Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As a flock of seagulls sounded off in the distance, a mixture of light pink and orange pierced through the clouds, spreading across the ocean's surface. While the view had the imagery of a film, it would be more accurate to say the movie took the scene out of reality. There wasn't much of a difference in the opinion of manga artist Rohan Kishibe. 

        Life was one big movie. Much like those around him, he was an actor in this film with no director. No... everyone was a director, even if some people were terribly bad at directing their own lives. He thought he was pretty good at it, at least. Nothing unexpected ever happened to him, since he always expected everything. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed writing about other people, from a spectator's position. It made for a much more interesting story…

        And making an accurate yet compelling story was everything to him.

        His mind continued to wander for awhile as the sound of crashing waves drowned out anything else. He was only snapped out of it when he heard his name being called out repeatedly. 

        "Rohan! Hellooo?" a familiar and annoying voice spoke to him. He shifted his gaze from the beautiful ocean to instead land on the incessant man-child across from him. There was truly no one else he despised more than this kid, Josuke Higashikata. After the incident of his burning house and suspecting him of cheating during their game, he would forever scorn his flashy name. It was unfortunate that they had the same friend group - or he should say friend individual - or else he wouldn't be sitting here within proximity of this troublemaker. He couldn't hold back the way his brows furrowed the slightest bit and his lips curled into a scowl whenever he laid eyes on him.

        "What?" he spat after glaring at him.

        "Hey, don't get mad at me. You were the one staring into space," Josuke pointed out with a huff, leaning his hip to one side as his brows also scrunched from Rohan's tone of voice.

        "Yes, I was trying my best to forget you were here," he responded sarcastically. "Now what do you want?"

        Koichi, the short silver haired kid who had been sitting next to them quietly, piped up, "we were wondering what kind of girl you were into."

        "Or guy," Josuke added with a snicker.

        "What?" Rohan asked while staring at them dumbfoundedly. It was such a random question to ask…or maybe he had been so spaced out in his own head that he hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation happening next to him.

        "Yeah, we were talking about chicks since there's a few cuties around here," Okuyasu explained with a grin. He leaned in closer towards Rohan as he continued, "so, what's it gonna be? You into the cutesy type? The sexy type?"

        The dark green-haired male scoffed and leaned away from Okuyasu. "How ridiculous. You really think I'm interested in that sort of thing?"

        Josuke's eyes widened. "So guys-?!"

        "No, you moron! I mean I'm not interested in romance!" Rohan corrected.

        "Not interested in romance?? Seriously?" Okuyasu blinked in disbelief. "Aren't you like a famous author? There's probably tons of chicks who would date you." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck, turning his gaze away from the greened haired male. "Err... or maybe not."

        "What is that supposed to mean?" asked Rohan incredulously, gritting his teeth after hearing such a claim.

        "It means you're an ass," Josuke blurted out.

        "I- I think what Josuke means to say," Koichi cut in before things could go violent, "is that you're kind of... closed off, Mr. Kishibe. It could be difficult for someone to date you."

        Closed off?

        Odd. He had always figured he was very honest. There was nothing left untouched. Did he really seem that distant?

        "I'll have you know I could easily date someone if I wanted to," Rohan insisted, straightening his posture to make himself seem like the bigger person among their group.

        "Oh yeah? Then why don't you have a girlfriend?" Josuke prodded.

        "Because I don't need one," the mangaka snapped before crossing his arms. "Romance is for people who can't take care of themselves."

        "More like people who aren't shut-ins..." Josuke mumbled before looking to Rohan. "You don't understand it in the slightest, do you?"

        Rohan grit his teeth and his hands curled into fists as he heard Josuke mocking him. How dare they insinuate he is incapable of grasping romance. These...complete idiots were saying he, Rohan Kishibe, could not understand romance at all. Perhaps it was an oversight that he never drew a romance manga in his life. He would show them…that he could write something outside of his typical genres.

        Forcing himself to relax, Rohan pushed himself off the railing and backed away from his spot he'd been standing at. "Fine. If that's the way you see it, I'll prove to you that romance is nothing more than a shallow contract."

        Okuyasu looked up to him with a confused expression. "How the hell are you gonna do that?"

        Rohan smirked. "Like I do everything else, of course. I'll write about it. I'll write the greatest romance manga of all time. At the end of the day, romance is nothing more than simple math and probability. I can't wait to see the stupid looks on your faces." With that, he turned on his heel and left the party, going off on his own to think about how he would end up completing this feat.

        As Rohan passed through the crowds of people in silence, he wondered where he would even begin with this novel. Sure, he had seen a few romance movies in his time, even if they didn't exactly appeal to him. He supposed it was because of how fake they felt. The idea of saying all those mushy things and embarrassing one's self for the sake of someone else gave him the shivers. 

        He glanced over at a table nearby and saw a couple sitting there. A girl was talking excitedly to the man across from her as they stared into each others' eyes and held hands like children being led across the street. 

        He didn't understand any of it. What was so great about being that close to someone? Sharing germs? Shaking his head as he continued he walk, he knew his journey to writing this manga would've been harder than he originally thought.

        It seemed like there was no way around it. He would have to be in a relationship to understand how this worked. He thought about just writing what he believed it to be, but that would be disingenuous. And Rohan Kishibe was a thorough man of science…

        …or art. Whatever. He never took the easy way out. He would understand every little thing there was to know about romance, even if it killed him.

        Admittedly, he wasn't a complete idiot when it came to attraction. There were people even he would admit were handsome or beautiful. When he was younger, he even thought about what they would be like, but those thoughts were quickly squashed. Though for this experiment, he wouldn't focus on the outward beauty. No. He needed someone that he could tolerate. If they were at least compatible as 'friends,' perhaps romance wouldn't be too far off.

        He was snapped out of his thoughts yet again as he heard commotion behind him. He turned to find a man sprawled on the ground with a taller female towering over him. His eyes widened in fascination at the pure stature of the woman standing over the man. She was definitely different from the locals. Anyone could tell from the somewhat revealing attire she wore.

        The fully clothed man now on the ground gasping for air, his one moment of restoring some breath only had him looking upon the woman, catching a dark gaze in her ocean like eyes. "W-Wait, it wasn't what you think--"

        "Don't give me that bullshit," she spat out, the voice deep and cunning in nature. Though, there had been a feminine touch to how she spoke to the man on the ground. 

        Rohan's green eyes slowly moved to what appeared to be a woman towering above the culprit, a bit taller than even the manga artist himself. Her long black hang hung down in a loose side braid and her brows scrunched together sternly.

        Her right hand gripped at the thief's cloak as she stood looming over his body, towering over him in an intimidating manner. "You were trying to steal something you think would be valuable, right?" Her mostly full lips formed a sinister smile as she scoffed and threw him onto the ground, the guy's back crashing onto the hard cement. "You can't fool me, mister. I know people like you. Now piss off...or else you won't get off with just a warning like this time. Got it?"

        Scrambling to a stand, the stranger was at a loss for words as he sped in the opposite direction. Running away from the woman as fast as his feet could take him, he disappeared quickly as to avoid trouble.

        The young woman stood back up normally, turning back at the man who was about to be stricken with trouble and an act of theft. "Hey... Sorry 'bout that... Hope I didn't cause too much trouble," she said to him, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jeans. 

        Then, his gaze shifted to the woman in front of him as he was addressed. "Ah... no. It's alright," he answered unsurely. Taking in her full view, he had to admit she was rather beautiful. Her presence radiated such confidence that could only be compared to his own…

        And her eyes stood out to most: having the colors of the clear ocean water he'd gone sailing in for his research…

        But not that it mattered. He didn't know this woman. Then again... maybe that's a good thing. Now that he thought about it, would it not be best if he dated someone who his friends didn't know? If they knew her, they might try to intervene in the experiment.

        No. He couldn't let that happen. Even the idea of Josuke and Okuyasu messing this up for him filled him with rage. Besides, he didn't promise to properly date anyone. He just said he would make the best romance manga of all time. They didn't need to know about the details of how he figured it out. Keeping that in mind, his neutral expression slipped into a friendly smile as he extended his hand. "You were just stopping that pickpocket, yes? Allow me to thank you over lunch."

        The young woman peered down at the hand extended to her, almost skeptical about taking him up on his offer. But after a few long moments of silence, she reached out to shake the young man's hand. "Sure thing... But before we even discuss that, maybe I should get a name first? Inviting a nameless woman out for lunch is a bit bold..." she pointed out, her lips slightly curling to a smirk.

        Right. Damn. He had nearly forgotten. One was supposed to exchange names before asking someone out. "It's Rohan," he told her bluntly. He returned his hand to his side as quickly as possible, doing his best not to look embarrassed by his lack of awareness of his social etiquette. "And I'm just thanking you for stopping them. It's only lunch, after all..." 

        He could tell she was trying to make it out to be something it's not... well, okay, maybe it was what she thought it was. He's supposed to be asking her on a date. He had nearly forgotten, honestly. He wasn't used to seducing people, so he downplayed it. Hopefully she didn't change her mind.

        "Still... That's quite bold of you," she joked before crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes glancing down at his attire and then back up to his face, as if she were trying to get a read on the guy. "Anyway, I'm Adrianne... Glad I stopped that bastard from stealing your belongings..." She tapped one of her black boots on the concrete, as if thinking or observing something. Then, her face fell back to its neutral state, her colorful eyes gazing over the attire he had on. "Are those designer clothes? Or did you make them yourself?"

        "Hah! Did I make them myself..." he repeated, as he found the statement in itself to be amusing. Of course he didn't. These were made special for him by his favorite designer. Maybe it would be best if he didn't mention that, especially in that moment. Having a designer implied having wealth and then she'd ask about his job, among other things if she had been observant enough. 

        ‘Wouldn't that skew the results of this experiment?’ he asked himself. If he wanted the authentic experience, he should act as much like a normal person as possible. Sucking in a deep breath, he swallowed his pride as he prepared for his response. "N-No, I bought them from clothing store." 

        He could already tell there would be a lot of lying in this relationship, though that was to be expected. Every relationship is filled with lies, since people lie all the time. It was common sense. There was no reason to feel bad about it. They weren't actually going to be dating, after all. He didn't want to linger on the subject any longer, so he tried to think of a change of topic. 

        Food! That's right. They're supposed to be going to lunch tomorrow. "Are there any kind of foods you don't like?" Yes. Perfect. Learn her likes and dislikes. This would definitely help him in strategizing this future date. 

        "Well... I don't have any foods I dislike," Adrianne admitted with a shrug. "Why? Do you have a place in mind?"

        Good question. What place did he have in mind? He had to pick a place that she would like for sure. Even if she said she didn't dislike any foods, there was a possibility the service would be terrible. That would subtract a lot of points from the hypothetical relationship scale. He could go for something easy and cheap…

        Ah, but then she might think he's not very invested. Yet if he chose somewhere too expensive, that would set red flags off for sure. 

        ‘Gah, why does dating have to be this complicated?’

        He sorted through various places in his head before he had a sudden 'aha!' moment. Tonio's. Of course. There isn't a person on Earth who hated that place. That man was a master chef and his food would charm anyone who even had a taste of his cooking.

        "...yes, I believe so." Rohan managed a small smile and reached into his bag, pulling out a slip of paper and writing an address with directions on it before handing the paper over to her. "Meet me at this place tomorrow at noon. You won't be disappointed."

        Adrianne looked down at the piece of paper after it had been handing it to her, reading over what had been written and returning the same smile to Rohan. "You sound so sure... If that's the case, this place must be amazing," she pointed out before placing the paper into her pocket. Looking back over at how the sun had almost completely set, she tucked her hands into her pockets and gave him a softer smile this time. "It's getting a bit late, but it was nice meeting you... And I'm looking forward to tomorrow." With that, she waved her hand slightly and turned using her heel. "See you then." She began her journey back to where she had been going previously, walking away confidently as her hands had been tucked into her pockets, taking in her surroundings around her.

        Rohan turned back on his trek home and a lot had been swirling in his mind despite his outward appearance. The manga artist never expected to find someone this interesting so quickly. The woman was far different than the locals, and she gave off a mysterious energy that already had him curious. 

        His plan to start his romance manga had been off to a great start…but the questions about her and their supposed "lunch date" continued to plague his train of thought. How would he go about getting information from her? Should he be blunt about what he wanted? Would he need to use his stand Heaven's Door to quickly get more about her? 

        No, I shouldn’t worry over things like that, especially now,’ he thought to himself. 

        Rohan Kishibe was always determined to finish his projects and to get all that he could - down to the numbers - to make his work as accurate as possible. His new muse, Adrianne, had motivated him to make his romance manga better than the ordinary, cliche romances the public had to offer. The woman already accepted his offer to this outing they’d be taking part in. There was no way that it was difficult to form a simple romance with someone. He just asked someone out within minutes of conversing with them. How much was there to be explored?

Chapter Text

Rohan could feel his eyes disintegrating as he stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom. In hindsight, he should have slept instead of spending the entire night going over his plan for the outing. 

        Oh well; it wasn't as if this was new or anything. He already spent many late nights working on his manga – sometimes several in a row without sleeping at all. His editor kept reminding him that staying up that long was unhealthy; however. his best work was made under the throes of passion. If it meant he would lose a few days of sleep, so be it.

        After dwelling over his lack of sleep, he glanced at the alarm clock near his bed and his eyes widened when he realized the time. He scrambled out of bed in an instant and rummaged through his closet haphazardly. It dawned on him that he never planned out his attire for the day. He cursed himself internally for not taking this into consideration as well. 

        He mulled over each option carefully before settling on a long blue shirt and orange tie, along some white trousers and shoes. Rushing to his bathroom, the manga artist brushed out his hair and teeth before putting on his standard matching headband. Rohan paused to take one last look in the mirror and made sure everything was in order. While he would normally take more time to prepare, he didn't exactly have that kind of time, so he needed to be content with this. 

        Snatching his bag as he rushed out the door and locking it behind him, he continued to speed-walk towards the restaurant he planned on taking Adrianne to. If his calculations were correct, he should still definitely be there as planned. His pace gradually increased the longer he walked and he could soon see Tonio's in the distance. Hopefully she wasn't waiting too long for him. 

        Er, he didn't want to lose any points with her, of course. That was the real reason he was stressed.

~~

        Rohan busted through the doors once his hands had reached out to the handles, some heavy breaths sounding off from the entrance as soon as he could catch a break. While he hadn't intended to run, his anxiety got the better of him and he found himself practically sprinting towards the restaurant. Fortunately, he was in good shape from his constant work-outs and the run was nothing compared to that. His gaze landed on Adrianne and he felt himself sigh in relief. Oh good. She hadn't been seated yet. But he still noted that she’d been standing with Tonio, most likely having some conversation with him.

        Tonio blinked at the disheveled Rohan and then smiled at him. "Ah, Mr. Kishibe! It is good to see you again!"

        "Yes, yes. It's good to see you too, Tonio," Rohan agreed as he straightened his back. He managed to calm himself and looked to Adrianne. "Sorry. I guess I ended up sleeping in." Actually, he didn't sleep at all, but she didn't need to know that. He took a seat at one of the empty tables near the back, away from any prying eyes on the street. He didn't want anyone else to recognize him. If they saw him talking to Adrianne, they might get the wrong idea and start spreading rumors. 

        And if those rumors got back to Josuke... eugh, it gave him the shivers thinking about it.

        Adrianne looked back at Rohan and a small smile formed from her face. "It's okay. Honestly, I thought I was almost late coming in here," the woman admitted before her attention went back to the man who was seating them. "Grazie mille, signore," she said back to him, her Italian sounding much more natural than her Japanese.

        Tonio hummed and placed a hand over his chest as he heard that familiar language of hers. "È la benvenuta, signorina," he responded. With that, he didn't even bother asking her what she wanted before he disappeared into the back.

        Rohan was stunned at hearing her speak Italian to Tonio, though he supposed he should have guessed that much. ‘Adrianne’ was a reference to the Adriatic Sea, a body of water which separated the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans. It made sense that she would be Italian, but he didn't want to assume anything from their first meeting though. Even his name was a little weird, so he understood the struggle of people assuming things about you. 

        On the other hand... he had a big problem.

        He had no idea what they just said. While Rohan had different tastes of other cultures, he didn't know how to speak other languages fluently. He wasn't sure he even knew a word of Italian. He trusted Tonio, for the most part, so that wasn't a big deal. What concerned him had been barrier between them, and whether that would affect the relationship. Perhaps he should invest time into learning the language? He certainly wouldn't mind becoming more knowledgeable. He was always open to trying new things for his manga…

        Wait. This could also be a good conversation starter. He should be trying to learn more about her, right? It was much easier doing it this way than prying into her business with Heaven's Door. He didn't have to worry about her seeing it since she was just a normal person, but he would prefer not to get his hands dirty if at all possible. 

