. Josuke briefly knocked on the door and let himself in, he called your name softly.

"We gotta go, now." You nodded, already speed walking out the door. It reminded you a little too much of the festival when Josuke slipped his hand into your own. His grip was different this time as the two of you hurried down the hallways. Gentle, reassuring. Maybe you were just overthinking it, but you couldn't deny that it felt nice to have his hand in your own. That fluttery feeling in your chest returned, but you ignored it.

Josuke kept peeking over his shoulder to make sure you were keeping up ok, hand only letting go of yours so that you could run down the stairs. The heat of his hand lingered, and you found yourself missing it as you rushed.

"Josuke, over here!" Tonio's light whisper came from the back corner of his tavern, coaxing the two of you over and out the back door this time.

Your thin dress was no match for the cold night air, and the feeling of the incoming winter was prominent. Everything seemed so surreal in this cold weather. Lights blurred together, figures were fuzzy, and it became hard to focus as you exited the Tavern.

Okuyasu waved at you and Josuke from an old farm cart, reins in hand, horses ready and waiting to take off. Josuke's face lit up, and yours did too. Maybe this rescue plan was going to be little less tiring than you thought. Thanks to the man from yesterday, you had a general direction to follow, and now you had a way of travel. Yet, a small, uncomfortable feeling remained in the pit of your stomach. There was no way the path ahead would be easy.

"Try not to damage it while you're gone, this is the only produce cart I have." Tonio chuckled as he and Josuke shared a handshake. Josuke was in the middle of thanking him when Tonio suddenly pulled his hand away with a shocked face.

"I almost forgot!" Tonio turned around and quickly opened the door, grabbing an item from the coat rack. He held it out as he returned and you realized that it was a sword. The sheath was beautiful, a dark leather with a single bright stone right below the base of the hilt. It reminded you of Josuke, and you smiled a bit at the realization. Josuke's eyes glittered as Tonio handed it to him.

"Tonio, thank you! I had forgotten that I left it here!" Tonio nodded with a smile, turning to you.

"And you, young lady, try to stay safe long enough to mention my food to the King, yes?" The words rolled off his tongue, accent thick as ever, and he kissed your hand politely. Josuke stiffened next to you for just a split second.

"I'll try my best, Tonio, but I can't promise anything." You couldn't help but smile, Tonio had given you so much already, it was easy to tell that Koichi had kept good company.

Yelling could be heard from the front of the tavern, and Tonio said one last goodbye to Okuyasu before heading back through his tavern to buy some time. Josuke easily helped you into the cart and Okuyasu took off as soon as Josuke was seated in the back with you. All three of you preparing for the adventure ahead.

You hoped that Yukako would hold on for just a bit longer. You were determined to find her soon.

 

Okuyasu snored loudly in the back of the cart as the sun started to haul itself into the morning sky. You couldn't help but snicker a bit as he talked in his sleep, for a guy that looked like a mercenary punk, he wasn't quite the cookie-cutter mold you first thought him to be. Josuke had taken the reins when Okuyasu started to get sleepy, and now the both of you were sitting up front.

The sunlight was comforting and pleasantly warm against the cold breeze of fall. You held Josuke's satchel and sword in your lap, inadvertently holding it tighter when another cold gust of wind rushed by. Still, your eyes were closed as you happily basked in the sun. This was the first time in a while where you could be so calm and comfortable, you tried your best not to focus on the "what if's" for now, lest the anxiety return too soon. When you opened up your eyes Josuke was looking at you, face soft with a slight smile. He turned his head back to the road when he realized you noticed.

"I haven't seen you this calm in a while." Josuke mused. "Then again, I haven't seen you calm ever." You scoffed, a playful pout on your face as you pretended to be annoyed. Beginning to retort something back when a snore interrupted you.

"I wish that I was calm enough to sleep that well," Josuke laughed, adjusting the reins in his grip and relaxing a bit, letting the horses slow so that they didn't overwork themselves after the rushed escape this morning.

