Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You’re seventy nine years old when your life crashes down around you. You might as well be in the business of it, because it happens so often. After all, you’ve been married to Joseph Joestar for sixty one years now, and even now he still finds ways to get into trouble.

It’s a peaceful afternoon in the early winter of 1998. You’re sitting in your home office, going over some paperwork for various things. Your husband and grandson are in the living room of your New York home, going over the details of Joseph's will. You sigh as you place yet another document on the finished pile of papers on your desk. A soft knock comes from your door, and you smile when you see your grandson and husband standing in the doorway. The smile slips off your face, however, when you notice the looks on their faces. Jotaro’s face looks even sterner than it usually does, and Joseph has a shamelessly guilty look on his face, hidden slightly by Jotaro’s bulky figure. Your stomach drops at the sight, but you keep a cool facade.

“Come in and sit down, boys” you gesture to chairs that sit in front of your desk. Your grandson helps Joseph into one of the chairs before sitting on his own. You set your reading glasses down, looking at your husband and grandson. Joseph is fidgeting in his seat nervously, and he refuses to look you in the eye. Jotaro is even stiffer than usual, his arms crossed against his chest.

“Well, what is this all about” you finally break the tense silence in the room. You can feel your anxiety rising up, but you try not to show it to the men in front of you. You have dealt with many strange things in your life, and now that you were in your old age you were hoping that you and Joseph could finally enjoy some peace. It seemed that wasn’t the case. Jotaro fixes Joseph with a hard gaze, which only seems to make him sink deeper into his chair. He huffs angrily before turning to look back at you.

“Grandma, something has come up in the will” he sighs, and only then do you notice the papers clutched tightly in hands. You nod your head, signaling for him to continue.

“While we were looking through the inheritance, we found that…” your grandson breaks off, gritting his teeth. Nervous energy courses through your body as you wait for Jotaro to finish.

“We found that there seems to be another heir to the Joestar inheritance…” He finishes off, handing the papers in his hand over to you. Your mind races to the worst case scenario immediately, but you still hold out in hope that maybe this heir was a distant cousin and not what you feared. You look down at the document, and your fears are confirmed. In Japan, there is a fifteen year old boy who is almost positively Joseph’s son. You let out a heavy deep sigh, and for a moment, feel as if your body is giving out on you. You hear Jotaro stand, and he begins to reach out to you, but you pull yourself together before he can, looking up at him.

“Jotaro, darling, why don’t you go out and find some gifts to bring back for Jolyne?” you send him the most convincing smile you can. Despite the concern that floods his blue eyes, he simply nods, understanding your secret request to be alone with your husband. He heads out of the office, closing the door securely behind him. Your eyes glide from the door back to your husband, who looks quite pitiful in his chair.

He reaches out a gloved hand. “Darling, I can explain-” he starts, but you brush him off with a wave of your hand.

“Please, Joseph, have the decency to spare me of your excuses” you stand from your seat, facing the large windows behind your desk. You look out on the busy New York streets, many people and cars can be seen rushing about in the afternoon sun. You try to focus on the scenery to distract yourself from the heavy weight in your chest and the scratchy feeling in the back of your throat. You want to cry so badly, to cry and scream and demand how Joseph, the man who you believed to be your soulmate, could do this to you. But you won’t allow him to witness the vulnerability that would expose to him, so you simply sigh heavily and gather your strength before turning to meet your fate.

Joseph has the decency to allow you to compose yourself without trying to intervene. When you turn back around to look at him, you find that his green eyes are focused on you, and you assume that they never left your figure even when your back was turned. You two know each other almost too well at this point, and he likely knows exactly what you were doing. However, he has almost never been on the other side of your cold fury. You sit down at your desk once again, hardly sparing him a glance before looking down at the papers in front of you.

“Who is she, Joseph?” you finally ask. Despite the simple question, he stares at you as if it was the last thing he thought would come out of your mouth. He opens and closes his mouth for a moment, trying to think of an answer. After a moment of considering his words, he speaks up.

“Her name was Tomoko. She was a college student in Tokyo, I met her while dealing with some business, I don’t really remember what. I had been so lonely without you around, and she was fiery and young, and full of life. I knew it was wrong, but she made me feel young again. She.. she reminded me of you” he sighs deeply, his eyes focusing on something in the distance.