        Mustering up a slight smile, he peered at Adrianne and asked, "so, is your family Italian then?" Her eyes had seemed to wonder after he turned to her, as if she was taking a better look at the restaurant. Maybe she had been worried or confused as to why Tonio didn’t give them a menu. It was enough for anyone to question, but the thought of her questioning the place had been worrisome to Rohan.

        Turning around, Adrianne heard his voice and peered at him before her posture straightened and her hands rested atop the flat surface between them. "Yes... My family is Italian..." she began. "I was in Italy for the first half of my childhood, but I don't remember most of it... Just my last couple years there." It was somewhat clear she was uncomfortable judging by the moment of silence that fell through, and especially how her eyebrows furrowed after speaking her own words. But it didn’t take long for the conversation to pick back up. "Are you from around here, Rohan?" she asked curiously, her face softening just the slightest bit.

        He noticed her expression change when she mentioned her family. While he found it odd, he understood the importance of privacy and decided not to pry any further. He barely spoke of his own past as it is, so should he really expect her to share anything that personal? This was the first date, after all. 

        Speaking of his past, he was surprised to hear her ask about him. He considered making something up, but there was no need to in this situation. It didn't matter where he was from. "That's correct. I was born in this town. I ended up moving around a lot, yet there's something about Morioh that keeps bringing me back."

        "Is it the people? The things to do around here? Or maybe the mysterious energy surrounding the town?" Adrianne questioned. "I've lived in a couple places, but...Morioh has to be my favorite so far...despite the most recent events." Trying to change the subject, her bluish hazel eyes glossed over Rohan's attire with interest. The small smile came back to her face as she was curious about one thing he said. "May I ask why you've been moving around a lot? I bet with all the traveling, you get to see all sorts of cool places."

        "I would say it's a little of everything," he admitted with a smile as he returned it back to her. "Morioh seems like such a calm and boring town from the outside. Yet the people are anything but 'normal.' Even if it has its periods of quiet, I think Morioh is a very unique place." He noticed Tonio set down two drinks for them while they waited for their food. He thanked the chef before taking a sip from his cup. He could already feel the tension leaving his body from a single taste. "And I moved around because I like learning about other cultures. I don't really know how to explain it. I just enjoy it." That much was true, even if he left out the part about his manga. He did love visiting new places and learning about their local stories or traditions.

        The woman thanked the chef as well, taking a sip of her drink as she listened to Rohan speak. "I'm jealous. I'd want more than anything to see the world, but sometimes life just isn't in our favor," she admitted with a shrug as she took another sip from her glass, this time longer than the last. "The more one moves around, the more they can adapt to other environments easily. That's how I like to view it…"

        Rohan nodded his head, agreeing with her opinion. There were others who weren’t pleased by the amount of traveling he’d done. The experience had changed him into the person he was today… But whether it changed him for the better was something he needed to figure out for himself. “I agree… Though the move back to Morioh had been quite easy to manage. This is a culture I am the most familiar with, so I didn’t need to learn a new language, or different cultural ways of living.”

        Though, by seeing Adrianne taking yet another long sip of the wine, he noticed that her glass was almost empty. Even if they were both at the legal age to drink, he wasn’t the one to drink on a lot of occasions. “I take you enjoy the wine?” he asked, his eyes darting between the glass and the woman across from him.

        “Yes, I enjoy it a lot, actually… It has that perfect balance between sweet and bitter,” explained Adrianne. “I’ll be honest, this is one of the best wines I’ve had in awhile.”

        ‘Awhile…’ That could only mean one of two things to Rohan… Either she’d been drinking from a younger age, or she just knew her alcohol. If she had been drinking from a younger age, he’d find that to be different. While there were troublemakers in Morioh, she didn’t seem to make it obvious…much like the annoying Josuke and his best friend. “I’m certainly glad you enjoy it. I like the taste as well; it’s different than what I’m used to.” 

        Rohan continued to sip at his drink for a couple moments, letting the alcohol seep into his system. Even if it had been just a glass, it had been strong enough to where there had been an affect on his body and mind. The music in the background seemed more fluid to him and the tension in his body began to slowly disappear. His back leaned against the chair and his free hand had been laying flat on the surface. 

        Before he could say anything else, Tonio returned with two meals for the both of them. The artist found that Tonio handed him a plate with thin slices of meat with shaved parmesan cheese, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and olive oil drizzled on top of the meal. It was portioned well for a lunchtime meal, in his mind. Looking over to the Italian chef, he gave him a polite smile and a nod. “Thank you, Tonio, this looks really good.”

        Then, his eyes caught glance of Adrianne’s dish, which didn’t have as much of a variety of food but it looked just as appetizing. She had pasta with a green sauce that he had on his own dish, but in a bigger serving. There were leaves on top of it and the noodles appeared thick and long. Like some alfredo noodles he had the last time he visited the restaurant.

        “Grazie mille, singore,” said Adrianne. Rohan saw that her attention went back to the chef and she had a polite smile spread across her full lips.

        “Prego, signorina Adrianne e signorino Rohan. Buon appetito…” Tonio stood by their table, smiling at the two young adults patiently.

        Rohan knew what to expect from Tonio’s food, but he hoped that Adrianne enjoyed the meal she was given. Though in order to escape his racing thoughts, he picked up his fork and began to eat his meal. 

        A good mixture of fresh meat and cheese entered his mouth as his eyes widened from the taste of the two types of food. The olive oil that had been drizzled on top of them both added a rich taste that shocked the artist. After chewing and swallowing the first bite, he turned to Tonio and his smile spread politely, giving a small nod of appreciation to his acquaintance. “Ah this tastes delightful…! Thank you, Tonio.” 

        His green eyes slowly glanced at the taller woman next to him and found her eating her meal, but her gaze appeared to be down at her food. She was silent as she chewed and swallowed her food, her attention on the meal almost as if she’d been thinking about something. He had to wonder: did she at least enjoy it?

        “This tastes like home…” Adrianne mumbled in a nostalgic way, her head turning to Tonio. “This is the first time I’ve had food like this in years… Thank you…”

        Rohan heard the slight happiness in Adrianne’s voice and he couldn’t help but have himself drawn to her. A woman like her, having such a tough exterior, had such a soft tone and a relaxed smile. It had been a complete turn around from when he met her the night before. Was this Adrianne under the surface?

        Trying to speak up, Rohan just about said something to her before Tonio interrupted him. “Of course, bella! Now, you and Rohan enjoy your food. I have to attend to other customers.” With that, Tonio left them to their own meals, walking over to other customers walking through the door.

        The manga artist felt a small amount of fear now that the two were left alone. What was he going to discuss with Adrianne? What was he supposed to ask her? He needed his inspiration for his manga, but he didn’t even know how to describe his own feelings at the moment - let alone, hers. In order to distract his racing mind, he continued to eat his food in silence for a couple minutes. 

        The taste of his food had been a good enough distraction for Rohan and he ended up relaxing the longer he ate. His vision cleared and the music around them seemed to fade out in his mind, but the colors around him appeared to be more vibrant than ever before. His food seemed crystal clear in his field of vision, and the woman in front of him. He didn’t know why, but the food made him more attentive yet relaxed compared to when he entered the restaurant. He was able to get a better look at Adrianne and how she presented herself. Her face was clear of blemishes, but the slight amount of makeup she had applied earlier accentuated her ocean eyes and her strong jawline. Her long black hair that framed her face shone like a dark night sky, and he had to imagine that her hair felt like smooth silk. Despite the intimidating appearance, she didn’t have that harsh glare he expected her to have stuck to her face. In fact, her small smile appearing as she ate was starting to show and it made the woman appear softer than she let on.

        The change in expression was enough to having Rohan smiling relaxedly as his eyes wandered from her black hair…down to her tight black blouse hugging her toned arms. The top fit snug against her voluptuous chest, her toned waist, and her jeans hugged her muscular thighs…

        ‘No… No, no, no…!’ Rohan thought to himself as he backed off and his cheeks warmed from the sight. He was merely here to thank her for saving him from that criminal the night before. Adrianne was physically attractive and a mystery to him, but he never intended on doing anything else with her. The thought had his head spinning once again, his leg shaking underneath the table and his hands curled into fits on his thighs. The more he was thinking about Adrianne in that kind of context, the warmer his face grew in shame. He didn’t want to make himself seem like the stereotypical, virgin, pent up artist that he was.

        “...Rohan?” Adrianne’s soothing voice asked, breaking Rohan out of his head. “Is something the matter? You aren’t looking well…”

        Crap, she could see him becoming a complete mess. Things weren’t supposed to turn out like this. To try and compose himself, the artist sat up straight and kept her gaze off of the woman across from him. “I-I’m fine… I was just thinking about how well the food tasted…upon some other things.” Words fumbled from his mouth and he almost spilled what exactly he’d been thinking about. This was unlike anything Rohan had ever felt and dealt with. And he had to wonder: why was he acting like this…?

        ‘The food… Did Tonio use his stand on my meal??’

        Rohan’s fear must’ve been true, and it became more evident as he caught Tonio in his line of sight, giving him a wink and a smug grin before walking back into the kitchen.

        As if Rohan wasn’t already embarrassed enough… The chef messed with his food on purpose! He was trying to play matchmaker. Curse Tonio, and curse his magnificent food for making him look like the dumbest, idiotic person in the room.

        “Are…you sure? Your face is bright red…~” Adrianne’s tone had changed into a more sultry tone then, as if she had been flirting with him.

        The artist’s attention snapped up to Adrianne and caught a look at her face. She had a smirk forming from her lips and her gaze had a more mischievous glint to them than before. Something appeared off by her change in tone, but the man’s body couldn’t help but warm from the words being spoken to him. He’d never heard a woman speak in such a way in his life, let alone, directly to him.

        “M-My face isn’t bright red… It’s the same as it always is,” he lied, his gaze slowly turning back to the table in front of him.

        “Hmm, I’m calling bullshit on that. Even if the look is adorable on you, I can tell that maybe you need help–”

        Before Adrianne could say anything else, Rohan snapped, “I don’t need any help.” When he realized some people turned to look at him, he stood up and pushed in his chair before taking a deep breath. “It’s just the air in here is a bit humid. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go cool myself down in the men’s room…” He walked his way to the restroom with a huff, reaching his hand out to the door and scrambling to the sink.

        His hands slammed onto the counter as he gripped onto the edges and took a couple of deep breaths. Rohan wanted to get to know then woman and come up with a plot for his manga, not get drugged by the Italian food. He was a fool for beginning her here, where a stand user was going to mess with her meal and his time for research. Though, he couldn’t help but worry about what his new muse was thinking. He just ran away from her like an idiot and shameful man. No good man walked out after situations such as the one he was in. 

        While thinking of a way to make the situation better, his stand Heaven’s Door appeared right next to him. It’d be easier to wipe Adrianne’s memory of the date and they’d never discuss it again…but there were many risks to doing that. What if she could see his stand? What if she were to ask questions? She wasn’t stupid and had been quite perceptive already… Whether she had been a stand user or not, he feared he’d ask questions either way.

        ‘No… never mind… using Heaven’s Door will be useless for now…’

        His brows knitting together, Rohan had to take this moment with stride and let it continue. He couldn’t run away from his problems this time. So heaven’s Door faded away and Rohan stormed out of the restroom, back to his original seat. He was glad Tonio hadn’t shown up again, or else he would’ve asked questions about why he was feeling the way he was. Instead, his eyes laid upon a relaxed, collected Adrianne. Her glare had seemingly disappeared and her stance appeared more relaxed, as she laid back into her seat and sipped at the wine in her glass.

        “Welcome back. Have you cooled down a bit?” she asked him with a raised brow.

        Rohan settled into his seat and found that Adrianne’s plate had been cleared of the food. If she was this relaxed, it must’ve meant that the food did a number to her body and mind as well. “Yes… The restroom has a much better cooling system,” he admitted as his green eyes kept themselves staring at the table shamefully. “Listen. I’m…sorry for storming off like that. I…don’t know what came over me. I typically don’t do this sort of thing, so… I hope you forgive me.”

        Adrianne sat silent for a few moments, as if she were processing Rohan’s words. “It’s fine… Things happen, Rohan. I’ll be honest, the food has made me feeling some type of way as well. Usually in public, I’m more…uptight. The more I ate, the more relaxed I became.”

        Rohan looked up at Adrianne right in that moment. So Tonio did the same thing to her as well? He must’ve definitely been playing matchmaker… “Really…? Well, uh… I can be the same way in public, but… I don’t know. Something feels off to me today.” He didn’t know how to make the situation better or how to change the subject. But the way she had been teasing him earlier raised some questions. 

        Was it just Tonio’s stand trying to bring them closer? The chef must have done something to her food to where she could open up to him more and appear nicer. Even if he’d already been trying to do that on his own, Rohan secretly thanked him for at least making his job a bit easier.

        “Glad I’m not the only one,” she admitted with a slight chuckle. “Even if the food is really good, I don’t know if I like being this calm and relaxed in a place full of people. You may never know who’s around…”

        The manga artist knew she was right. One couldn’t ever be too careful. Sure, she looked different from the public, but she appeared comfortable in her own skin according to him. Why would she need to be careful among the public? And why would she admit it aloud, he had to ask himself. “Right…”

        Suddenly, Tonio had appeared right back at the table with his hand behind his back, smiling down at the both of them. “Greetings, did you two find your meals to be appetizing?”

        Adrianne was surprisingly the first to answer, turning her head to the chef as she gave a nod to him. “Si, singore. It was very good. Grazie,” she responded calmly.

        “Non è un problema, signorina.” Tonio answered her in Italian with a bigger grin before turning back to the male sitting across from her. “And you, Rohan? Did you enjoy today’s meal?”

        If Rohan had been by himself or his friends, he’d have no problem with calling Tonio out, but…with Adrianne being around, he didn’t want to make a fool of himself, or get her to question what was happening around her. “Yes…it was very good. Thank you.” He pulled out his wallet from his bag and found his card. Right when he was about to hand it to Tonio, his eye caught Adrianne also pulling out her wallet. “W-Wait, Adrianne… Allow me to pay for today’s meal.”

        “Are you sure? You don’t want to split the bill?” she asked him worriedly, sliding her wallet back into her purse.

        Rohan shook his head and avoided her gaze, keeping it on Tonio. “Let me pay for the both of us. I was the one who treated you to lunch, after all.”

        Tonio chuckled from the slight and took Rohan’s card from him. “Good for you, Rohan! You’re quite the gentleman.” He went to go swipe the card by the register before making his way back to the two young adults.

        After the Italian chef returned, Rohan put his card back in its respective place and let out a sigh, folding his hands atop the table. “Isn’t the gentleman supposed to pay for the meal, Adrianne? The woman usually doesn’t end up paying unless the guy is an utter fool,” he boasted.

        Adrianne glanced at Rohan with a smile and mirrored the artist’s stance. “It’s a common occurrence, yes. But I’d still like to offer paying anyway. Why must the woman not offer to at least split the bill, hm? You think I don’t have money on me, Rohan?” she asked teasingly.

        “I- I’m not making such claims!” sputtered Rohan, pointing at her accusingly. She was taking his comments surprisingly well, and didn’t seem to want to argue with him. Normally, other people would’ve taken great offense to such a thing. “I’ve just seen and read that the man should always pay first. And like I said, I was the one who invited you here. Wouldn’t it make more sense if I were to pay for us?”

        She nodded her head and leaned back in her chair, giving up on proving her point further. “Yeah… That’s fair.”

        Rohan stood from his chair and offered for Adrianne to follow, in which she trailed behind him out of the restaurant. They stood together outside and took in the view in front of them. People walked along the streets and there were some crowds by the crosswalks. Stores had people walking in and out of them, and speeding cars sounded off in the distance. 

        “Well,” began Rohan, “I had an…interesting time with you, Adrianne.” He had no idea where else to go in terms of conversation. The man was not really good at social etiquette nor continuing any small talk with others. For someone really famous among the public, he didn’t have the most charming persona.

        “I had a time with you as well, Rohan,” she said to him, looking slightly down at the man. “I’d be interested in meeting up with you again. Maybe somewhere more secluded?”

        He did a double take after hearing Adrianne’s offer. Did she really want to meet up with him again? After all that happened in the restaurant? After he even made a fool out of himself? He was sure that she’d reject the man and he’d lose her as a muse. The shock had been overwhelming to Rohan, as he stared at Adrianne dumbfoundedly. “You…really want to? You’re…not worried about what happened earlier?”

        “Ha… I figured something was off with my food as well. That wasn’t your fault.” She smiled at him and tucked her hands inside her pocket. One of the had reached back out and had uncurled itself, revealing a piece of paper. “Here… If you want to reach out, you can call me.”