"He's always been a deep sleeper. I'm still surprised that Tonio and I were able to wake him up this morning," You adjusted your grip on his bag, smile faltering just a bit from the mention of this morning, and slid your cold hands underneath the sleeves of your dress to warm them up a bit. You didn't notice when Josuke scooted closer to you, but you did subconsciously enjoy the warmth this human heater seemed to give off.

"I thought he was working for Tonio?"

"He was. But Tonio let him off the contract so he could help us find Koichi." Josuke didn't mention Princess Yukako at all, leaving you a bit frustrated, but you understood. Not everyone liked the princess, and that was ok. But it always hurt when they didn't bother trying to know her before making assumptions.

"...I think that's really why Okuyasu and I are here. He's our friend, even if we don't like Yukako, Koichi is still with her." Josuke let out a pitiful chuckle, "- I really don't know what he sees in her. But his whole demeanor changed when we found them the other day. I don't know what she could've said to him."

You smiled so wide that your cheeks started to hurt. Koichi was starting to like Yukako? Maybe he was just as forgiving as you hoped. So that's what Yukako might've been blushing about when you saw her. Even if he was definitely right to be wary of her after the incident, you still were so happy for your friend. It was a morbid thought, but Koichi was a good man, and Yukako certainly Loves him, so at least they were together right now. If they were together. You hoped they were.

"Love is fickle like that, sometimes," You murmured, almost without thinking. Josuke's slight smile went unnoticed by you as your thoughts were still on your friends.

The reins landing in your lap startled you out of your haze, hands grabbing them firmly out of instinct. When you turned back to Josuke to ask him what that was all about, he was much closer. Right hand settled next to your left thigh as he leaned over you. His face was so close to yours you could feel his breath. Your stomach just about flipped and your face started to burn. His left hand reaching around near your other arm as he winked.

"Is it?" And just like that, he grabbed his Canteen out of the satchel and took the reins back. sitting back down where he was before, only inches away and yet so terribly far. Your face still felt like it was in fire as he popped open the cap to take a swig. What was that?!

He had to be teasing you at this point, right? After all that you'd seen of him, and the many women attempting at courting Josuke, you found it hard to believe an action like that to be anything other than a tease. It was almost infuriating how much of a flirt he was. You tried to brush it off, but every little thing he did made you mad, or at least, you thought you were mad?

What ever happened to, "I'd never fawn over someone so easily," ?

You didn't notice that you were frowning, but Josuke did.

Josuke's eyes stayed dead set on the path ahead, but the sun was angled just so that you couldn't see his face. You wouldn't even know what to say if you could speak, but your jaw was clamped shut, leaving you desperately regaining your composure for the next few minutes as you traveled over the rolling hills.

 

The sun was high in the sky now, but Okuyasu remained asleep despite the oranges in the back that were rattling around him all day. The wind had returned full force as a dark sheet of clouds blocked out the sky, and you were all but curled up into yourself to keep warm. You started to fall asleep in your uncomfortably slouched position when a small, annoyed noise from Josuke woke you up. Sitting up straight and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes was harder than it should've been.

"Is everything ok?" When you opened your eyes to look at Josuke, he pointed you to the path ahead. The uncomfortable feeling from this morning returned full force.

Some meters ahead of you was a roadblock, figures in dark clothes standing guard by a makeshift gate. A huge city of dark tents just off the left of the road. Anxiety and fear returned as the scene from the alley played in your head over and over again. Josuke held your hand lightly, and you looked up at him in a panic.

"Go with everything I say ok? -Okuyasu!" Josuke turned around, hand not lingering on yours as he shook the mercenary awake, ordering him to act sick in a steely, commanding voice you had never heard before.

Before you knew it you were rolling up to the gate. Josuke slung an arm around you protectively, glancing at your eyes in a way that you knew meant that this was part of his plan. He gave you a reassuring squeeze as the cart came to a stop.

"Can this wait? My wife and I need to get back home." Josuke complained. Oh. That's why he was being so protective. Your face flushed and you tried to act natural, curling into his side as the men blocked both sides of the cart, a third coming out of nowhere and walking around the back to poke at Okuyasu.