The information is overwhelming, and you don’t know where to begin processing all of it. You think for a moment that it might have been easier if he cheated with a woman closer to you in age, that perhaps it would have lessened the heartache you feel right now. You think back to all of things you did to make sure that your energetic husband was never bored, and how you had continued to match his energy and enthusiasm even as you had both gotten older. You have always had good confidence in all the things you did, but that confidence crumbles under the weight of your sudden insecurities. Perhaps you could have never been enough for Joseph, and he would have never been satisfied being with you. Maybe you were no longer beautiful enough for him, or he had gotten bored of your life together. Your thoughts tangle together into an indecipherable mess.

Finally, you’re able to tear your thoughts away from your own misery as you think about the other person involved in all of this. A young college student, presumably naïve and just getting her start in the world. You empathize with this girl, who was charmed by your husband and then abandoned to raise a child that she was likely unprepared for. Your heartbreak turns into anger then, a fury that burns deeply. You stand quickly, startling Joseph out of his own thoughts.

“Joseph, when you decided to do this all those years ago, did you take into consideration that you would not only be ruining our lives, but this girl’s life as well?!” you seethe. Shock paints your husband’s face, followed quickly by guilt.

“ I-” he starts, reaching out to you once again. You slap his hand away, too angry to even think about being gentle.

“No, Joseph. It’s time you face the repercussions of your actions for once. I am old, and I have lived a long, happy life with you. But this girl… this girl had her whole life ahead of her! Did you even think of that when you brought her into your life? Did you ever think of what this would do to not only your wife, but her as well?” You demand, slamming your hand onto the desk. He shrinks further back into the plush chair. You push the papers forward into his line of sight.

“Get in touch with her, I don’t care what you do, but send her some money at least, something to repay her for carrying your burden for the last fifteen years” you point to the papers to emphasize your point. Once you are confident that he has heard you clearly, you do what you’ve been wanting to do since this whole thing started. You head towards your office door, ready to walk out and clear your mind.

Joseph reaches out as you pass by. “Wait, dear, where are you going” anxiety raises his usually deep voice. He goes to stand, ready to head after you but he stumbles. Instinctively, you reach out your hand to steady him, but you catch yourself, pulling your hand back. He steadies himself, and once you see he is fine you turn back towards the door. You head out of the room and into your shared bedroom, grabbing the first bag you can find and stuffing it with enough clothes to last your awhile. Joseph follows you into the room, begging you to stay and declaring his love for you over and over. His pleas fall on deaf ears though as you finish packing your bag, zipping it up and pulling it off of your large bed. You slide on the first shoes you see, a pair of nude kitten heels, and head down the stairs, Joseph still following closely behind. At the bottom of the stairs you find your butler, Rosas, who is worriedly staring at the two of you.

“Rosas, would you please call me a car?” you ask, searching around the entryway for your keys.

“Ah, yes Madam, but where are you going? What is going on?” he glances from you to Joseph nervously.

“I just need some air, Joseph can fill you in later” you pick up your keys and sunglasses, sending a glare towards Joseph. You reach to open the front door of your penthouse, but Joseph pulls you back by your shoulder, a last desperate attempt to get you to hear him out. Before he can even try though, you speak up.

“Joseph, I think that we both need some time apart to think about things. I’ll be back, but I need some space” you state with finality in your tone, easily brushing his hand off of your shoulder before opening the door and stepping out into the hall, quickly closing the door behind you. You hold onto your tears in the elevator and the lobby. When you finally get through the cheery neighbors and staff to the outside, you find that the car is already waiting for you, to your relief. You step into the back seat, request that the driver take you to Suzie Q’s apartment, and finally, as the car begins to drive away from the building, you put your sunglasses on and let your built up tears slip down your face.

Chapter Text

The whole way to Suzi Q’s, you cry quietly behind your sunglasses. You can’t help it, despite feeling a little angry at yourself, your tears won’t stop. You’re filled with so many emotions that it’s hard to even identify all of them. The driver, to his credit, has the decency to pretend he doesn’t hear your muffled crying, keeping his eyes on the road and never once sending a curious look into the rearview mirror.