        Rohan took the piece of paper and peered down at the number scribbled onto it, memorizing it before placing it in his bag. “I’ll…keep that in mind. Now, I have things to attend to, but…when I have the time, I’ll call you.” The man peered at Adrianne one last time, taking a better look at her almost in awe from how the sun had hit her hair and eyes. Maybe the stand’s abilities hadn’t worn off quite yet, but he had to admit, the woman appeared quite lively from where he was standing. She had a mysterious aura to her, and today’s interaction had him even more curious about her. “I’ll see you later, Adrianne…” 

        He began to make his way back to his temporary living space, disappointed to have been leaving his muse so soon, but he couldn’t completely show his interest quite yet. Not only that, he couldn’t give much away about himself. He was only using her as inspiration for his manga. Nothing more, nothing less… Rohan Kishibe had to continue his mission to build the perfect story, and if he had to make up all these lies to protect himself, so be it. He’d do anything to create his content – even if it meant creating a second life to please his muse.

Chapter Text

Letting a few days pass and drag into the weekend, Rohan had time to enjoy his peace and quiet in the Hiorse household. Waiting for his house renovations had been a large pain to him, but staying in the same place as Koichi hadn’t been all that terrible. He had the space needed to focus on his work during Koichi’s time away from the home, spending his mornings and afternoons drawing his main characters and coming up with a plot for his new manga.

        After the weekend rolled around, the manga artist had a small idea of the genre and characters he wanted to make their appearance in his story: 

        A lonely man who had gotten everything in life was struggling with human interaction, especially in the romance department. Even if he appeared like he was a dream boat of a guy, there was no success when it came to finding friends and a serious romantic partner. One day, a young woman saved him from an altercation with a fellow rich man who was more full of himself than any other person he came across. This woman was able to difuse their argument with just a few stern words, but the way she presented herself made him envious…yet intrigued. Despite not knowing things about romance, he was willing to put in at least a little bit of effort into their newfound bond… Or at least that’s what he thought of at first.

        Sure, he brought some of his own experiences and people he knew into this story. His new muse was a lot like this female character he had in mind, but the issue was…he barely knew things about her that were essential to his manga. All he got from Adrianne was that she was Italian, different from the locals in terms of mannerisms, and that she didn’t want to open up about her family. Maybe he needed to hold off on that until later? Could he ask other things instead to avoid any confrontation with her?

        Rohan needed material soon and it didn’t help that his mind was telling him to hurry up with his prologue. Reaching into one of the drawers, he pulled out the number he had received from Adrianne and walked over to the phone. His vision blurred and his heart pounded in his chest the closer his hand was to the device. 

        ‘No… You’re just going to ask how she’s doing. There’s no need to be so nervous about such a simple task.’ The artist took a deep breath and punched the numbers he found before lifting it and holding it against his ear. The rings he heard slowed time and became nerve-wracking the more he could hear from the small speakers.

        Was Adrianne not around the phone? Was she busy? Had she lost interest after not speaking to her for a few days?

        Just when he was about to put the phone back on the dock, the ringing stopped and he heard a deep yet soft sounding voice over the phone. “Hello?”

        Thank goodness… Adrianne actually picked up the phone… “Hello, Adrianne…? It’s Rohan…” Her voice had been oddly calming to him. Even if he heard it before, her tone sounded different with hearing the slight muffle over the phone. The connection wasn’t as steady, indicating she was somewhere with not great service.

        “Oh, hey… How’ve you been?” she asked in a casual manner.

        “I’m…alright, I guess. I’ve been busy attending to my job and this is the first day I’ve gotten a break.” Rohan looked around him to see if anyone had been listening in. Seeing that no one had been around to listen, he cleared his throat and gripped the phone in his hand. “Are…you busy at the moment…?”

        Rohan could’ve sworn he heard a giggle over the phone and it only made him more ashamed of how he worded his question. It was so simple and yet all he received was a laugh towards him. Curse his awkwardness around new people…

        “No, I’m not. Why do you ask, Rohan?”

        “Well, I…um… We talked about setting up another meeting and…you said to call–”

        “Hmm, sounds like someone missed me. I didn’t expect a call this quickly.” The line had gone silent as Adrianne laughed quietly, causing Rohan to want to bash his head against the wall. Why did he have to be so awkward? And why did she need to tease him about all this.

        “I– I didn’t miss you! I just thought about what you said and…decided to call… Plus, I have nothing else going on,” sputtered the manga artist defensively, his cheeks heating up the longer he was on the phone. 

        With a sigh, Adrianne continued to speak after hearing Rohan get all defensive. “Alright, I’ll stop the teasing for now… But if this is your way of trying to get us to hang out again, then I’d like to. We can go to the Morioh park if you’d like. It’s a nice day out.”

        The young man didn’t go out often – let alone, sit in the sun – many days out of the week. It’d been a hassle for him to interact with people who meant nothing to him. Not only that, he and Adrianne could be seen in public by people he certainly didn’t want to talk to. If that Joestar he absolutely hated caught wind of the two spending time together, he was done for. He’d be the laughing stock of the group. “Sure… That sounds acceptable.”

        “Cool… Let’s meet up at the fountain, then. I’ll be there soon.”

        Rohan was able to hear the slight excitement in Adrianne’s voice, which was a good sign for him, but at the same time, the young man wasn’t able to comprehend what all was happening. She still stuck around, despite all the awkward interactions so far. “Right… See you then.” Hanging up the phone, the artist made his way to his temporary room. His attention had been on the view straight ahead of him, but he hadn’t acknowledged the present moment he was in…so much so that he bumped into a figure in front of him.

        Looking down haphazardly, he found his friend Koichi looking up at him with a curious expression. “O-Oh, Rohan-sensei! I’m sorry for bumping into you. I wasn’t paying much attention,” the young boy admitted as he continued to keep his attention on Rohan. “Is everything alright, Rohan?”

        Well, shit… Here he was acting like an idiot around his friend. Even if Koichi was a reliable guy and admittedly a good friend, he didn’t want to spill his secret. Rohan had been a secretive man when it came to his personal life, and knowing that Koichi hung out with Josuke, he didn’t want to take the risk. “Yes, I’m doing just fine, Koichi. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get myself ready for the day.”

        Nodding his head, Koichi stepped out of Rohan’s way but he still had his attention on him. “You typically don’t go out without me or the rest of our group. This must be important… Are you trying to gather material for your romance manga?”

        Damn… He did make the claim to Koichi and the rest of the group that he’d make a romance manga. He should’ve taken that in consideration before saying he made his way out the door. “Something of that nature… I’ve got a plot ready, but…there are a lot of missing holes in my story. That’s all I’ll say.” With that, Rohan entered his room and closed the door in order to give himself privacy. Even if this hadn’t been as nerve-wracking as the last meeting, his stomach turned and the sweat forming on his body made its appearance. 

        There was no time for funny business this time around, Rohan had to remind himself. He needed to get more information about Adrianne and make progress in this…weird relationship he was trying to form with her.

~~

        The outfit Rohan chose to wear was more out there than the last one he wore around Adrianne. He wore his tailor-made white crop top coat that had unique pen buttons on top, a green crop top underneath, and white pants to match the coat along with a black belt that wrapped around the loopholes. His band of his trunks had been showing, as well as his toned abs. This had been a custom outfit he requested someone to make for him, and he wore it with pride – much like all this other pieces of clothing. But this was more of an outfit that represented who he was. 

        After applying his basic makeup, he slipped on his green shoes and retrieved his bag before checking  himself in the mirror one last time. Seemingly content with how he presented himself, Rohan rushed Hirose household quickly as to not draw suspicion from Koichi or his family. Even if he did look nice, looks weren’t going to be everything in this newfound bond with Adrianne. She was smart enough to where she could start figuring out the kind of guy Rohan was the longer they spent time together. Her perceptiveness so far had thrown him on edge and she was worried she’d figure why he was still attending these meetings with her. If she figured out this early on, his new manga was doomed.

        Soon enough, Rohan made it to the Morioh fountain first, relieved that he hadn’t been late this time. He hated being late to things, and after his mistake last time, he was sure to never again arrive at these meetings behind scheduled time. Order and structure were important to him and anything that ruined those things would ruin his way of thinking.

        Being on time, it gave him some time to look around the area and find some inspiration before Adrianne arrived. In addition, he needed to make sure no one he knew was around….especially that stupid Josuke and Okuyasu. Finding that there were only a few small children around, he pulled out his sketchbook to idly sketch the view in front of him. The simple buildings weren’t enough to inspire him just yet, but it gave his hands something to do, and his mind something to focus on other than his overwhelming thoughts.

        Only getting a basic outline of the buildings, a shadow casted above him and his eyes immediately shot to what had been blocking his view. Adrianne showed up not too long after he had arrived and what he feasted his eyes upon was unlike anything he’d seen a woman wear before. She wore a tube tank top with English words printed on it as well as some baggy jeans and black boots. But it wasn’t her outfit he found to be captivating, it was the way her ocean eyes shone in the sunlight and how her figure was presented. Her muscles sculpted her arms and shoulders that even he was envious of. While Rohan was in shape, he certainly wasn’t like her.

        “Hey, Rohan. Sorry I’m late. I ran into some trouble earlier,” she admitted to the young man as she sat on the edge of the fountain next to the artist. 

        ‘Focus, Rohan… It’s not polite to keep staring…’ the man thought to himself before he put away his sketchbook. “That’s alright… You weren’t that late.” But he had to wonder… “What kind of trouble did you happen to stumble upon?”

        The young woman sat there in silence for a few moments, folding her hands in her lap before she spoke up again, her face falling to its neutral state. “It’s a bit of a long story, but there was a guy causing a commotion by the place I’m staying. He made some threats towards a helpless woman and just about assaulted her until I stepped in.” Adrianne sighed before she continued her story. “The guy attacked me so I defended myself. I ended up knocking the guy off his feet and then I walked away.”

        Hearing the story reminded Rohan of when he and Adrianne first met. If she was stopping other criminals or other people disturbing the peace, she must’ve been some sort of vigilante… She didn’t seem like the type to work with the police, but it seemed she could confront and fight others easily. 

        ‘Why was that?’ wondered Rohan.

        “If it wasn’t your issue in the first place, why would you have the need to jump in and resolve things?” asked the artist, turning her head face Adrianne.

        Adrianne gave a shrug before glancing at the artist. “The guy wouldn’t leave her alone, and if I hadn’t stepped in, who knew what would’ve happened to her. I was in a position where no one wanted to help me out in the past…and I don’t want other people going through that either.”

        Rohan’s eyes widened as he heard all of this. Perfect, she was giving out more personal information. It was the perfect amount to where he could make progress in his story. His main female protagonist could have a bit of backstory to her, finally. “That’s admirable…” he stated as he turned back to the view in front of him. While he would ask about what exactly happened, the young woman didn’t respond well last time to questions about her past. “It shows your true nature and character.”

        A smile formed from Adrianne’s lips, resting her hands on the edge of her seat. “Thanks… I appreciate that, Rohan,” she stated in a genuine tone. The silence between then had only lasted a couple moments before she brought up another topic for the two to discuss. “Hey… When I arrived here, I saw you writing or scribbling away at something… Are you in a creative field of some sorts?”

        Well, if Rohan had been panicking internally before, his anxiety had only spiked hearing that question. She couldn’t figure out about his actual career and why he was with her. He’d been right about her perception, and he cursed himself for not being as aware as he normally was. “I… How should I put this…? I am an artist, but it doesn’t go any deeper than that. When I’m out in public, I always have my sketchbook on me…just in case I come across something I deem inspiring.”

        Rohan saw the complex expression on Adrianne’s face and he was sure that he was going to question his words… What kind of artist he was, what he drew, what inspired him to become an artist… All the basic, mundane questions he received at interview. Granted, it was impossible to not notice such a book, but he hoped she would at least brush it off. 

        “Alright… I respect that.” Adrianne had let the questions go for now, leaving Rohan relaxing in his seat. “I also envy you… I just can’t seem to put any of my thoughts on paper.” 

        “It takes time and effort, and as an artist, you need to have patience and figure out a clear path in which you want to take your craft. Whether it’s drawing, painting…even writing. It’s always been a difficult process.” His green eyes lit passionately from speaking subtly about his craft. Even if Adrianne admitted to having a lack of creativity, she supported him at least. The process of using her as his muse would be somewhat easier this way, in case if she were to find out about his actual career.

        “I can only imagine how much work goes into it. I read all the time and let my mind dive into the fictional worlds I’m introduced to,” admitted the young woman. “As far as my creativity goes, I read a bunch of books from all sorts of genres. I can divulge myself into so many fictional worlds and not even focus on the present. Life is better that way a lot of the time…” 

        Rohan blinked as he took in her statement, relating to her words quite well. That’s exactly how he emersed himself into his work and other reading material. He was lost in his thoughts, let his art and poetic words carry him to place he never thought existed. The fictional world brought him more peace than the ugly world he had to deal with on his day to day basis. “I’m…pleased to hear you understand that, Adrianne. Even if you don’t create anything yourself, you still appreciate what fiction has to offer.” A relaxed smile formed from his lips as his gaze landed on the woman next to him. Her pale skin and ocean eyes shone in the sunlight from above, as well as her long hair that trailed down to her waist…

        To which had Rohan Kishibe’s teal eyes stuck on her. The longer he stared at Adrianne, the longer her face stilled in his memory. The way she presented herself, how she looked right back at him with the same curious expression… It’d been enough to make his heart stop and the world stay at a standstill. 

        ‘Is this the feeling one gets when they meet someone tolerable for the first time? Is this how my character would feel looking at his crush?’ 

        Adrianne looked back at Rohan and she appeared to have smiled back at him in the same manner, but she appeared to have moved closer to the man. “Hello…? You’re staring into space again,” she said to him, waving a hand in front of his face before laughing quietly. “You do that quite often, don’t you?”

        Rohan completely forgot where he’d been for a couple moments until he saw her hand in front of his face, causing him to scoot back. “I-I have no clue what you’re talking about. I was merely just thinking about something.” 

        As soon Adrianne was about to respond to the artist, a sound abrupt and she turned her head around to see what was nearby. Rohan made his way around to find that a couple small children were screaming and pointing at the ground with scared expressions written all over their faces. Even from where they’d been, Rohan found them trembling physically and backing away from the spot they’d just been standing.

        ‘Great,’ Rohan thought to himself while knitting his brows together, ‘I hate dealing with children… Let’s just hope they aren’t like the one who kept asking to play Roshambo with me…’

        “Should we help them?” asked Adrianne, pushing herself to a stand.

        “I can handle it… You’re fine sitting there as you were…” With that, the young man stood to his feet and walked around the big fountain. Two little boys who appeared to be about five or six years of age were standing far away and hugging one another.

        One of the little boys sniffled and looked up at Rohan with a wide eyed gaze. “M-Mister! Can you get that thing away from the fountain? It looks huge and scary…”

        Rohan’s sight landed on a large looking centipede crawling on the ground minding its own business. Really? The kids were afraid of a measly bug? He gave an annoyed glance to the children and picked up the strange arthropod, holding it up for them to see. “Were you really afraid of this creature? It has done no harm to you. In fact, your screaming is probably overwhelming it. If you want to play, leave it alone or scram.” His tone laced with annoyance from the crying and whining that interrupted his time alone with Adrianne. The artist hated distractions, especially in an uncomfortable environment. Whiny children were especially high on his list of things he didn’t want near him.

        After hearing Rohan’s lecture, the two little boys ran away screaming and stuck close together, not even turning their heads back as they slowly disappeared from his line of sight. He sighed with relief, taking the centipede back with him as he sat next to Adrianne once again. The bug inched slowly down Rohan’s arm, using his limb as a new walking ground for itself.

        Adrianne turned back to Rohan and saw the centipede on Rohan, causing her to scoot back from him. “Is that what those kids were complaining about? Why bring it back here?” she lectured him, her expression shrinking to a look of disgust.

        “So that it won’t be harmed by any other onlooker. Why else would I bring it here?” asked Rohan, looking back at Adrianne with a raised brown.

        “To torture the damn thing, or keep it as a pet? I don’t know…but it shouldn’t be anywhere near me,” answered the woman sarcastically. 

        “Hmph, nature is a beautiful thing, and we should preserve it. Even the devilish of creatures.” Even if Rohan lived in a suburban neighborhood, he enjoyed nature and exploring it, even if it would mean putting himself in danger. Nature helped bring some of his greatest ideas to his manga. He hoped maybe Adrianne understood the beauty of nature…

        To his surprise, Adrianne did relax her stance, easing her grip on the edge of the fountain and turning back to him. “You’re right… I enjoy taking walks and running through the woods. Even with that in mind, I can’t handle weird or poisonous bugs.”

        “But nature will fall apart due to the lack of insects, will it not? Bees help with making honey, our delicious meat comes from various animals, and other insects have various roles. If we are going to appreciate nature, we should appreciate everything about it. Don’t you think, Adrianne?”

        The young woman blinked and stared at the view ahead of her, tapping her boot on the ground rhythmically. “Yeah… You make a good point. I’ll think about that next time I go into the woods.”

        The answer sufficed Rohan enough, as he finally placed the centipede back on the ground. It crawled off of Rohan’s arm and onto the concrete, inching away from the two adults and back into its original spot in which it’d been found.