"State your name." The man on Josuke's side of the cart grumbled, hand on his dagger, eyes squarely on the sword still in your arms.

"Nakamura," The fake name rolled off his tongue. Josuke snapped his head around as Okuyasu groaned, the other guard reaching for the mercenary's bag.

"Cut that out! He's sick. We're taking him home to be treated." Two of the men chuckled darkly, the one in the back retracting his hand immediately and wiping his hand on his shirt with a scowl.

You didn't mean to. You weren't even thinking when you made accidental eye contact with the man on your side. His disgusting gritty smile and beady eyes almost forcing a repulsive action out of you.

"You know, I've never heard of a knight in the Nakamura family before, And I thought I knew them so well." The guard caught onto the flash of fear and shock in your face as he spoke. Shit, it was a trick. The slimy man moved quickly as he grabbed your arm suddenly, reaching for the sword.

His wrist snapped in half just before he could get ahold of the sword, he let out a cry and his grip on your arm tightened painfully.

All this took place in mere seconds. You flinched hard in Josuke's arms, calling for him, but you already had his attention. He wrapped both his arms around you instinctively, ripping you away from the bastard's hands.

The greasy guard backed away in utter fear and pain as Josuke stared at him with the most terrifying look you had ever seen. Josuke looked like he could kill the man right then and there as one of his hands wrapped around the hilt of the sword in your arms. The guard on the left drew his dagger while the one around the back walked over to the slimy guy as he screamed.

"She broke my wrist! She-" Josuke glanced back at you for a moment, gentle eyes seemingly asking are you ok? And you nodded in response. It was terrifying, but you didn't doubt it had to do with, what you believed to be, his mage abilities.

"Neither of them touched you dumbass! How would a woman-" The guards bickered and Josuke's gazed flickered over to the one with the dagger. He had to say something to get out of this situation quickly.

His hand that had remained on you slipped down your side and landed on your stomach. His eyes stayed on you while she spoke to the guards.

"All this stress is bad for the baby. I don't know what you men want, but I'm sure we can come up with a compromise." What?! You were pregnant now? Your face was so red at this point that you could be entered as a beet in a 'largest crop' contest, and win. Josuke looked over to the man with the dagger, grip tightening on his sword.

Okuyasu slowly sat up in the back, it looked like he was getting restless too. You yourself still had no idea what you had gotten yourself into. You just wanted to disappear, to have this awful moment over already and never see these stupid guards again.

You flinched again at the feeling of another hand on your bruised arm, a chest pressed to your back. But when you snapped your head around there was no one there. You glanced at your arm and your jaw dropped when you saw that the bruise and nail marks had started to heal. You looked back at Josuke but he wasn't paying any mind to you at all, still staring at the other guard. How does he do these things?

The man with the dagger didn't speak, and Josuke stiffened. Josuke unsheathed his sword in a flash and the guard readied himself to attack when-

 

"Enough!" A low voice commanded. All three men stiffened as a figure stepped out of a tent and waltzed over to the cart.

"Jotaro?" Josuke called, shocked. He lowered his sword, and the feeling of a chest pressed to your back dissipated.

"Josuke Higashikata. We need to talk."

[jojo-fantasy-aus]

Fantasy au!

Josuke x F! Reader- Ch 2.

It takes Two.

Quick TW for creepy, handsy old men.

If trying to find all the parts on Tumblr isn't your thing, you can also find my story under the name "It takes two" on AO3!

(All of my MK works from my @dinogoofy account will be posted on A03 shortly as well!)

   Your eyes fluttered open, greeted by the awful sight of the sewer walls. Great. You were hoping that all of this had been an awful nightmare. The crook in your neck was a reminder of the unnatural position you fell asleep in. You went to run a hand through your hair as you tried to shake off the groggy early-morning feeling, but a flash of fear coursed through you when your hand got caught on someone's arm.