Caught up in your own thoughts, the ride goes by quickly, and before you know it you’re in front of Suzi Q’s apartment building. The driver gets out to open the door for you and you take your bag from him, thanking him quietly and telling him not to wait for you before heading into the lobby. The journey up to Suzi Q’s floor is uneventful, luckily there are no strangers eager to make conversation with you in the elevator. You stand in front of her apartment door for a moment, trying to get yourself together before knocking.

“One moment!” Suzi Q’s sweet voice calls from inside, and you can hear shuffling before the door opens to reveal her gentle face. When she looks at you, her face softens, and she quietly says your name.

“Oh, please come in, darling” Suzi’s expression is filled with concern. You can’t bring yourself to say anything as she reaches out, gently guiding you into her home and shutting the door behind her. She leads you to sit on her couch before disappearing into the kitchen. You take off your sunglasses and set down your bag, before looking around and admiring her cozy apartment as you wait for her to return. Being there always makes you feel so comfortable, and it’s just what you need at that moment. Despite living in New York, Suzi Q’s home never fails to remind you of warm memories spent in the Italian sun.

Your attention is brought back to reality by the sound of Suzi’s soft footsteps as she enters the room again, carrying two cups of warm coffee in her hands. You guess that she must have known you were coming; she didn’t spend long enough in the kitchen to have made a pot of coffee already. The expression on your face must give away your thoughts, because Suzi begins to explain as she hands you the coffee mug and sits down next to you.

“Joseph called and told me you would probably be coming here” Suzi sighs in exasperation, sipping her coffee. You should have known he would call her, she’s always been your closest friend outside of himself. You hum in response, taking a moment to gather your thoughts as you stare down at the dark coffee sitting in your cup.

“Did he tell you what happened?” you finally ask. Suzi Q’s gentle blue eyes meet yours, sympathy clear in her expression.

“He told me a little about him…” Suzi Q trails off for a moment, as if it’s hard for her to physically say the next words, “...having a son as result of an affair. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. I would have given him a piece of my mind but I knew you were going to show up soon, and I didn’t want to greet you upset and empty handed” Suzi rants. She calms down when she looks at your face, and takes your coffee cup and sets it down on the table before holding your hands in hers, squeezing them comfortingly. You allow yourself to relax a little in the presence of your friend. More tears begin to run down your face when you begin to fully take in your situation again. You rush to brush them away, embarrassed about crying so much at your age.

“I-I’m sorry, I can’t seem to stop crying today” you sniffle a little as you speak, trying your best to stay composed despite the tears spilling from your eyes.

“Don’t worry about that, dear. You have every right to feel upset right now, cry as much as you need” Suzi Q shakes her head gently before offering you the box of tissues that sat on her coffee table. You take the box from her, gently wiping your nose and nodding your head in response.

Even though you know it’s true, it’s hard for you to really wrap your head around the fact that your loving husband of sixty one years had an affair, and he has a child out there in the world that he doesn’t share with you. You can’t do much but stare numbly at the wall and sniffle for a few minutes, trying to figure out where everything went wrong. Suzi Q shifts beside you eventually, reaching out to rub your back gently as she looks at you with a worried expression.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Suzi asks, her voice barely above a whisper. You’re not even sure what there is to talk about, you can hardly think straight. You both are quiet for a moment before you speak up.

“I never expected that he would have an affair, we’ve always been so happy. Joseph’s always been an energetic man, for as long as we’ve both known him, and I was always trying to keep him busy and content. I still feel that we’ve enjoyed such an exciting life together, and I believed that was true for him too. I thought that our life together was enough…” you trail off, the rest of your words implied. You are not enough for Joseph Joestar, or at least that’s what you fear to be true. You can’t help the quiet choked sobs that fall from your lips, and your heart feels as though someone is squeezing it as you cry, heartbroken at the thought that you could not live up to everything Joseph wanted. Suzi Q sighs before pulling you into a tight hug, letting you cry into her shoulder.

You keep your face buried in Suzi’s warm sweater for a long while, crying while she holds you and gently rubs your back. She hums a gentle melody as she does, and eventually you calm down, feeling very comforted wrapped in one of your oldest friend’s arms. Despite being an elderly woman now, people never lose the need to feel comforted in their toughest times, and Suzi Q is the perfect person to come to when you need just that.