        His attention on the clock ahead of them, Rohan stood to his feet again, grabbing his bag and standing with a straight posture. “Well, it must be best if we part ways now. The time seems to pass really fast when we spend time together. I forgot about my work I need to attend to.” All of the sudden, he went quiet and his gaze landed on the ground in front of him. Time… He needed that precious time to work on his manga, not with the woman he’d been using as his muse. Sure, he needed inspiration, but his time spent with her versus his manga had switched their priorities to him as of late.

        Was it even good that his time spent with Adrianne had an impact on him? Should he be worried about it? Was this was the media referred to as starting to like someone?

        The thought had been absurd to Rohan, as he he knew he’d only seen her a few times. Adrianne didn’t react to him interacting negatively to the kids, or even him casually letting a bug crawl over him. Most women would swat it off of him, or worse – run away with fear scribbled all over their faces. 

        ‘Was it time to ask her the question? If she is enjoying my company, I can’t pass the opportunity… If I don’t do it now, will I ever?’

        “Adrianne…um… Before I go, I’d like to ask you something…if that’s alright?” Rohan’s face burned and his red face glistened in afternoon sun. His eyes didn’t dare lift from the ground, and his posture hunched over protectively.

        “Go ahead, Rohan,” she answered in an assuring tone. “I’m all ears.” The artist heard her footsteps stomping closer to him, and he could feel her larger presence behind him before he could muster up the courage to start speaking again.

        “With us spending this time together, and how you’ve acted around me so far, you don’t seem to mind my presence. Is it safe to say we are…” Rohan paused to catch his breath, and to prevent himself from stuttering even more than he already was. He didn’t think this was real, but he needed content…

        ‘So why is this so difficult to ask? Come on Rohan… Just ask her!’

        Then, a chuckle came from behind Rohan, and he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Why would Adrianne laugh at him at a time like this? Did he make himself seem that weak in front of her?! “If you’re asking what I think you are, then yes… I’d like to continue seeing you, Rohan.”

        Rohan turned around to find Adrianne smiling down at him, softer than he had ever seen her. Despite her larger figure and her intimidating glare she held, her facial features softened into a genuine expression. 

        “I– What if it was different than what you assumed?” he asked stubbornly despite enjoying Adrianne’s warm touch of her hand.

        “I really doubt it is… Your ears are warming up and you won’t look me in the eye~ That’s how I know.”

        “Ugh… You can be quite annoying when you’re all nosy.” Rohan pushed her hand off of his shoulder and turned to finally take a look at his muse. Even her face had warmed from his words, which was a good sign.  

        Adrianne laughed again this time and took a step back. “Well, thanks for a relaxing time here…even if you can be a bit of a weirdo with bugs and kids.”

        With a scoff, Rohan began to stomp away from his newly announced partner, avoiding anymore of her teasing. “I’m not a weirdo! I have a small tolerance for annoying children. And we are not discussing the bugs again. Goodbye.” He spat his salutations and let out a huff. For someone to tease him as much as she did was a rarity. It’d take time for him to get used to, but it wasn’t like he disliked it.

        Finally, he was getting closer and closer to starting his romance manga. His muse closed more of the distance between them, one date at a time. Even if Rohan did a lot of the work most of the time, romance was never in his forte. Going out of his way to meet new people had already challenged him enough; romancing a new person was a different ball game. 

        Adrianne reciprocating her interest made the process of learning romance a lot easier, especially for his completion of his upcoming manga. 

Chapter Text

Adrianne’s POV

        The few days that passed after the second date took place, young woman Adrianne Morelli had been job hunting in the town of Morioh. More strings attached themselves to her and the plans she set previously. After the events the cryptid events in Morioh, she figured she’d take her leave and head back to her place of residence.

        All plans vanished after the appearance of Rohan, the mysterious, slightly egotistical guy who decided to randomly take her out. He was the string that attached to her…both to her mind and heart. Adrianne was the kind of girl to want to explore everything about a person, even if it meant harming herself. Rohan’s presence made her want to stick around. He didn’t mind her own presence, was down to talk about most things with her, and he shed some of his exterior around her that she found adorable.

        Some issues arose very early into their newfound relationship, Adrianne noticed. There had been no communication between them – not even a phone call a day. Surely, a relationship required talking and exchanging words, right? If Rohan was the one to suggest the relationship, would he be the one to reach out first?

        While job hunting, the tall woman entered a bookstore that had a sign tapped to the window stating they were hiring. Perfect, something quiet and easy for her. She loved reading and could practically give suggestion in every genre. Besides, she didn’t have to deal with a lot of the bullshit that went into dealing with stupid people.

        There was nothing she hated more than stupid people who didn’t listen to her after guiding them through something. Not only that, people who lied to her through their teeth.

        As she wrote down the information needed for her work application, her eyes wandered over to a unique manga cover with a familiar first name: Rohan. Had this been the same Rohan she had been speaking two the past week or so? She knew the man was an artist, but was he famous artist? A famous manga artist at that?

        “Excuse me,” said Adrianne, gesturing to the manga behind the bookkeeper. “What is that manga behind you? Is it any good?”

        The male bookkeeper peered at the young woman and laughed quietly. “According to my customers, it’s a fan favorite! Most of them are young grade schoolers or geeks around town who are always stopping by asking for copies. Are you interested in reading it?”

        Adrianne placed her hands on the flat surface as her eyes glued to the manga cover, examining the art style and thoughts running through her mind. Was Rohan worried about his fame getting in the way of their newfound relationship? She would at least understand that much… Maybe… Many manga artists didn’t want to reveal their fame to the wrong people and used some code names. 

        Yet if this were him and he didn’t want to tell anyone about his career, why keep his full name on the cover?. “I’m interested. I’ll take a copy.”

        “Great! I’ll get you one! Anything else you’re looking for?” As soon as the bookkeeper typed some numbers on the cash register and ran the total for the woman. 

        “Nope, that’s it for now. If I keep looking around, I’ll end up spending the rest of my money.” Adrianne shook her head from her own joke, knowing she couldn’t go splurging for her own hobbies at the moment. While she did have some money on the side, she couldn’t hold back her own finances when it came to reading new books. If she worked at the bookstore and found many interesting reads, her money would be gone within an instant. 

        With a small laugh, the bookstore owner scanned the manga and placed it in a small bag for the young woman to take. “Now, I’ll take a look at your application and I’ll give you a call when I come to my decision. But there is a good chance you’ll be hired. Just be sure you know your genres and what is trending today. Alright?”

        Ugh… The trends. The trending books that didn’t have much of a plot. Either the stories didn't have enough substance, or characters who she didn’t give two shits about. But if that allowed her to have the job, she might as well. 

        “Got it.” After paying for the manga and retrieving the bag, the radio played some alternative rock music from the United States, "Californiacation" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Her eyes widened from the familiarity of it but was then replaced with a neutral expression. “Rock music from the U.S., huh? I could get behind that.” 

        With that, she turned to leave the bookstore until the bell above the door rang, signaling that someone stepped inside. Her eyes shot a glance at who stepped in and it was none other than Rohan, whom she hadn’t seen in about a week. With no call, no visits… Just leaving her hanging since their last time spent together. She had to keep her cool inside the store, masking the anger and annoyance that almost formed on her face. “Rohan…? What’re you doing here?” she asked him with a raised brow.

        Immediately, the bookstore owner stepped away from the counter and gave him a wave. “Weclome Mr. Kishibe! Take around at anything you’d like. Your deal today is buy one get one free.”

        Rohan stopped in his tracks before his green eyes shot wide from seeing Adrianne in the store. His hand clutched onto the strap of his bag and his body turned away from he young woman. “I… Sorry, I’m in the wrong store. Have a good day,” he began to say until the taller young adult gazed at him with an intimidating glare.

        Adrianne scoffed from the answer and walked towards Rohan, leaning her arm against the shelf and looming over Rohan. Intimidation was a tactic that could work on someone like him, especially since she already had more height and a more stiff expression. More people were willing to take her seriously with her stature and how she kept a serious expression stoned on her face. “Well, why are you in such a rush? You could continue browsing… But we do need to have a chat. Let’s step outside.”

        Stepping away, the manga artist avoided his gaze and continued to make his way back to the front door. To anyone from a close distance, especially the woman, his pale face began to warm into a pinkish color. “F-Fine, let’s go…”

        The two made their way outside and walked towards a more secluded area, towards the back of the store. From her anger to Rohan’s tension, no one should have to see the awkwardness between the two in Adrianne’s mind. Once they quickly landed in their spot, Adrianne leaned back against the wall with her hands tucked inside of her pockets, staring out into space for a moment in silence. She couldn’t exactly be upset if all this information was true about him, but they did agree to keep seeing one another. 

        She didn’t need to care about him. She shouldn’t have cared about a man she just met. But she somewhat missed his presence the past week.

        “So… Is your last name Kishibe?” asked Adrianne.

        With a sigh, Rohan crossed his arms and kept his eyes off of Adrianne. “...Yes, it is. Why?”

        “Your manga is atop the shelves behind the counter. I…know you mentioned you were an artist. But there are so many types of artists out there.” She wished she had something to calm her nerves. While confrontation was her specialty, this felt more awkward in a sense. She didn’t know how to describe her own feelings about the guy. “There’s nothing wrong with being a manga artist, but…I can see why you wouldn’t want to tell me first thing. Trying to keep your identity from the public and especially someone like me… It’s understandable. But…in order for us to…you know…see one another, these are things to talk about.”

        There was nothing spoken between the both of them, as they shared an awkward silence. Though from what Adrianne could tell, his cheeks warmed to a pinkish color and he hugged himself while gazing at the ground. But soon enough, he spoke up again and glanced at her. “I-I… Well… You said you were an avid reader…” he began with a snarky tone, “which I would assume to believe you would know of my work, no?”

        Adrianne’s ocean eyes widened from the unbelievably egotistical comment. Did he seriously assume she read everything? Yes, she was one to read all the time, but when it came to manga, she only read a few handfuls of titles. And even then, they belonged to the adult demographic. It was hard to find good written manga that had good stories and were for the adults to enjoy. ‘Pink Dark Boy’ was something she heard about from kids on the street, but nothing was said about the author. Not until no, anyway. 

        “Rohan, I’m not some encyclopedia,” she snapped back. “And I’m certainly not a know it all when it comes to reading. Yes, I had heard of your manga, but never knew who wrote it. Not everyone is going to know who you are just by looking at you. Sure, I read some manga, but I never even heard of your name being attached to any manga. And besides, how the hell was I supposed to know it was you? I only just found out you were an artist. And I’m not going to snoop into your background. It’s disrespectful. I’d rather find out by talking to you.”

        Taken aback, Rohan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his bottom lip forming a pout. His cheeks stayed the same flushed pink color yet his eyes focused on the ground beneath him. “...You say that…yet you didn’t contact me.”

        “That was because… I thought you would. I can’t always contact you.” Adrianne had reached out to him last time and was sure he would follow suit. But the fact he didn’t made her…a bit annoyed. He was so pushy about wanting to spend time with her yet he left her in the dust. “If you want ths to work, put in more effort into what we have going on. Yes, you have work, but…do you have time to contact me?”

        “I– Not all the time, but during my breaks… I do…” Rohan admitted, his gaze still not looking up at Adrianne.

        Accepting that answer, Adrianne took a step back from the young man and smiled slightly. So it seemed like during the week, it wasn’t on purpose. In her head, he was way too busy with his art and hyper focused on creating his work that it didn’t cross her mind. “Okay… Just making sure. Just be sure that doesn’t happen again. You had me worried.” She leaned over to pat his shoulder before leading the way out from behind the bookstore. 

        “Now that we are both here…together…would you…like to go back in the bookstore and look around?”

        Rohan gave a perplexed expression but didn’t argue his point, going silent and walking ahead of Adrianne now. “...Sure. I had business to deal with in that store anyway.”

        “What kind of business?”

        “...Just browsing through other books for inspiration.”

        “Got it. Maybe I can help you with some of it?” teased the woman and walking next to him now.

        “Tch- I don’t need help from you. Not unless your taste in books matches mine.” Rohan huffed and sped walk towards the front door of the store.

        Adrianne laughed quietly and rushed to open the door for him. Holding it open for the artist, she leaned against it and crossed her arms over her chest with a mischievous smile. “Artists first~”

        “That is not a thing, Adrianne.” He pushed past her and walked back inside, tucking his hands into his pockets as they both made their way into the room full of books. The owner had gone to the back room of the place, leaving the two of them to their own devices for now. The music changed to "Glycerine" by Bush, another song of the American rock genre. The sound made Adrianne relax slightly as she followed Rohan around to where he had been going. Hearing English songs play repeatedly, Adrianne picked up more of the language and wasn’t as rusty when having to speak it to tourists or to her own family, even. Not only that, they had a different sound compared to how bright Japanese pop music had been. There were wasn’t a lot of heavy metal in Japan, so her outlet of finding that was with the radio. 

        “Hey Rohan… Do you like music from the west?”

        Turning back to Adrianne while holding a book called Timeline in his hand, Rohan’s green eyes trailed to Adrianne momentarily before looking around, seemingly trying to get a better listen at the song playing throughout the room. “I’d like to say so. It’s like discovering different cultures, if I may say so myself. The west seems to be heading towards making more rock and… ‘alternative’ music. I’m not a fan of the heavy music, but music like this helps with inspiration sometimes.”

        Listening to the explanation, the taller woman nodded her head in approval. It was such a good and educated way to answer something like that. Though she was curious about what Rohan meant by “heavy music?” There were many classifications of that, but if he meant anything that included metal… That would help her for their future preferences. “So no Nine Inch Nails, then? They make some pretty explicit music, but they’re unique,” she stated with a slight laugh, letting the music drown out as she peered over the artist’s shoulder, trying to see what he had been reading.

        “Not even that… Anything that a lot of the teenagers play on their bikes, especially that bastard Higashki–” Before he could finish, he turned his head to find Adrianne’s face close to his before taking a couple steps back and snapping the book closed. “Why are you reading over my copy? Get your own…”

        “But you already have it open. Plus, I don’t see any other copies of it.”

        “Bah– You’re so nosy… I prefer to have my own space,” he spat and rushed to put the book back. Adrianne could see Rohan’s pale cheeks redden from the embarrassing position she put him in.

        “Hmm, if you say so… But I really was interested in seeing where that story was going. And I bet you were too.” Adrianne looked down at Rohan with a smirk, crossing her muscular arms over her chest.

        Rohan looked between the pile of books and Adrianne, before giving in and taking the book to the front register. “Oh, fine. I’ll get this book and we can read it elsewhere.” He stomped towards the front of the store, paying for the book before walking back out, pushing the door open. But when Adrianne looked his way, he stopped to hold the door open for her, his gaze not daring to look in her direction.

        Adrianne blinked from the surprising gesture, but she still accepted it, walking out of the store and standing besides Rohan. “Should we read this at the park? I don’t think it’s that crowded right now.” Her eyes wandered over to the large park nearby and no one had been lingering around. School had still been in session, so it gave a reason to spend more time there in the moment than later in the afternoon.

        “... As long as no one bothers us…sure.” Rohan led the way, a hand in his pocket and the other hung at his side, carrying his newfound book with a tall posture.

        The few minutes between the two adults fell silent, anticipating to continue reading their brand new piece of literature. Adrianne was glad Rohan still stuck around after her subtle confrontation, but in the back of her mind, the questions about him wanting to even stay plagued her mind. With both of her hands tucked into her pockets, her focus stayed on the ground as her feet kicked against a couple rocks in an insecure manner.  She feared she was too much for Rohan, especially since she requested something so basic and he made a bigger deal about it. Maybe she had to learn to be more considerate of what others wanted it…

        But why were her strings starting to attach themselves to Rohan Kishibe so early on into them seeing one another? Why was she so worried about what he thought? Even if the attention had been more than she had gotten before from a man her age, she showed signs of weakness and vulnerability to him that was never seen by anyone else. 

        After their walk, they made it back to the bench they sat in during their previous date. The peace of the town brought a peace of mind for Adrianne as she sat down first and rested her arms on the back of it casually. Though, when she peered up at the artist, he hesitated seeing her position and sat on the edge of the park bench. “Why would you take over the whole bench? I get you’re tall and have long arms…but there is no need to show off,” he mumbled, his cheeks visibly turning pink. 

        Hearing the jealousy come from Rohan’s voice, Adrianne stifled a laugh and gestured for him to scoot closer to him. “This isn’t me taking the whole thing over. I just need a place for my arms to rest,” she pointed out as if it were a fact. Her smirk grew from her lips and she patted the hard surface a couple times. “Come on… I won’t bite~”

        “Tch– Fine, but if you try anything to me, I’ll… I’ll make sure you regret it!” He moved himself closer to Adrianne without even daring to peer in her direction. He opened up the book he had on hand and left off from where he was last time.