   "I'm glad you're awake. I was starting to get worried." You jumped at the Masculine voice, relief washing over you in a cool wave when you realized it was just Josuke. He was still sitting where he was when you fell asleep last night, and you tried not to blush when you finally processed that you had fallen asleep on his shoulder. His blue eyes looked tired, and you knew you probably did too. You mumbled an apology before sitting up straight and stretching your arms, Josuke following suit. 

   The silence was almost overwhelming, but you couldn't bring yourself to speak up. Everything just felt, numb. Like you were drained of all emotions exempt exhaustion.

   You watched as Josuke stood up and started to walk back to the grate.

   "Ya'know, I don't think you ever told me your name." The words caught you off guard, laughing at yourself for managing to forget something so simple as a proper introduction. You gave him your name as he looked through the grate.

   "It looks like it's around noon, if you were curious." Noon? Holy shit! How long had he been waiting for you to wake up? 

   "Sorry about falling asleep on you." -was all you could think to say. Josuke smiled, walking back and holding out a hand to help you up. You took it gently out of habit, after everything that had just happened, you couldn't care less about being ladylike.

   It was infuriatingly hard not to notice how muscular he was as he pulled you up.  Once you were good and standing you couldn't help but wonder where to go from here. Where to even start looking. Neither of you even had a good picture of exactly everything that went down last night exempt from what Josuke had seen. You two had drifted back towards the grate when you spoke up.

   "Any idea where to start?" Josuke seemed to think about it for a second as he climbed the latter and pushed the grate back open.

   "I have a few friends that work in a tavern nearby. They tend to overhear a lot, so I thought we might as well start there." A tavern. You hadn't been to one of those in years. You never traveled much on the vacations and off-days the palace gave you, so you weren't quite sure how to feel about it. All palace gossip about them always pointed out the rowdy undisciplined adventures that gather in them, but surely they wouldn't be that bad? You had become a "rowdy adventure" yourself now, hadn't you? 

   The thought made you smile, never in a million years would you ever expect to be doing something like this. Work has always been the forefront of your personality, wanting to provide for your family and your future above all else. Only when you were a kid did you ever even dream of being an adventurer. Josuke called your name.

   "You coming?" He had already made it out of the grate while you were caught up in your own thoughts, waiting patiently for you at the edge.

   "Yeah, sorry. I was...thinking."

   The brisk walk to the Tavern revealed all sorts of horror. You didn't quite realize that Josuke had dragged you back into town yesterday until you left the alleyway. You and Josuke wandered near the palace gardens, where the tents had been, to try and figure out what started the panic.

   It was horrible, blood splatter on the fountains, guards everywhere. Tents torn and trampled, the beautiful gazebo broken and bloody. Nearby was a single wheelbarrow filled with… with bodies. Bodies that wore palace uniforms. You couldn't bring yourself to look any longer.

   Josuke's face was steely and angered, posture tense. He was definitely handling the situation differently than you were. A flash of anger and shame bubbled up in your chest the more you thought about yesterday. You wish he would've stopped to grab Koichi, or the princess, instead of you. He could've saved them if he tried. It wouldn't matter if you were dead or kidnapped, at least they would've been safe. you pushed the feelings back down. Josuke was probably still ashamed, you couldn't blame this on him. 

   You felt useless looking at all this devastation, and felt even more so when you started to tear up.

   "Josuke, can we leave?" Your broken whisper cut through the dead silent air, Josuke looking back at you, face shifting into a softer, kinder look. You must've looked pitiful to evoke that kind of reaction, and you hated it. You hated feeling weak.

   "Yeah," 

   As you and Josuke started to leave, you noticed a crowd had gathered to gawk at the destruction. A paperboy walked over to the guards doing cleanup, talking briefly before taking out his bell.

   "The king is alive! This king is alive! Princess Yukako yet to be found! Find your family and pray!" The crowd started whispering to each other, and as more people added to the mass it became harder to push through them to get out. You almost lost Josuke in the fray, but once you pushed through and into the empty street he was right there waiting for you.

   "Are you ok?" You looked at him in confusion, and only realized why he was asking when you felt the tears sliding down your face. 

   "I'm fine." He clearly didn't believe you, but he didn't say anything as you wiped your tears. 