Finally, you manage to pull yourself from her warm embrace, grabbing another tissue and cleaning up your face. When you look at your friend’s expression again, it is still tight with worry, watching you carefully as you rub drying tears away. Your gaze wanders to the wet spot that your tears left on her sweater, and you feel your face heat up with embarrassment.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Suzi, I got your shirt wet” your voice sounds stuffy as you point the spot out, and Suzi’s eyes move from your face to her sweater, pulling on it so she can see the wet spot. She laughs gently, shaking her head lightly before looking back up at you.

“You always worry too much, my sweater will survive a little bit of moisture on it, I promise” Suzi Q’s smile is bright as she reassures you, and you can’t help smiling a little as she teases you. It fades quickly as reality sets back in however, and you remember something you haven’t thought about yet.

“Oh, how am I going to tell Holly” you sigh, looking out the window in Suzi Q’s apartment. Thinking about the child you do share with Joseph, your sweet daughter Holly, who has always idolized and adored her father, nearly brings you to tears once again. Suzi gently hushes you, taking hold of your hand and giving you another tissue.

“Don’t worry about that right now, dear. Holly is a resilient woman, just like you and all the other Joestar women before you have been. She’ll be fine eventually, and you will be too” Suzi Q squeezes your hand in her own and smiles at you empathetically. You sigh and nod your head, knowing that what she says is true. Holly has always been stronger than she appears, but you still can’t help worrying about her. It’s easier to worry about someone else besides yourself right now anyways. You at least feel a little comforted by the fact that Jotaro has almost certainly not told her. Your grandson was private enough with his own affairs, you were confident that he’d keep this information to himself.

You sit quietly for a while, Suzi patiently waiting next to you as you stare out the window and try to sort everything out in your mind, her soft grip on your hand grounding you. She allows you to drown in your thoughts, unaware of how much time passes, until she finally speaks up again, her hand squeezing your own gently to get your attention.

“You can stay here as long as you want, dear. I can set you up in the guest bedroom you like with the big windows, and I’m sure Rosas wouldn’t mind bringing some more of your things over. We could even go shopping for some new clothes, if you’d like” Suzi looks earnestly into your eyes, and you know that she really would let you stay with her as long as you needed, she is always so supportive of you. Taking some time away from your home and husband for a while may help you come to terms with everything, and being around Suzi Q was sure to make you feel a little brighter.

“Yes, that would be nice. Thank you, Suzi, you’re always so good to me” your voice is quiet, and you're surprised about how weary you sound. Suzi smiles brightly at you in response anyways before standing up, your hand still clasped in hers. You look at her in confusion, unsure of what she’s planning.

“Come on, I think you’re in need of a nice relaxing bath. I’ll make a yummy dinner while you’re doing that and we can have a peaceful evening together free of men and their nonsense” Suzi Q’s expression is playful as she tugs gently on your hand, and you indulge her, allowing her to pull you up off the couch. You feel a bit more at peace as you watch Suzi drag you around her apartment, collecting everything she thinks you’ll need for your relaxing bath. While she’s digging around in a closet for candles, you look around the room, and spot a picture hung on the wall with several familiar faces in it. The face that stands out the most is the one you never got to see age, your beloved friend Caesar, whose life ended too soon. Though it’s been a long time since then, you feel the familiar grief from losing Caesar mix in with your other turbulent emotions. Almost as you are willingly torturing yourself, you can’t help thinking about how things might have been different if Caesar was still alive. You don’t notice Suzi Q’s presence beside you until she places her hand gently on your back.

“You know, Caesar would kill Joseph if he found out about this” Suzi Q’s hums, her tone almost humorous, but there’s a sadness underneath that you know all too well. When you look over at her, you find her blue eyes focused on the same spot yours were, a melancholy smile on her face. Suzi’s eyes turn to meet yours after a moment, and she pats your back before removing her hand.

“Well, enough of sad things for now, Caesar would also want to see you smile with your pretty face instead of feeling sad over him or Joseph, so let’s at least try to smile for our dear Casanova” Suzi Q’s face perks up again, and she stares at you until you smile a little too. Pleased with at least seeing a little smile from you, she guides you towards one of her bathrooms as if you don’t know the layout of her apartment just as well as your own, chattering the whole way about candles and new bath products you should try. You do your best to respond when you need to, but your mind is elsewhere, the familiar ache in your chest rising again. You think you might talk to Joseph sooner than you had planned.