        The book had been about time travelling to 14th central France to rescue their professor and figure out how he died, why he died. Science fiction and mysteries had always been some of her favorite genres. Even if the book they had been reading was technically a trendy title, she seemed to be enjoying it quite well. While they had been reading silently, she leaned in a bit close just to get a good look at some of the wording, but otherwise kept a normal distance.

        But while reading, a question came to Adrianne’s mind. “Rohan…? I remember you talked about traveling quite a bit. But I’m curious… Have you travelled to any of the European countries before?”

        Pausing for a moment, he turned his attention away from the book and he faced the taller woman with a neutral expression. Though, his body relaxed slightly as the smallest smile graced his lips. “I sure have. I’ve been to quite a few of them, but my favorites have to be France and Italy. I went to France a few years ago for some inspiration. It was…an interesting journey to say the least, but I’ll always remember it fondly. The museums showcase some pieces that have inspired me to become the artist I am today. Though, my only complaint about it is the bustle of Paris. And how dirty the city is. While… I can see why it is called ‘the city of love,’ it doesn’t have that environment.”

        Adrianne had her full attention on Rohan, not even moving her arm that was directly behind Rohan at that point. Even if she never travelled to France, the imagery from her overactive imagination began to form. The crowds of people at museums, the crowds outside walking around all the time, the loud cars and smell of smoke, as well as the trash pilled everywhere. It was similar to her own birthplace in Italy, which she didn’t like remembering too fondly. Most of the memories from Italy were starting to disappear, with a few exceptions.

        “I appreciate your honest insight, Rohan. I’ll have to remember next time I go,” she told him, her smile appearing on her face as well. “It sounds similar to southern Italy… Trash everywhere, rude people, bad drivers… I can go on forever.”

        “Is that what you mostly remember from your time in Italy?”

        Adrianne blinked from the bold question, almost forgetting that she told Rohan about where she was from. She was surprised he remembered that conversation, but…then again, not everyone in Japan traveled, or knew of other people who travelled outside of the country. Hesitating after hearing the question, her eyes trailed back down to the printed words on the book, her face falling back to her normal expression. “...Yeah, pretty much. I was so young when I lived there and I moved away before I turned nine years old. I…don’t remember too much about my childhood other than what my surroundings were like, and the people I’d see among the streets.”

        The progress was there in terms of her talking about her past, but she wasn’t ready to spoil him with all of that information. She could only imagine how he would react if he knew her true story.

        “I guess we all don’t have fond memories from our past, or we have hard times remembering it. But…I won’t take your information lightly.” Rohan looked down at the book, as if thinking about her comment. 

        Yet before the silence could linger on for too long, Adrianne adjusted her position to where she had her arm resting over Rohan’s shoulders, causing Rohan to stiffen slightly. “Say… Since you mentioned traveling… That’s how you get most of your inspiration, right? Has returning to Morioh helped you gather ideas for your newest chapters of your manga? Or even helped gather new ideas for a new series?”

        Rohan’s body sat up straight, causing Adrianne to bring her arm back to resting on the back of the bench. So much from trying to make a move, Adrianne thought to herself. Even if the attempt was made, she had shocked herself to find that he didn’t try to push her away or tell her to move from him. 

        The recovery didn’t take long from Rohan, as he leaned back against the bench and he let out a small, nervous chuckle. “And why would I spoil that for a potential new fan?” he asked, crossing his leg in front of him. “I want to gather my inspirations and ideas to the best of my abilities before making them into a coherent story. I want to put my work out there when it’s ready, not give any hints as to what I’m working on.”

        To Adrianne, his reasoning made sense, even if she didn’t expect the indirect answer. If he had been working on something recently that wasn’t his best selling manga, then what else could it be? “I see… Well, whenever you are ready to show the world your latest chapter or series, let me know. I’ll support you all the way.” Her expression softened as she said this, placing her hand on top of Rohan’s head.

        Rohan turned to Adrianne alarmingly, looking up at her hand and then her face, seeing as her smile stayed on her face. He reached up to move her hand away from his hair before scooting away and frantically fixing his hair. “I-I– Hey, my hair is off limits, Adrianne! It takes time for my hair to look decent. I put minutes and hours into making it look presentable.”

        Adrianne chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can tell by feeling some of that gel in your hair. It’s not good to use it all the time, you know.”

        “And who are you to make that call?”

        “Read the labels of hair products and you’ll know.”

        Rohan grumbled something under his breath as Adrianne scooted closer to him again, doing her best not to laugh about the situation. The woman knew he let down a few more barriers during their hangout, and she was glad that progress was made.

        “Fine,” continued Adrianne, shrugging her shoulders. “I won’t touch your hair without your permission. Even if it does look fun to style and mess with~”

        “Tch– You’re hopeless sometimes…” Rohan looked down at the book and continued to read from where they had left off, not continuing the conversation further, but he didn’t appear to move away anymore. 

        Adrianne went silent and scooted close to Rohan to get a better look at the book, peering at the words and wanting more of the story they’d been reading. The conversations between them had been more personal to an extent, but she had to wonder when she’d know more about him. Why he acted the way he did, who he was underneath his harder exterior, if he had any friends she could meet… There was a lot he didn’t know about her either, but she figured if they spent more time together, she could slowly open up to him. 

        She only hoped he’d do the same for her when given the time to do so.

Chapter Text

Ever since their date at the bookstore and the park, Rohan Kishibe let the moment play perpetually in the back of his mind. From their conversation, to how close Adrianne stood abaft him when they read that book together…how her hand felt atop his head... It was all just perfect for his upcoming drafts. He could utilize their moments together to draw out some paramount scenes; however, they did discuss his position as an artist. Any word of his incipient manga getting out and his dignity as a manga artist was done for.

 His dignity as a man was done for.

 When Koichi left for school, Rohan immediately went to work on his upcoming drafts. His ink pens scratched his papers as they rang throughout the mute room. His pages were filled with detailed scenery backgrounds, and yet his characters were gazing into each other’s eyes and paying no heed to the beautiful views that laid ahead. In addition to his poses for his work, cute chibis in his manga made an appearance throughout his chapter - something he wouldn’t dare draw in his typical manga. With the avail of Heaven’s Door, his stand, he was able to expeditiously draw his pages and was slaked by his work.

 About a chapter and a moiety had been consummated by the time he looked up from his now drawn-out papers. A sigh eluded his lips as he blinked and he took a glance at his female character. She was tall, had long hair, and her body had been toned out…just like Adrianne’s body. The slightest smile composed from his lips as he took in his character plenarily fleshed out on the page, his mind drifting back to the girl he had been seeing the past few weeks. She wasn’t as lamentable as the other people in Morioh thus far. Not like that Higashkita or his imbecilic friend, anyway. Albeit her words of his imperfections, she was still at least reverent towards him and seemed to relish her time with him. In some way, knowing all of that made him feel good…

 But he couldn’t deduce in what way. Was it because of how perfect she was for his manga? 

 Before becoming disoriented in daydreams of her, the sound of the phone in the hallway snapped him out of it and went to retrieve the ringing device. He picked it up and held it up to his ear, placing his free hand on his hip. “Hello, this is Mr. Kishibe…” he answered nonchalantly.

 “Hey, it’s Adrianne… What’ve you been up to?” the feminine voice asked over the phone.

 The familiar soothing and deep voice had answered the phone, which was a relief to Rohan. Even if it had been a couple of days, aurally perceiving her voice again only had his heart pounding and his head in a whirl. “I-” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been working, as usual. I just finished my work for the day and I needed a break.”

 “Well, I must've called at the right time then. How would you like to walk around town with me?" Adrianne asked before clearing her throat. "I'm…looking for apartments around the area and figured you'd want to tag along. I'd like to have  a second opinion on some of these places."

 Rohan paused to think over her request and what she mentioned. Didn’t she already live in the area? Or was she new in the area? Well, it would align with her looking around at the bookstore the other day. She peered around as if she were a newcomer, at least. And if she genuinely was probing for a place to stay in Morioh, it would be an opportunity to show off more than he already did. "Ah, you want my opinion? What if we don't have the same taste in homes?"

 "What's the point in looking for something without a second opinion?" asked Adrianne. "You may notice some things about these places I may not see firsthand."

 Well, Adrianne wasn't exactly wrong on the matter. A second pair of eyes may notice a miniscule detail that could be beneficial to her house hunting. He looked for homes that had a better interior design, and a house that had more unique features. He could live in a cramped dormitory if it meant he could gain inspiration or if it was a place he knew he wanted. "You're…right, I suppose. Fine, I'll look at these apartments with you." 

 It was quality time he could spend with Adrianne. Getting to know her tastes could bring more of his work to life than he already did. Did she want a bigger space? Was she content with the bare minimum? He had to know for his character he created.

 "Cool… We can meet up for coffee before we start,” requested Adrianne.

 Hearing her additional request made Rohan chuckle. Why wasn't he at all surprised about the time of day she chose to drink her coffee? Did she need it all the time like he did? "That's fine with me. Just know it's your fault if you have a hard time falling asleep tonight." A smirk was brought to his lips as he said this.

 "Oh, I know. But you're also enabling this behavior. You aren't going to try and stop me?"

 "Tch, I am not enabling it. You're grown and you can make your own choices. I'm just saying it'll be your fault…and to not come crying to me if you get less sleep than normal."

 "Ha, that's funny coming from someone like you." There was more of a playful tone in her voice, much like from the other day.

 "E-Enough, I'll be at the cafe in less than an hour," he spat before hanging up on Adrianne, trying to maintain his composure after that call. 

 Part of him found her arguing to be entertaining, but another part of him found it annoying. He was supposed to be the superior one, not her. He would show her that he was not one to mess with, and that his words and opinions were always right. 

~~

 On his way to one of the local cafés, Rohan tucked a hand inside of his pocket while using one of his pocket mirrors to look over his face. He applied some of his makeup earlier to appear more put together. More than he would care to admit, he was up somewhat late into the night working on his manga, and he had dark circles he wanted to cover. In addition, his attire wouldn't be complete without it. With his black cropped sweater, magenta pants, black boots, and his purple headband, he needed to go the extra mile to make his appearance stand out. 

 With magenta pink eyeshadow covering his eyelids, he made sure that his makeup matched his attire. To a normal person, this was going the extra mile, but Rohan put in more effort to make himself appear more pleasing to the eye. Adrianne didn't seem to care so far, but his look was more bold than before. 

 While peering over his makeup in the mirror, he just about ran into the glass door but caught himself by grabbing onto the handle of it. He sucked in a deep breath before opening the door and tucking his mirror back into the depths of his pocket. There were a few people scattered throughout the café but otherwise weren't paying any attention to the newcomer. 

 Good… At least no one found me looking like a complete bufoon…

 He went ahead and ordered two coffees, as well as some small chiffon cakes for him and Adrianne. He might as well treat her to a small meal while they were here. Wasn't that what the men were supposed to do on dates? He knew they both discussed it during their first date, despite Adrianne trying to pay for the both of them. In most romantic scenarios and media, the gentleman was expected to perform most of the gestures.

 While in his train of thought, a muffled commotion was happening outside, gaining his attention as he whipped his head towards the source of sound. To his surprise, he found a couple of guys backing away from a disgruntled Adrianne. Her knuckles had been bloodied, but Rohan couldn’t tell if it was from her own blood or the other guys’. He couldn’t exactly make out what was said, but there was a noticeable tension between the three of them. The two guys huddled together had rugged clothing yet their faces scrunched with anger. Their fists had some blood splattered on their skin, meaning a brawl must have happened before arriving.

 Since his food hadn’t arrived just yet, the manga artist decided to take it upon himself to investigate the situation. He could always use his stand to intervene with the fight, but it was a risk he wasn’t sure he wanted to take. What if they were all stand users? He slipped through the front door to see what Adrianne was up to with those two men. 

 “Why would you interfere with our plans like that, bitch?! We were going to start a better life with all that money–” one of the guys began to ask in a skittish manner.

 “Do you mean the money that you stole from a goddamn bank?” Adrianne spat, stomping towards. “Go ask someone else for help. You already caused more than enough harm as it is.”

 “Yet you beat us up without reason,” the second guy added.

 A smirk grew from her face before she emitted a small chuckle from her lips. “Hah, I most certainly did not. One of you had that gun and pulled it out on me as a scare tactic.” Adrianne continued to walk towards the two guys as she popped her knuckles. “Don’t you know the laws here in Japan? Or has your sense of logic been thrown out the window? It wouldn’t seem too far off considering what you both are doing for your own greed.” 

 Then, the sound of sirens began to sound off in the distance, and they only started to get louder. This had signaled the two guys to leave their spot as they ran off into one of the alleyways of the city. They were heard panicking and stumbling over boxes before their cries faded away into the depths of the city. 

 Seeing them run caused Adrianne to turn back and find a place to hide for herself, attempting to run inside the cafe next to her, until she just about ran into Rohan. The green haired male looked up at Adrianne and backed into the door, his back completely against the glass and peering up at Adrianne with a stunned expression. “W-Watch where you’re going…” Rohan sputtered. “Just what the hell was going on?” Her body had been too close for comfort, causing him to dart his eyes from side to side. 

 Adrianne’s eyes widened when seeing him so close and backed away to give them both space. “Sorry… On my way over, there were alarms that went off and these two guys were running away from the bank with bags in their hands. They bumped into me and tried pulling a gun on me,” explained Adrianne, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “I had to get a bit violent in order for them to let go of their belongings, and then they ran away.”

 She was stopping them, but dragged them all the way over here. Was she asking for a death wish? Could she not stop them near the scene of the crime? Sure, they ran off, but in Rohan’s mind, that was quite dangerous. He crossed his arms and looked over the condition of Adrianne’s body. Her clothes weren’t exactly torn apart, but the blood on her would seem suspicious among other people. He was worried about her but flabbergasted by her dangerous decisions. Sure, he had done worse when it came to catching Kira Yoshikage, but this was something he wouldn’t stoop down to. 

 Then again, he had to question… Was she even a stand user? Would a stand user stoop to such lengths for justice? He had to use his stand on her sometime to figure out this woman.

 “Jeez, you really are something…” Rohan mumbled, “why not take all of that to an alleyway before shoving them over to the cops? It would have made things easier for you, I’m sure.”

 “I couldn’t let them get away from me knowing what they had done in front of me? Sure, it was none of my business, but…they could have hurt other people if I hadn’t stopped them. They’re lucky I didn’t do anything worse to them.” Adrianne had her arms crossed, avoiding eye contact with Rohan. 

 Well, if one of them had a gun, she had a point about stopping them. He couldn’t even imagine what they had done to even steal the money in the first place. Bringing guns out in a place like Morioh was rare so the workers were most likely helpless at that point. But it was all up to speculation in terms of what they had done in the actual building. “I guess you’re right… But you still shouldn’t always get violent with people.” He pulled out a handkerchief from his bag and handed it to her. “Just wipe your hands off while I get our coffee. We’ll take it to go to avoid attention.”

 Rohan opened the door and walked up to the counter to find their food and drinks ready at the counter. He went up to pay for their meal and carried it back over to the front door. He knew he couldn’t be upset at Adrianne for long. He had done worse to gain an understanding of things. If she knew about the things he did with his stand, she’d be unlikely to forgive him or view him the same again. Anyone sane would know that.

 Once he collected the food and drinks, Rohan met up with Adrianne once again and they both began to walk along the sidewalk. But Adrianne had been walking ahead until they reached a smaller vehicle. He figured they would be walking around, but sitting in a vehicle would most certainly ease their tension. He sat in the passenger seat while the young woman sat in her driver's seat, closing the door behind her and letting out a sigh of relief.

 "So… Where are these apartments we are looking at?" asked Rohan, trying to keep up the conversation between them. He couldn't exactly sulk about Adrianne's behavior for long. 

 "They're all around the area. Some are here in the city, some are closer to the suburbs. I'd rather not be in the city, but…if I can't find anything further away, I guess I'll just have to deal with something here."

 "You'd be better off living further away from the city if you prefer the privacy, and especially if you find a house. Why would you choose an apartment of all places?" Rohan looked down at their meals before handing a bag and coffee cup to Adrianne.

 The black haired woman gently took the two items and placed the bag in her lap. "Well, I don't need all that space if it's just me. What would I even do with it? Sure…having more rooms would be nice, but I hate to waste space that other people could use."

 "I…can see your point." Yet he had a mansion in Morioh. He had multiple rooms that he didn't even use. The only rooms he really used were downstairs, but he enjoyed the vast amount of space he owned. "Well, shall we get going?"

 "Yeah…" Adrianne took a long sip of her coffee before placing it in one of the cup holders. "First place we're headed is in town a few minutes away. It's a bit small but it's cheap."

~~

 The first place the two adults headed towards was an apartment complex almost in the middle of downtown. There were a few cars in the parking lot and the building appeared to be somewhat run-down. There were a few cracks in the building, much to Rohan's disliking, but he took a deep breath and stepped out of the car with Adrianne. 