   Before long Josuke was leading you down endless streets, taking twists and turns that you had forgotten after being cooped up working in the palace for so long. All of it started to feel so nostalgic. A familiar sign here, an old residential street there, it was nice to be back where you started. 

   That's how the journey started anyway, the closer you got to this Tavern the more people started to recognize Josuke, and by people, you mean women. One after another would run up to him and say hello, ignoring your presence all together. Every time that happened he had to shoo them off with some excuse. You couldn't imagine being that popular with the opposite sex. 

   You scoffed at one particular woman who shot you a nasty glare as Josuke got her off his tail. Josuke was handsome, sure, but these women were getting ridiculous.

   "Sorry about that. It's like they follow me everywhere." Josuke said, exasperated.

   "It's fine," you lied, they were getting annoying. "You seem to be quite the ladies man."

   Josuke chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

   "Well, I can't say I know why," That had to be a lie. He had to have some sort of idea of how good-looking he was right? You two only walked in silence about a minute longer when Josuke stopped.

   "Ah, here it is!" The sign above the door read 'Tonio's Tavern,'. It was a rather nice, expensive looking tavern that was so loud on the inside that you could hear it from the street. It was even more architecturally beautiful on the inside, and you gawked as Josuke held the door open for you. This place was so beautiful you could hardly believe it was an average tavern.

   Josuke led you over to the bar, waving a man down as soon as he left the kitchen. He instantly smiled, waving before setting a few plates down. He pinched the ear of a different, sleeping man before heading over to the two of you. Waking the scarred, grey-haired man, who complained at him before smiling excitedly when his eyes set on Josuke. You were just sitting down as they both made it over to you.

   "Josuke! It's good to see you, friend" the taller one said, foreign accent thick. Josuke smiled, about to answer when the grey-haired man almost tackled him into a hug. 

   "Josuke! It's been so long!" Josuke pushed him off, definitely happy to see the guy but more concerned with his hair.

   "It's only been a day or two Okuyasu," They seemed to be such good friends, that you found yourself to be smiling at the "reunion" as well. This was the first time you think you've seen Josuke this happy. 

   After they had all calmed down, Josuke introduced the tall man to be Tonio, the owner of the restaurant, and the other to be Okuyasu, Josuke and Koichi's best Friend, who was a mercenary working as security for Tonio's tavern. Both of them were eager to meet you, and only Okuyasu became a little flighty when Josuke mentioned your connection to Yukako. Josuke was in the middle of a sentence when he quickly realized that maybe he shouldn't be talking about this rescue attempt amongst the hustle and bustle of the tavern's lunch hour. Josuke called your name.

   "Hey, Okuyasu and I gotta head to the back to discuss. Are you gonna be ok alone?" 

   "I'll be fine," you were tired, but you weren't completely defenseless. Josuke seemed to understand and made sure to order you some food before he left.

   "You really don't need to do that," Josuke didn't really give you a choice, giving you a knowing look as your stomach rumbled frustratingly on cue, whispering something to Tonio about the food. The distrustful part of you hoped he wasn't going to poison the food. Tonio came back with your food shortly after Josuke and Okuyasu disappeared.

   "Just call if you need anything, bella." The words rolled off his tongue as he set the plate down. You nodded, thanking him with a smile. Once you started eating you found out very quickly why this place was so busy. It was delicious, the dish was just as foreign to you as Tonio's accent, and yet still so amazing. 

   You were thoroughly enjoying your lunch when a stranger sat down on the barstool closest to you. Immediately your skin prickled, stomach turning as you realized just how many stools were still unoccupied. It was uncomfortable to say the least that this man had sat right next to you on purpose. 

   "Hey girlie, what are you doing here all alone?" His voice was so gruff and scratchy that it almost made you feel sick. 

   Just ignore him, you said to yourself, you have to ignore him.