 Adrianne walked towards the apartment with a neutral expression, opening the main door to the stairs. "It's on the second floor. I saw a couple of pictures when I looked at the listing and it didn't appear that bad. A little small, but I can deal with it."

 At least the place didn't smell rotten according to Rohan, and there weren't any rodents scaling the stairs. Despite these basic necessities of an apartment complex, he still wasn't exactly convinced this was what Adrianne wanted. Was she really alright with the minimalist way of living? While deep in his thoughts, the two eventually made it up the stairs and into the small apartment. 

 To say that the place was small would be an understatement. The place was barely big enough for his own self and belongings. How could Adrianne, someone who was bigger in size, be comfortable in what seemed to be a 95 square foot apartment?! Though to his dismay, he did find the place to be somewhat renovated and clean. 

 Surrounding the young adults were wood flooring, plain white walls, a small living room that could hold a small couch and a chair, a kitchen with a tight walkway, a couple of doors to very small rooms, and a ladder that led to another part of the apartment.

 "Well, this has the bare minimum of what I need in an apartment," Adrianne admitted, walking around the place with her hands tucked in her pockets. "However… There would only be so much room for my books. The living room just isn't big enough."

 "Then why pick something so small?" Rohan asked with a scowl. 

 "Because it's affordable and close to most places around here. Besides, even if I have to squeeze my books in here, I’m fine with having the bare minimum.” The taller woman walked over to the ladder and held her chin with her fingers, staring up at the small space above. “Honestly, this is something I could get behind…” she mumbled before climbing up the ladder.

 All of the sudden, the wooden ladder creaked and some of the paneling began to crack the more weight was put on it. But one of the small steps broke with a snap, causing Rohan to turn his head. He found Adrianne about to fall over onto the floor, and the ladder was about to go down with her. “Shit, Adrianne–” he exclaimed as he ran to her.

 Fortunately, Adrianne had jumped off of the ladder but Rohan tugged on her wrist and pulled her towards him. He bumped against the wall suddenly, tugging the woman over to him and she was almost pressed against his body. His eyes darted down at her chest and then back up to her face quickly, making sure she wasn’t in any pain. But instead of asking her if she was okay, he scoffed and peered up at the woman with a scowl. “Why would you suddenly climb that ladder without inspecting it?” he asked her incredulously. 

 “I’m…not sure. It visually didn’t appear flimsy or torn apart. I figured because it came with the house, maybe it would be okay to use?" She peered down at his body before her eyes locked back onto Rohan’s face. She didn’t move from her spot, but she did move her hand to where it was holding Rohan’s casually. "But I'll be careful next time."

 The manga artist’s eyes widened from the sudden touch of her hand, as they darted to their folded hands. Her hand enveloped his, their fingers intertwined, but her grip wasn’t tightened as hard as expected. Her hands felt warm yet slightly rough, but he didn’t find it to be a problem. That might have been from her working out all the time, Rohan thought. 

 His heart pounding against his chest, Rohan swallowed nervously and kept his gaze on their hands to avoid conversation. Her calluses and the back of her hand had a warm yet rigid feeling to them, feeling all of her cuts and blisters. He even saw a couple of scars, which piqued his curiosity even more. His thumb grazed atop her scars slowly as if he were admiring them. He had to wonder how she got those scars, figuring out how to implement them on one of his characters. Though in the moment, he stood and admired her hand as if we're a part of a fragile sculpture.

 'Beautiful…' he thought to himself.

 "...Do you have a hand fetish or something?" Adrianne asked suddenly in a joking manner.

 Rohan was snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the young woman with an incredulous expression. His face burnt bright red from the accusation and he immediately pulled himself away. And of  "N-No! I have no such thing! I was just…just… I've never seen hands like yours before, okay?" he sputtered as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

 Not only that, he would never stoop so low as that evil Kira Yoshikage, the man who had an undeniably weird obsession for hands. The thought of being up there with him made him sick to his stomach

 Adrianne laughed quietly and placed a hand on Rohan's shoulder. "Jeez, I was only kidding. Lighten up a little, won't you?"

 "Tch… You're insufferable, sometimes," he spat, a pout forming his lips and his brows scrunching together.

 "Am I? You seem to like holding my hand. Your touch is quite gentle." Adrianne reached down to hold Rohan's hand once more, but she gave it a light squeeze, peering down at Rohan with a softer gaze. "It's like you're admiring my hand in a way, but…the gentleness of your touch feels nice." She pulled her hand and even herself away before walking away and towards the front door, leaving Rohan standing there and taking in her words.

 Of course he was gentle with things he touched; he was an artist for crying out loud. He had to be gentle when he drew or wrote with his pens. But with Adrianne, he admired her hand and how different it was from other women's. Even if her hands weren't soft or dainty, he didn't want to break that tough skin she had despite all of the cuts and scars. Why would he want to ruin beautiful hands that already went through so much? 

 Rohan shook his head as if it would help him shake out of his daydreams, following Adrianne out the door and walking by her side. The lightheaded feeling stayed even minutes after her warm touch lingered away. He had to find a way to touch her hand again, burn it into his memory for his manga, recall the emotions that he felt in that moment so he could illustrate it for his audience. 

 That warmth he felt inside of his chest, how he could listen to his heart pound in his eardrums…was that how it felt to be touched in such an innocent yet intimate manner? Was that the feeling he was missing? Or his character?

 As soon as they entered her vehicle, Rohan thought about some other places she could live in that he knew of. There were nicer apartments elsewhere within Morioh, but he knew they were more on the pricey side of things. While it was something worth looking for, an idea came to mind and his mouth began to work faster than his brain as he asked,

 “Why don’t I show you a place you could possibly live in? I know of one in a quiet neighborhood that will fit your needs.”

Chapter Text

Staring at Rohan, almost in shock, Adrianne blinked a couple times before tucking her hands inside of her pockets. “Really? Did you just think of one or were you keeping this from me?” she asked him with a raised brow.

        Maybe it was a bit much for Rohan to suddenly spew out of the blue, but he knew she’d be appreciative, at least. Not only that, he had the opportunity to study her for his work. Because of them living separately, his motivation hadn’t sparked interest as per usual. Instead of writing multiple pages a day, he only completed very few pages after days of planning. Having Adrianne around all the time would be beneficial to him.

        And besides, she would live in luxury being within the same proximity as him.

        “I just thought of it,” admitted Rohan. “Come on. I’ll show you the directions.”

        Soon enough, Adrianne started her vehicle and began to drive over to the destination Rohan had in mind. Their silence had been jarring, bringing an anxious tension between the two adults. Though the static from the radio came to life as they drove away from the city, drowning out their stillness. An English alternative song played over the radio, revealing heavy drums and electric guitars playing along with upbeat lyrics. The song made Adrianne relax in her seat, as she leaned back in her seat and loosened her grip on her steering wheel.

        “How's the progress for your current manga?" Adrianne asked, her voice just barely spoken over the music. 

        Rohan snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the young woman next to him. He already said he wouldn't give anything away in terms of his story. It would ruin the dynamic and progress he had with his current muse. "Alright, I suppose. Although, I wish I had more motivation to come up with other pages. I have all these ideas, but…I'm unsure of where to go with the story." He pursed his lips and stared down at his feet. "This is the first story I've come up with since my hiatus, so getting back into the groove of things has been difficult."

        "That makes sense… I mean, you were on a break and had at least some form of schedule." The young woman glanced at Rohan and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Was there a reason why you took a break?"

        'Damn… Should I tell her?' Rohan asked himself as he turned his head to the young woman. He found her expression to be perplexing. Her face appeared blank yet her eyes showed genuine concern for him. 

        Swallowing nervously, he turned his head to face the road ahead yet didn't remove Adrianne's gentle hand on his shoulder. "A few months ago, I was playing a game with a…so-called acquaintance of mine," Rohan began. "While we were playing, I suspected him of cheating and kept asking him about it. He denied it the whole game, but I was determined to win…and to catch him cheating. 

        "I wasn't exactly paying attention to my surroundings while playing the game and suddenly, my house caught on fire. Apparently, I had left the door open and a magnifying glass caught the large rays of sunlight. At the time, I was so determined to figure him out that I didn't care if my house was in flames." Thinking about his actions from a few months back made him physically cringe, even if he felt he knew damn well that Higashkita cheated. 

        Adrianne's hand had lifted off of Rohan's shoulder and back onto the steering wheel, taking in all of the information that was let out into the open. "I get that cheating is a bad thing… I hate it as well, but…that's your home. That's a lot of money down the drain–"

        "You don't need to tell me that," snapped Rohan, his hand palmed over his face as his cheeks burned with shame. He grit his teeth from the memory of it. "It was stupid on my part. I know that now. I was so determined to win, and I most certainly didn't want to lose to a cheater at that. If I'm challenging someone, it has to be fair and square."

        Silence loomed among them once again as Adrianne parked the vehicle by the house Rohan gave the directions to. The house stood at three stories with white wood paneling and the patio hugged around the sides of the large building. Just from the front view of the house, the roof had green tiles and some parts of the paneling shone the lightest shade of pink. Purple panels bordered the windows to match the colorful look, and there were even elegant designs etched into the panel above the third floor window. It appeared like new on the outside, but Rohan hoped that the inside would look the same. 

        He paid a fortune to have his home renovated.

        As he stepped out of the car, he closed the door behind him, tucking his hands inside of his pockets to admire his newly renovated place. Truth be told, he planned on making an appointment to check on the renovations, but he figured they would be finished after a few months. He couldn't wait any longer to take at least a sneak peak.

        Rohan could hear Adrianne's footsteps next to him but then his view changed to her standing right across from him, her brows stitched together. "I can't afford a whole place like this, Rohan," she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I already said I'm looking for something cheap."

        "The whole place isn't for sale; I'm showing this place in case you…were looking to rent out a room."

        "But how would you…" It took a few seconds to realize what Rohan was talking about, her stern expression shifting to a speechless one. "Wait, is this your house…? But you told me…"

        "Yes, yes… I told you the story of it burning down, but like I said, that happened a few months ago. I was wanting to check in to make sure it was ready. While thinking of that, I thought about your situation…and how it would be beneficial if you were to…rent a room here." 

        Adrianne blinked a couple times as if processing Rohan's offer before she started laughing quietly, turning her head away from Rohan and covering her mouth to contain herself.

        "W-What's so funny?! I'm being serious about the offer," he sputtered, his face burning from hearing her laugh so joyously. It was endearing how Adrianne, someone so seemingly serious, would have a laughter that could light up a whole room. And yet, he didn't get how this was funny to her. How could she not take the offer seriously? 

        She removed her hand from her mouth but a smile formed from her lips as she peered at Rohan. "Are you really looking at this from a business standpoint? Or are you finding ways for us to see each other more often?" Her brow raised as she looked down at the young man, waiting for an answer.

        "And why would I tell you that?" His gaze targeted the sidewalk beneath him until he felt a warm hand underneath his chin just moments later, consciously making him peer up at her.

        "Because my answer will depend on your actual reasoning behind showing me this place," she answered in a matter of fact tone. "But I'll take a look at it since you went out of your way to show me."

        His eyes widened in shock and his gaze met with Adrianne's in a matter of seconds. Her ocean eyes were striking in the bright sunlight, and her confident yet sly smirk was on her face. Even with her staggering expression, he could almost feel his legs buckle and his heart pound rapidly from her soft touch alone. All the touches he received from her engraved themselves into his memory to remember for his story.

        'Was this something all men felt when gazing into a woman's eyes? Were all women this bold…?' No… He knew most women were nothing like Adrianne. He'd never seen a woman do something so bold before her. 

        Which was why she made the perfect muse.

        “Well… I’m ready when you are,” Adrianne told him after a moment with a smile, letting her hand drop his shoulder, giving it a couple pats before walking past him and towards the front door. Taking the time to compose himself, he opened the door and they were both greeted with a vacant entryway. Beneath them were white tiles leading to dark hardwood floors that spread throughout the room. A few dark wooden doors with circular glass lights placed besides them were spaced out evenly. 

        The entryway smelled of fresh paint, with the combination of wood from the doors and flooring. It was as if the home had barely been touched, and that a fire didn’t even occur.

        “Whoever fixed up this place did a good job,” commented Adrianne, slipping her boots off by the front door and walking around the area. “Are these the same features that you had before?”

        “Yes, I requested the renovators to put in the same fixtures I had before the incident. I enjoyed the layout and features of my place, so why change a thing about it?”

        “Good point…”

        With that, Rohan continued to show Adrianne around his newly renovated house. Even if he had motives behind letting her rent out a room, he had to admit, he missed living in his own home. The construction workers and renovators placed the right fixtures in their respective places, the rooms were clean and spacious again, and it was peaceful. As much as he appreciated Koichi for allowing him to stay at his family’s home, he longed for having his space, especially for work. Even if he was delighted to have his house back, a small part of him hoped Adrianne made her choice soon. 

        His manga needed more content, and she was the key piece to it all. Adrianne had so much she hid from him, despite her not admitting it. She held herself strong, but there had to be reasons behind having her tough exterior. Why did she go out of her way to fight criminals when it was none of her business? Why was she secretive about family? Why was she so different?

        There were two more rooms left unseen by the two onlookers, and Rohan led the way to one of the vacant areas. Opening one of the dark wooden doors, Rohan stepped foot into an empty bedroom that had a clear view of the neighborhood. Sunlight broke through the blinds as it brightened the small space, shining onto the wooden floors and white window seat invitingly. Rohan blinked from the sight before letting out a sigh and taking a few steps forward. “This will be the room you’ll stay in,” he began to say. “It’s big enough for a bed, a bookshelf for books, a good size dresser, what may have you… The sun shines in this direction, mostly, so you’ll take up most of it if you decide to keep the blinds flipped like this.”

        Adrianne followed after Rohan haphazardly, her footsteps echoing throughout the empty house. “This feels more spacious,” she commented as her footsteps became louder the closer she placed herself next to Rohan. “And the view would be nice to look at once in a while.” She walked past him and reached over to pull the strings to the blindfold, raising them so the view of the front yard was visible. Trees were planted ahead with the city buildings behind them, showing how far they were from the crowded area.

        Rohan squinted his eyes and shielded part of his view. “I guess you’re right. But if I were to come in, don’t have the blinds all the way open. I like my privacy.”

        “And who said I made up my mind about my decision?” The woman turned to Rohan with a raised brow, placing her hands on her hips.

        “Tch- No one, I’m just saying if you were to move in, I don’t want to have my blinds open all the way. I need to be in darker spaces in order to work.”

        “Hmm… But staying in the dark isn’t that good for you. You need natural light.” Her lips upturned to a teasing smile as she took a couple steps towards him. “Was that why your face was so pale when we first met?”

        The artist could feel his face start to burn from the accusation as he thought back to working in his studio. His blinds were almost always closed. And if he were outside, he would stay near the shade or only go on short walks. Working out had also been done inside of his own place, too. Sure, on the off chance he needed motivation, he’d walk outside and find something that caught his interest. Though now that he thought about it, he had been outside more often thanks to Adrianne. “And why would I answer that?” he asked as he turned his gaze away from her. 

        Curse that stupid smile for getting him all embarrassed. 

        “Because you know I’m right. You looked as pale as a ghost. But thanks to me, I can see a little more light on your cheeks. Like right now.” She reached over and pinched his cheek playfully.

        Rohan grabbed her wrist and pushed her away before removing himself from the situation. It wasn’t that she was hurting him, but that teasing was driving him crazy. “Quit it,” he sputtered, “I’ve been outside more because that’s where we’ve always met up. And besides, the weather hasn’t been that terrible lately.”

        “For you… It feels like a sauna every time I step outside. The weather has not been any better than it was back in July.”

        July? So she had been around for some time, then? How long had she been around the city? Wait…did that mean she knows about Kira Yoshikage? That was information he needed to know. “I’d disagree, but then again, you do wear leather jackets and heavier layers.”

        “That’s because it’s a part of my style. Much like you have your own,” she answered quickly as she tugged on her own leather jacket. Adrianne stepped out of the room and started walking out of the bedroom, as if trying to avoid the conversation. “Are there any other rooms that you haven’t shown me yet?”

        The quick steer in conversation felt too familiar. She hadn’t done that in some time, but it was concerning to say the least. Sure, leather jackets and heavier clothing were a style, but during hot weather? It was impossible to do that without being drenched in sweat. 

        “I- Yes, there is one room… I’ll show it to you since there isn’t anything in it.” His studio. His small home. That was the place he looked forward to seeing, but there was a sense of fear. Part of his seven million yen in damages came from his studio and the collections of nerdy merchandise he collected. Leading the way to his home studio, he opened the door and his eyes widened from how clean it was. The renovations in his studio were completed just like he asked, and even his large triangle shaped bookshelf was inserted in the walls. The light wood flooring had been planted throughout the room, and the overall space was more colorful than the rest of his house. The top half of his walls were covered in orange paint and the bottom half was plastered with a dark brown color that didn’t match the room at all. In addition, dark blue blinds opened to another view of the outside world. 