   "Hey, I was talking to you, bitch." He snarled, pulling your plate away from you. What could you do? Your eyes fluttered around the room nervously, keeping your head down so that the man could see you looking for help. Damn, Tonio, Josuke, Okuyasu, none of them were in sight. You felt like an idiot for staying put, but you were a grown woman. You could defend yourself if you needed to. 

   "Are ya deaf or what? I'll show you what happens when you ignore me!" The screeching of the stool against the floor made you flinch. Finally looking up, wide-eyed as you stared at the man. He smirked when you did.

   "Oh, so ya can hear ya nasty bitch," He sneered, his voice had started to raise, and before you knew it all eyes in the tavern were on you. He raised his hand to hit you when a figure approached him from behind, grabbing his arm.

   "Just what the hell are you doing?" Josuke stared him down with a calm intensity, Okuyasu on his heels, looking the same way. The man snatched his arm back with a scowl, massaging it like a wounded dog.

   "And who do you think you are? You two punks should stay out of a man's business." Josuke was clearly holding himself back, Okuyasu not doing much better as the man screamed in their faces. Something on his shoulder when he was turned caught your eye. It was a tattoo. A tattoo with a curling insignia, thorns and words you couldn't read taking over the expanse of it. You got a flash of the one you saw last night clear as day in your mind. You looked up at Josuke in a panic, mouthing the words to him the moment you caught his eye.

   The insignia,

   Josuke smirked, but his eyes looked dangerous. The man started to tremble once he realized he couldn't intimidate the pair. 

   Okuyasu grabbed him first, grabbing onto the back of his collar and dragging him out the side door and into the alley. Josuke followed right behind. The crowd gawked and stared, and you started to sweat. There was no way you were going to stay here. You followed your friends out the door.

   When you made it out and closed the door, Okuyasu had already started roughing the guy up. He definitely fit the build of a mercenary, and he got the guy taking in no time. Josuke stood in front of you, whether to block the scene or be defensive of you,  you didn't know.

   "L-look! Ya ain't getting anything out of me!" Another punch landed on his face. He groaned in pain, but continued to blabber.

   "That stupid shorty and the royal bitch are g-gonna be dead! Ya hear me! You can't do shit-" Okuyasu slapped him this time, groaning and turning to Josuke.

   "Really think this guy is worth it?" 

   "Yeah, as soon as we can get him to talk anyway." Josuke stalked over to the guy, leaning down to get in his face.

   "Okuyasu, which ball should we remove first, the right, or left." Josuke smirked wide as the man gulped in fear. You had no doubt they were bluffing, but he sure as hell didn't.

   "Ok! Ok! I'll tell ya how to find them, just don't touch my balls!" Josuke stood up straight, waltzing back over to you. 

   "Go talk to Tonio about renting a room, yeah? I have a feeling we're gonna be here a while."

   Renting a room at Tonio's was cheaper than you expected it to be, but you still had to split the coin for it with Josuke. You didn't care about the coin anyway really, it was the fact that he only had one room up for rental that night.

   Even if you stopped caring if your actions and the way you dressed were unladylike, the fact still remained that an unrelated man and woman sharing a room together out of wedlock was… unseemly, in the public's opinion. You yourself tried not to judge anyone's actions, but the thought of the women courting Josuke finding out made you shudder. You weren't worried about Josuke pulling any tricks, he was growing on you the more you were around him. 

   Tonio's rental rooms were quite pleasant, that you couldn't deny. With a large central bed, a couch, and a bell for tavern room service, this place was definitely targeted towards nobles. Tonio had even laid out some medical supplies just in case you and josuke were hurt.

   It didn't really make sense to you though, Tonio apparently knew of Josuke's healing abilities, wouldn't he know Josuke could heal himself? ... He could, couldn't he…?

   You gingerly pressed your thumb into the grooves of a jeweled flower necklace that you had forgotten you had. Tonio had given you and Josuke some clothes for the night, and when you changed much earlier you had found the necklace in your pocket. It was a gift from Yukako, and you had meant to put it on before you left for the festival. You must've shoved it in your skirt pocket as you rushed out the door. You had been fiddling with it for a while now as you observed the street from the second story window, relaxing on the rugged Camelback couch.