        The room looked just like he remembered. His safe space was newly built again.

        “I assume this is the place where you did all of your work?” asked Adrianne, walking around the vast space until she stepped towards the bookshelf. “It’s nice…if it weren’t for the mismatched color palette.”

        Rohan turned to Adrianne with an incredulous expression and scoffed. “And who are you to make that call? I think the colors fit quite nicely.”

        “They’re…misplaced. Orange, and then brown…all the while adding dark blue blinds…? I don’t see how it matches…” Adrianne placed a hand underneath her chin to further inspect the colors, walking towards the walls slowly.

        The mangaka knew how these colors would go well together. Of course he would; he was an artist for crying out loud. But he felt like he could use his knowledge to his advantage. “Let me give you a small art lesson, Adrianne,” he began, walking closer to Adrianne and gesturing to the colors on the wall. “It’s understandable why you view these colors as contrasting, but sometimes having opposite colors together in one piece. Orange and brown are similar in color, and on a color wheel, they’re close together. Now…if you add the dark blue into the mix…” He gestured for Adrianne to look over at his starkly contrasting blinds, placing his other hand on her shoulder. 

        “It compliments the orange because of how different they are. If you look at a color wheel, blue and orange are on opposite sides of one another. The same can be applied to the brownish color I have closer to the floor. Sometimes having opposite color combinations can be bold, but they compliment each other more than those that are similar in color. Now do you understand?” His expression relaxed and a small smile spread across his lips as he finished his small lesson. It felt nice to teach something he knew so much about. He had a bit of control on the situation at hand, which had him feeling better about these past couple of weeks.

        He hadn’t been in control of much since meeting Adrianne, and that had scared him internally. 

        The young woman took the time to collect Rohan’s words, staring at the colors for another moment. Then, she gave a small nod and turned her attention back to Rohan. Her bearing mostly mirrored his as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Yeah… I understand now. It explains some of your outfit choices, too,” she pointed out. “Some colors have been contrasting, but…they look nice.” Her eyes darted back to the view outside, her smile staying on her face. Her hand rubbed his shoulder idly, causing Rohan to glance at it cautiously. 

        It wasn’t like she was being inappropriate. No, that wasn’t it. It was…all this touching. He would normally be repulsed by such a bold move, but her touches were deemed gentle and welcoming to his standards. Despite her taller, muscular build, she touched him as if he were fragile. Like a delicate art piece. Compared to what he had gone through recently with Kira Yoshikage and other vicious stand users, this was startling. He didn’t deserve this kind of treatment from anyone, let alone Adrianne.

        Just what did she see in him that he couldn’t?

        “Hmph, I’m glad to know you have a good sense of fashion, somewhat… Though, maybe you could use a bit of a wardrobe change. I wonder what other colors would look like on you.”

        “Other colors? Like what?”

        Rohan slowly pulled away from Adrianne’s grasp and stood directly across from her, looking at her body up and down. The leather jacket, jeans, t-shirt, and boots had been a distinct style that not a lot of people could pull off in Morioh. A couple people a part of the Joestar family wore attire similar, but she didn’t really have those extravagant pins they did. Glancing at her body, he swallowed nervously and tried not to distract himself with her body. She was built in a way that filled him with envy, and yet, he found it pleasant to look at. He wished he had more muscle like she did, and that he was taller. Maybe he wouldn’t be made fun of so much by his friends.

        “Well… I think wearing cool or warm tones would bring out your eyes. Colors I would recommend, specifically, could be different types of blues, purples, greens, and neutral tones.” He placed a hand on his hip and peered down at the attire Adrianne was wearing and a few ideas came to mind. She’d look decent in some of his styles of clothing, but she didn’t need him stealing his style. He made a name for himself and he wasn’t going to let anyone take that, even the girl closest to him.

        Adrianne glanced at her attire and went silent, as if she were possibly thinking over his words. “Hmm… I could give it a try. I was worried that maybe you’d try to recommend me wearing pink.”

        “I mean, wearing anything pink would combine well with your–”

        “Not in a million years,” interrupted Adrianne with a scowl, her cheeks slowly turning into a pinkish hue.

        With a snicker, Rohan’s emerald eyes darted to her face, finding her expression to be almost endearing. That was something he wanted to do. After all that treatment from Adrianne, she deserved at least some teasing right back. “What’s the harm in wearing such a color? Are you afraid of looking ‘too girly?’”

        “No, I just don’t like the color, especially when it’s like…baby pink or something.”

        “You’re fine wearing anything else other than that? That’s comical, especially since your cheeks are reflecting that sort of color right now.” That would show her. Giving her a taste of her own medicine would show her that he could tease her right back.

        “I-” Adrianne placed a hand on her cheek and glanced away from Rohan, her brows narrowed and her lips forming a scowl. “You’re just seeing things like the artist you are.”

        That moment made Adrianne look a bit more endearing. Her trying to come up with the right words and failing, along with her physically having the look of embarrassment was enlightening. He couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as he walked towards the door. He’d remember that expression for his manga, to say the least. Yet who knew she was someone shy when being complimented or teased. “Even if I wasn’t, I think I would have noticed.”

        She let out a sigh and walked towards the young man with her hands tucked inside of her pockets. “Are we done here? I think we’ve seen everything.”

        “Yes, we have seen everything throughout the house. But…” His expression fell into a more serious one as he turned back to her. “You haven’t made your decision.”

        “You’re eager for an answer…” mumbled Adrianne, tapping her foot on the ground while her gaze wandered about the room. After a few moments of silence, she sucked in a deep breath and peered up at Rohan. “I think it would be easier for me to stay at this rate. I have all this space, I’ll have room for my books…and I’m away from the city life. And besides, I’ll see you more often.”

        Rohan’s eyes widened in disbelief. He was certain she would try to argue with him about the matter. She just gave in? Like that? After giving him a hard time in the first place? Yet, he was pleased with the answer. He could finally blaze through his manga panels like he used to, and use his muse for further inspiration. “Good. The room I showed you is yours, then. I’ll ask my landlord for another key. And…you can move your stuff over here whenever you’re ready. Just don’t make my house a mess.”

        “Hah… You mean our house now?” asked Adrianne with a teasing smile.

        “It-It’s still technically my house. I bought it. You’re just renting a room,” he responded.

        “And yet, I am now living in it with you. I figured you would be happy about it~” She walked towards Rohan with that same teasing smirk, removing her hands from her pockets.

        “I didn’t say I was happy–” he muttered and glanced away from her to avoid seeing that smile that made him feel weird internally. 

        She grabbed Rohan’s wrist and pulled him towards her, raising a brow and looking down at him with that same expression, causing the artist to grab onto her waist for balance. “Bullshit… Your eyes say otherwise. Why invite me to stay with you? Have you missed me that much?” 

        This had been worse than before, and he could clearly hear his heart pounding against his chest. His blood rushed from his ears as his eyes darted from Adrianne’s ocean eyes, to her hand wrapped around his wrist…her lips… And her making those bold claims with that voice of hers. Her voice rang deep yet alluring, even if it wasn’t the intent. She was only teasing him…and yet her eyes stayed on him, waiting for an answer. “Who said anything about me missing you? You needed help, didn’t you?” he asked quietly, wanting so badly to remove himself from the situation, yet he found comfort in her touch. “I won’t allow you to live in such a condition when you don’t need to. Okay? That’s all…” 

        He couldn’t believe the words spewing from his mouth, his face burning with each passing moment. He would never do this for someone, not even his close friends. Yet, his muse needed to be around him at all times. No, even for his muse, he’d never get this close nor offer anyone to stay in his home. 

        Adrianne’s smirk relaxed into an actual smile, as her grip loosened and she held his hand instead, allowing her thumb to explore the back of his palm slowly. “I’ll take that. It’s nice that you were looking after me, though. No one has done that.” She brought his hand to her lips as she pressed a kiss to the back of his hand gently. “Thanks.”

        The kiss alone fluttered Rohan’s heart, causing him to unintentionally smile as his eyes slowly glossed over their hands. His body felt so light, his mind felt fuzzy… It was a feeling he never experienced. Though he had to question the gesture… Wasn’t it the guy who kissed the girl’s hand? A woman doing it was out of the ordinary, and practically unheard of in the media. Yet…he didn’t complain; in fact, he was flattered. 

        Though, he still felt undeserving of it, despite his miraculous offer.

        “S-Sure…” he responded after a long moment of silence, squeezing their hands together. “We should get the move started as soon as we can. I have to move my own belongings back here, too.”

        “Oh… Yeah, that would be helpful. Where are you staying? Maybe I can drop you off.”

        Shit, he never mentioned who he was staying with. Though the chances of knowing him were at least low. Possibly? No, he couldn’t take that chance. If Koichi found out about Adrianne, there was a huge risk of him telling his friends, or the information getting out somehow. Even if he did trust Koichi more than others, it wasn’t a risk worth taking, especially if he was already friends with that stupid Josuke Higashkita. “At…a friend’s place. But I’m alright driving my belongings back and forth.”

        Adrianne raised a brow as if skeptical about the answer, but otherwise continued to hold his hand and moved to lead them both out of the room. “If you say so, Rohan.” 

        Rohan felt safe knowing she wasn’t asking a bunch of questions for now, but he knew that time was going to come sooner or later. He needed to keep this a secret for now, even from Koichi. The fact the high schooler knew that he was seeing someone was more than enough information. But the others finding out about his romantic endeavors…they would never live it down. He knew those troublemakers enough, and Adrianne didn’t need to deal with their nonsense.

Chapter Text

The move for both Adrianne and Rohan passed within a week's time. From moving their belongings to their place, to organizing and cleaning the house, it was a busy cycle for the two. Even through the stressful times of moving, they were able to find time to relax and spend it with one another. Without the need for much physical touch, of course. Their time had been spent chatting about rules of living together and even talking about the book collection Adrianne brought with her.

        Rohan learned their rules of sharing a space together were relatively the same: knock first before entering, clean after one’s self, pay rent on time, and respect each other’s space. They were basic, but he was glad that they at least agreed on that aspect. Besides trying to fish Adrianne for more information, his mind spun every time he thought of their interactions during the house tour. Adrianne touching him and making kind gestures towards him… Even if he felt it was undeserved, he knew it was perfect for his manga. Thanks to studying her movements, her mannerisms over the past few days, and how she handled the move, he finally gathered additional material to go off of for his story.

        On this particular day, the manga artist had some time to himself in the morning. He awoke from his slumber quite early to just walk a few measly steps to his study, outlining his next chapters and drawing what came to his mind. With only hearing small steps from Adrianne every now and then, he felt a moment of peace for the first time since his house was gone. He finally had the space to think of his creative processes and his muse was close by. Picking up on her habits thus far had been a process, but it only left him more curious about her. 

        After a few hours of drawing and writing, Rohan set his pen down and leaned back against his seat. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and peered at the time on the clock next to him. ‘Ten in the morning,’ he thought to himself. It wasn’t late, but he figured he needed a break. He had been awake since at least five in the morning, before the crack of dawn. 

        Dragging himself out of his study, Rohan made his way downstairs and peered around at his surroundings. His entryway appeared empty with the exception of his and Adrianne’s shoes by the front door. It appeared Adrianne was home, but he hadn’t heard anything from her. His mouth opened, as if about to call out to her until the smell of tomatoes and garlic hit him.

        ‘Cooking food at this hour? Did she not have breakfast? Is this an early lunch?’

        The artist continued to step towards the kitchen and his attention was pulled towards Adrianne, who had been stirring contents in a silver pot. She wore a dark blue t-shirt that hugged her upper body and her muscular arms. There were a few scars down her body, but they appeared to be older, as if they were formed on her body years ago. In addition, she had black leggings that were tight around her legs. 

        Rohan took in her attire and her presence for a moment, admiring the frame of her body and how muscular she was. Even if he had a fair amount of muscle, it wasn’t comparable to her. Her body was sculpted like that of a fragile statue, beautiful and enticing. There was a tinge of curiosity speaking to him in terms of her scars. There were so many across her body, and they certainly didn’t look self-inflicted. 

        His teal green eyes stayed on the woman until he heard her voice call out to him. “‘Morning, sleepyhead. Don’t you realize what time it is?” asked Adrianne, who was still stirring the food in the pot.

        Snapping out of his thoughts, his eyes darted to Adrianne’s face as he scowled at her. “I wasn’t sleeping; I’ve been up since dawn,” he responded back while moving to sit on one of the bar stools.

        “Working? But why so early?”

        “Because I needed to get it done.”

        “Huh… You’re like a gremlin with an odd sleep schedule,” she teased playfully.

        Rohan scoffed and crossed his arms. “I’m not a gremlin!”

        “You don’t get enough sun, you hole yourself up in your dark studio, and you snack on things while working. Your habits almost resemble one~”

        “Sh-Shut up!” He gritted his teeth and continued to scowl at the woman in front of him.

        Adrianne laughed quietly before turning off the stove and walking over to Rohan. She leaned against the counter and rested her chin in her hand, propping her elbow on the flat surface. “Really, how is your content coming along, though?”

        “I’ve written more than I have in a while. Having my own space again has helped a lot in terms of focus.” And he had Adrianne nearby to study her habits.

        “I bet. Well, regardless of your interesting habits, I’m glad you’re getting your work done. I can’t wait to read your content once it’s ready.” She placed her hand on top of Rohan’s, squeezing it lightly before pulling away a moment later.

        Rohan’s gaze moved to their hands as soon as they made contact, enjoying the warmth that her skin brought to him. His lips formed a small smile from the comforting gesture, not daring to make eye contact with her. That was another thing he noticed when they were alone: she was slightly more affectionate and touching him more. They weren’t unwanted, but it was more than he was used to. Was it because they were actually alone? Publicly, Adrianne had touched him like they were friends, but when they were together away from the outside world, it appeared she shed more of herself. 

        Snapping out of his thoughts, Rohan cleared his throat and sat up, gathering the scents of the meal Adrianne was making. “Say… What is it you’re making?” he asked her,                                   

        Adrianne had returned to the stove and continued to stir the contents in the pot from earlier. “I’m making some vegetable soup. I put various spices in it just so it doesn’t taste plain. Hopefully you’re not one to complain about the spice level of foods.”

        “Hah, who do you think I am?” retorted Rohan. “I’m not one who sticks with plain dishes.”

        “Good. Because I typically don’t make them.” With that, she turned off the stove and began to serve the soup she had made, pouring the contents into two separate bowls with a soup ladle. Once she was finished, she pulled out spoons from the utensil drawer and brought both bowls over to the counter. “Buon appetito.”

        Rohan looked down at the soup that was handed to him, taking in the scent and he could smell various different spices that were sprinkled into it. Pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, and ginger. He picked up his spoon and brought the liquid to his lips, tasting it before his eyes widened in surprise. It was similar to what he had tasted at Tonio’s restaurant in terms of flavor. The spices mixed well and the thickness of the soup wasn’t too overwhelming. “What a marvelous taste,” he said to her. “Is this something you make often?”

        Adrianne gave Rohan a flattered smile before glancing away from him, letting out a slight chuckle. “Not really. I make a lot of pasta or protein dishes. I’ll make soup if I have the ingredients for it, though.”

        “I think you should make it more often. It tastes good.” He continued to eat his soup, enjoying the taste of it and the smooth texture it brought.

        The woman’s smile softened from the compliment as she moved to sit next to the manga artist. “Thanks… I appreciate it.” With that, they began to eat their early lunch in silence.

        Though the silence didn’t last long, as Rohan placed his spoon back into his bowl and gazed at Adrianne after a few minutes. There was still so much that he wanted to know about her, but he didn’t want to be too invasive. Maybe now that they were living together, he could gage more information out of her? Would she be willing to open up more? “Adrianne? I meant to ask earlier, but…is cooking an activity you enjoy?”

        Adrianne turned to Rohan and shrugged her shoulders. “In a way, yes,” she admitted. “It helps me reconnect with my culture in a healthy way. I…didn’t have the best experience with it when I was younger, but it’s not like I completely resent it. Not anymore, anyway.” She let out a sigh and rested her chin in her hand, the smile on her face disappearing. 

        She did mention that on their first outing together. She was in Italy for some of her childhood. Although she didn’t have the most pleasant memories, she still wanted to find ways to connect to her home country. That took a lot of courage, in Rohan’s mind. “Do you have a favorite dish from Italy that you’re still learning how to make?”

        “I do. Frittata Affogato,” she said, letting her Italian accent slip through her lips. “It’s like if you take a frittata and a pizza, and then make it into one dish. It’s something I’d like to make, but it’s impossible to find some of the ingredients around here, even downtown.” She huffed a sigh and crossed her arms. “And I certainly don’t want to drive any further than I have to. But hey…maybe we can ask Tonio if he can make it? Or ask where he gets his ingredients?”