   You spotted Josuke from the corner of your eye, entering the room looking a bit disheveled. He definitely seemed exhausted.

   You gave him a slight wave that he returned with a smile, walking over to the bed where his clothes were laid out. His smile made your chest flutter a bit, and your stomach feel strange. You passed it off, you refused to fawn over someone so easily.

   You were pointed toward the window still, but you would be a fool if you couldn't tell he was changing behind you. He had tugged off his chain mail some time ago, when you had first rented the room, but now had started taking off his shirt.

   "Do you have to do that, here?" You say, immediately stiffening up and desperately keeping your eyes on the flower. Josuke chuckled.

   "You seem much too proper to look, Miss lady-in-waiting, so I don't really mind." You scoffed, biting the inside of your cheek to keep yourself in-check. Your face was quite red already, you knew, and you glanced up at the window to direct your attention at the men putting out the lanterns below.

   Unfortunately, with darkness afoot and lanterns burning bright in the room, all you could see was Josuke's taut muscled back in the reflection of the mirror. 

   You were more concerned than aroused when you noticed the cut across his back.

   "Josuke!" You called, turning around in your seat. He looked back at you, chest still full on display, making it a bit hard to focus on scolding him.

   "What happened to your back?" He smiled nervously.

   "Ah, well… I had to help Okuyasu throw out some assholes who started a bar fight, and one got me with a glass, my healing abilities don't really work on myself… but it's fine, it's not that bad." Your eyebrows furrowed, this must be exactly why Tonio put the supplies out. It occurred to you that maybe this was a regular occurrence for Josuke. You stood up from your seat and rushed over to the bed, pulling out the alcohol and cloth. 

   "Sit." You curtly commanded as you tugged the cork out of the bottle.

   "Seriously don't worry about it, I'll-"

   "Josuke. You can't possibly be thinking about not disinfecting that."Josuke laughed as you grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him down onto the bed, facing his back towards you as you got to work. Josuke complained dramatically a few times but he was smiling while you told him to keep still.

   The wound wasn't too deep, but it still could've gotten infected if he let it be. Josuke hissed a little as you wiped away the blood. You apologized quietly as you focused. You set the cloth down and closed the bottle back up when you finished.

   "Thank you." You blushed, mumbling a shy 'you're welcome' as he stood, flexing a bit before putting on a night shirt that fit him a little too well, neckline dipping low, dark green in color.

   You ripped your eyes away and set the basket of medical supplies on the floor. Picking up the flower necklace off of the couch cushions and clasping it around your neck. Laying down a knitted blanket over the couch as a sheet shortly after and settling yourself, ready to sleep. 

   The sound of Josuke calling your name made your eyes fly open.

   "What do you think you're doing?" You sat up, confusion written all over your face.

   "Excuse me?" He was still smiling.

   "You can't possibly be thinking about sleeping on the couch?" He was clearly mocking you from earlier with a smirk on his face, which annoyed you to no end. You rolled your eyes at him as he stepped forward.

   "Yes, that is what I was trying to do. You're too tall to be sleeping on the couch Josuke, I was being courteous." Josuke was still smirking as he leaned over you, hands on the back of the couch to trap you in. You opened your mouth to speak but only gasped as he suddenly snuck an arm under your knees and another under your head to pick you up in a bridal hold.

   "Josuke! P- put me down this instant!" You squeaked. He only responded with a hum as he roughly dropped you on the bed.

   "What kind of knight would I be if I made a damsel in distress sleep on the couch?" 

   "I'm no damsel in distress!" You insisted as he walked back to the couch, landing on the cushions with a thump.

   "You were definitely in distress when I found you."

   "No I wasn't!" You were laughing at that point, he playfully scoffed at you and you responded by chucking a pillow at him. He caught it as it hit against his chest and put it on the couch where he could sleep. Rolling over on his side that faced away from you. 

   You couldn't help but stay smiling as you stood to blow out the lanterns, speaking softly as you returned to the bed. 

   "Goodnight, Josuke."

   "Goodnight, fair damsel."