        Rohan could see that slight glimmer in her eyes when talking about the dish, and he couldn’t help but feel his heart stop for a moment. It was a weird feeling that caught him off guard, almost as if it alarmed him. Why would his heart stop momentarily over something like this? She was just talking about something she was passionate about

        But then again, it reminded him of himself when he spoke of his manga. “Perhaps we could. I’m sure he’d be willing to share some of his recipes and food with us,” he responded. “Fri-tta-ta Affo-gato…? I’ll have to keep that in mind.” He tried to pronounce it in the way Adrianne had just said it, but it came out sounding detached and there wasn’t any flow to it.

        Hearing the way Rohan pronounced the word, Adrianne snickered and scooted her stool closer to the artist. “You have to roll the ‘r’ in the first word. ‘Frittata…’” The letters and sounds connected effortlessly and the ‘r’ in the word rolled easily off of her tongue. 

        “F-Frittata…” he repeated nervously, peering down at the ground and repeating the word again, trying to make it sound much like how Adrianne pronounced it. After saying it one more time, he could feel his tongue roll in his mouth as he freely said the word. It felt funny at first, but knowing he mostly accomplished the feat made him forget the next moment. “Like that?”

        Adrianne nodded her head and placed her hand on Rohan’s shoulder. “Yep, that’s it. You have to at least try to roll the ‘r’s’ every time you say a word with that letter. It’s hard for people to get first try, but hey…that was a good attempt.”

        Hearing the praise, the artist couldn’t help but smirk back at her confidently. “Maybe in no time, I can learn the language pretty quickly. I learned French at a faster pace than other people. I bet Italian can’t be that much more difficult.”

        “Well, get off that high horse, because they aren’t really the same. If you know Spanish, it might be a bit easier.”

        Rohan huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You really don’t have any faith in me? Well, I’ll prove it to you! In a couple months time, I’ll learn how to speak Italian. That way I can use it when traveling.”

        “Challenge accepted." She mirrored his expression before standing up and taking her bowl to the sink, rinsing it off and cleaning it before placing it in the dishwasher provided. “If you do want to learn more, I can always help you out.”

        “Maybe I’ll require assistance from you… It depends on how good you are at teaching.” Rohan finished the last bit of his lunch before heading towards the sink as well. He saw Adrianne standing at the counter, a hand held out to him as if asking for it. But instead, he began to clean his own dish, avoiding eye contact with Adrianne.

        “I was already right here. I could have cleaned it for you,” Adrianne stated.

        The artist shook his head and continued to scrub the bowl with the sponge by the sink. “Tch- You’re not a housewife, Adrianne. I can clean my own dishes…and I’ll clean the other dishes you used, too. You’ve already done enough by providing the food. I think it’s only fair that I partake in some of the chores around here.” His cheeks warmed up from the confession, as he put his bowl in the dishwasher and moved on to the other utensils and cooking material. While quite bold to admit to someone like her, he didn’t want to be left doing nothing. He was taught to help around the house and that certainly wouldn’t stop after moving out. It was common decency, after all.

        Rohan looked over to Adrianne after gathering the other dishes to find her face flushed pink, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the counter. “Right… I know that… It’s just not something I’m used to, I guess…”

        After Rohan finished washing the rest of the utensils and dishes, he turned to Adrianne with a serious expression across his face. Why was she not used to it? Was it because of her family? Or possibly because of her living out on her own for so long? “Well, get used to it. We both have our responsibilities, but you doing all of the cleaning and chores won’t do us any good.” 

        With that, he washed his hands and dried them before walking to the living area of his home. Even if sitting and enjoying his meal with Adrianne was a bit of a break, he thought he could extend it by picking up a manga he found on the bookshelf. He and Adrianne shared a large bookshelf for now, but he didn’t find it to be an issue. Their tastes in reading material were similar; however, he never fully looked through her current collection. Most titles fell within the horror, mystery, romance, and thriller genres. Though he did find a few that were different from the rest. Some non-fiction stories about true crime appeared in different sections of the shelves, as well as some memoirs. 

        He spent a moment skimming through titles along the spines until a manga title appeared in front of his eyes: Monster. His eyes widened from the title and he immediately pulled it from the shelf. It would be a good time to reread some of the volumes, especially since the plot had been brewing in his mind lately. From the events that happened with Kira Yoshikage, to coming up with more ideas for his story, it would be helpful to look through stories that had adult problems and situations. 

        But right as he hit the tenth page of his volume, he found Adrianne sitting down next to him from the corner of his eye. She sat unreasonably close, her arm almost right behind him. His heart began to pound faster than it normally did as he turned to Adrianne with a scowl. “Can’t you see I’m reading?” he asked her.

        “No, I clearly can’t,” she answered sarcastically as she leaned back against the cushions. She took a moment to look over the volume before she began to scoot closer to the manga artist. “I like this series. It’s one of the few manga I’ve been following.”

        “I’m not surprised you like Monster. Judging by your taste in books, this seems like it’s right up your alley. Are you fully caught up to the newest volume?” Their closeness caused him to look back down at the current pages he was reading. He felt his face warm from her lack of distance, and especially her scent. He could smell an aroma of rose yet there was a bit of a musk that he would find in some men’s perfume. While it wasn’t overpowering, it was enough to take notice.

        “I sure am... If you looked through everything on the shelves, you would have seen the twelfth volume stacked there.”

        “I-I just wanted to find something, okay?” sputtered Rohan, turning the page of the book and continuing his reading. 

        The silence became relaxing as the two read the manga together. Rohan didn’t like people invading his space, let alone sitting close to him, yet Adrianne never became much of a bother. She sat next to him and read along with him quietly, as if she were just as invested in the story. Her arm was propped up against the back of the couch and she hadn’t placed her hands on him.

        Regardless of how relaxing the moment had been, Rohan was still on edge. Taking in her subtle perfume every time he inhaled and seeing her from the corner of his teal eyes, his internal thoughts had conflicted with one another. One one hand, he could let the moment move forward and stay in his comfort zone. Alternatively, he needed more inspiration and guidance on developing his story. 

        A romance wasn’t complete without deeper conversations and…more physical touch. 

        The thought of doing more than he was used to had him at a standstill and his face burning with embarrassment. They were already sitting so close to one another that one small move could cause the moment to turn on its heels. Was Adrianne going to make a move? Would it be better for him to do something about it? What would it be like to actually…kiss someone?

        No… No, he wasn’t going to start that. Not at all. He didn’t know how to kiss! It involved germs and being physically closer to a human being. He didn’t know if he was exactly comfortable with starting something so bold. There were so many things that could go wrong if he started it.

        Staring at the pages of the manga he held, Rohan was suddenly snapped out of his train of thought when he heard Adrianne’s voice call out to him. “...Earth to Rohan,” she said to him, poking his cheek and causing the artist to jump from the sudden touch. Suddenly, his attention was on Adrianne, who had a perplexed expression spread across her face. “Jeez, took you long enough… Are you alright?”

        The artist snapped the manga shut and furrowed a brow in frustration. “I’m fine; I was just lost in thought, is all. What is it you want?”

        “I was wondering… What inspired you to create Pink Dark Boy?”

        Oh… Well, he was certainly glad that she wasn’t asking about anything he was uncomfortable with, really. He just had to word some of his statements carefully. She couldn’t find out about the bizarre interactions he faced with other people…and stands. “Well, we’ve talked about traveling already. My travels have served a huge purpose in my creation. There is so much out there in the world other than what Japan has to offer. Tales of other people, their experiences, other cultures… It’s boring to have manga about one specific place.” Rohan set the book aside on the sofa before turning to Adrianne fully. “I believe that some of the best manga happen to reveal realistic experiences. Having a certain amount of realism can help engage your readers, but you typically don’t find this in manga.”

        Adrianne’s eyes were set on Rohan as he spoke, silent as a mouse and taking in his words carefully. When he paused, she raised a brow and stretched her arm to where it was resting on the back of the couch. “You’re right; you don’t see it often. But the manga you're reading now is one of those exceptions.”

        “Yes, perhaps. But there are still some paths the characters take that aren’t that realistic. Take Kenzo Tenma for example… A doctor probably wouldn’t just run away from his job without major consequences…”

        “True… Yet this is a work of fiction. We are bound to seeing unrealistic events unfold in stories like that one. I think the realism mixed in with fictional situations make the story standout. The characters are still relatable, to say the least.”

        Rohan let out a chuckle and before leaning back against the couch. “Characters are an important part of a story. That much is correct.” He felt something against his shoulder and found that Adrianne had her arm resting behind him. His face heated from the sight of it but quickly peered back at the young woman. “In my manga, even if I have implemented seemingly unrealistic situations, there are people out there who are bound to have experienced at least something similar, right? The horror I put in my manga are realistic to me and the people who may have lived through them before.”

        Adrianne nodded her head, acknowledging his statement with a small smile. “That’s a good point. Not everyone has the same experiences.” She paused for a moment, looking down for a split second before her attention went straight back to Rohan’s eyes. “Are there other titles that have inspired you to start writing manga?”

        Thank goodness she didn’t ask anything too invasive. Having to explain what he did for his manga would ruin his reputation and possibly her views on him. 

        ‘Wait… Why would I care about what she would have to think or say about me?’ he thought to himself before speaking again. “In terms of fiction, I would say… Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Yu Yu Hakusho, Berserk, Bastard… There are lots of titles out there that helped me become the artist I am today.”

        “Berserk is one of my favorites besides Monster. It has a good variety in terms of genre. I can see how it would be good inspiration for you as well. The way the characters are portrayed are eerily similar…but in a good way.”

        Rohan’s eyes widened as he realized that Adrianne had actually read his manga. Did she start reading it after they were at the bookstore? It was very much possible after the conversation they had that day. In a way, his pride swelled from that, yet he felt…a bit flattered in a way. She wanted to get to know him more, and reading his manga was a way for her to connect with him. “I see you’ve been paying attention to the small details of my story. No wonder you made that connection.”

        Adrianne laughed quietly and scooted closer to Rohan. “How could I not? I look into everything that I’m reading. Finding the references in stories can be quite fun. It helps me understand the story more…” Then, she used her free hand to tilt his chin to where their eyes met. “And the author behind it all.” Closing the distance, Adrianne leaned in and closed her eyes as her lips captured his gently.

        Rohan was already caught off guard by Adrianne touching his face, but the fact she moved it further along was startling. He held the kiss for a moment, but soon pulled away for a moment, his eyes still widened in alarm. His lips separated, as if trying to find the right words but there were none to be said. Her lips felt so soft atop his, and she was gentle about the kiss, too. On top of that, his face burnt hot and his heart couldn’t stop pounding. He swallowed nervously and allowed his gaze to wander down to her lips, those lips that were soft and supple.

        This was an experience needed to continue his upcoming manga, and if it meant pushing a personal boundary, nothing could stop Rohan Kishibe from moving forward with this moment.

        “Rohan…?” Adrianne asked quietly.

        Blocking out her voice, he closed his eyes and suddenly inched forward, pushing their lips together and placing a hand at her side. Well, there was no going back after this. He couldn’t take it back from this point forward.

        The artist took in how Adrianne felt in his hand. The fabric of her top was wrapped around her waist to where he could feel some of her figure. There was a bit of muscle beneath his hand, but he didn’t dare try to squeeze her waist. He also took in the feel of her lips. The warmth and softness of her lips were enough to have Rohan almost melt into the kiss, moving himself closer to Adrianne to test if she would reciprocate. 

        In response, Adrianne continued to kiss Rohan and let the hand that was holding his chin to drag upwards towards his cheek. She held the spot gently as her thumb dragged along his smooth skin, causing his body to send shivers down his body. Her touches grazed him like they were leaves in the wind, and her kisses simmered themselves into his memory. 

        The moment passed by almost in an instant before Rohan pulled away breathlessly. He panted quietly and did his best to regain his breath, turning away from Adrianne and bringing his fingers to his lips. 

        His first kiss… It was more innocent and tender than he imagined it would be. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but not that it mattered in the moment. What mattered was how it felt so that he could put it into his writing. The pounding of his heart, how hot his body felt, how he could hear the blood rushing in his ears, how his body felt so light sitting there… 

        ‘This is what it’s like to kiss someone for the first time…’ he thought to himself, staring at the ground to collect himself. 

        A few moments later, he sat up straight and looked over to Adrianne, finding that her face had much more color to it than before. Her cheeks were glowing pink at that point, but a smile grew from her lips as she was gazing at him. “That felt nice,” she admitted to him. “Your lips are very soft…like clouds. And your skin feels nice to the touch. Do you have a skin routine that you could teach me?” She reached a hand out to cup his cheek once again.

        Rohan subconsciously leaned against her hand, not allowing their eyes to meet. It was too embarrassing. He didn’t want to see her looking at his burning face, especially since he was still trying to take everything in. “I- Why would I tell you that? You might end up stealing my products, and I don’t want it going to waste,” he declined.

        “I’m not going to use your products; I’m just going to buy them from the store next time I go. But come on, at least tell me about some of the products.”

        The artist reached up to touch Adrianne’s cheek just to see if she really needed to follow his routine. But oddly enough, her skin felt smoother than his. “Your skin feels fine as it is. I don’t think changing it will help you.” His eyes peered at her face, watching his hand as his fingers dragged along her cheek. Her skin was unblemished and smooth, like a freshly dried blanket. 

        Adrianne leaned into Rohan’s touch as her expression softened. “Well… I’ll still find out about it one way or another.”

        The smile Adrianne revealed and how her ocean eyes gazed into his made his heart skip a beat, causing him to pull away from her and he stood to his feet, making his way to the front entrance. He needed to get himself together. His research was done for the time being and yet his mind was still hung up on the lightheaded feeling. Why was that? “A-Anyway…” He cleared his throat. “I was thinking about heading over to one of the bakeries around here. It shouldn’t be crowded right about now…” He stopped once realizing Adrianne hadn’t been following him, turning to her with a raised brow. “This invitation goes out to you, too. Are you busy?”

        The young woman chuckled before standing up as well. “Not at the moment. But I’ll tag along.”

~~

        The two young adults entered St. Gentlemans bakery and they were greeted with the smell of freshly baked treats and coffee. No one else took up the space besides the employees working. They both ordered their treats and drinks and waited around for them to be made. Rohan tucked his hands inside of his pockets as he took in the environment around him. A song played over the radio that was in English, but the lyrics appeared to be softer than he was used to hearing. Even if he wasn’t completely fluent in the language, he picked up on a few strings of lyrics and found it to be relaxing for the most part. 

        After receiving their small meals, they headed to a table that was in the corner yet the view from the outside was completely clear. They sat at their seats before Adrianne started humming along to the song, as if she found it to be catchy. That was what Rohan seemed to notice whenever an English song would play on the radio. It was like she knew them quite well, or had more of a taste in foreign music. Not that he didn’t find it interesting, he knew she was willing to branch out to try different things…unlike a lot of the citizens of Morioh.

        “What is this song called? It’s different from what I’m used to,” asked Rohan.

        Adrianne took a sip of her coffee before answering, “Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls. This band makes some catchy music. It’s not heavy rock, but their lyrics are pretty impactful. Romantic, too.”

        “It’s better than what you showed me while moving our belongings.”

        “Like what?”

        “Nine Inch Nails… That was too heavy for my taste.”

        “Ouch, and I thought you would find some of their lyrics poetic, in a way,” she answered jokingly, taking another sip of her coffee.

        Rohan opened his mouth to retort her comment, but all of the sudden, a deeper voice rang in front of him

        “...Rohan…? Adrianne?” the masculine voice asked, which was monotone in nature.

        The artist looked up, as if annoyed by the fact he was being bothered, but all of the sudden he was met with Jotaro standing there with his hands tucked in his pockets. He wore the same white outfit he always did and his face remained expressionless like he was used to seeing. But seeing him here while spending time with Adrianne sent off alarm bells in his mind. “J-Jotaro? What are you doing here?!”

        And why in the living hell did he say Adrianne’s name? Did he actually know her? How did he know her?!

        “I’m just grabbing some coffee before I get back to my work. Am I interrupting something?” asked Jotaro, his expression unwavering.

        “W-Well, we are just sitting and having a meal, that's all.” Shit… Shit, shit, shit… This was one of the worst outcomes that he didn’t even think about. Rohan thought Jotaro left Morioh after defeating Kira, but he guessed wrong. “There’s nothing to see here.”

        Rohan looked over to Adrianne with wide eyes, noticing how she sat still in her chair, exhaling sharply through her nostrils and looking down at her lap. But it wasn’t out of anger…it was out of anxiety from the way she bounced her leg beneath the table. “Jotaro, how the hell do you know Adrianne? I thought you didn’t know anyone else…”

        Jotaro blinked before he let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Good grief, I guess she hasn’t told you. It was bound to happen sooner or later, I guess.”

        “What hasn’t she told me?” Rohan snapped. She knew the woman had her secrets, but she knew Jotaro, out of all people? Could that mean that she possibly knew the others?

        Just as he was about to step towards the counter, Adrianne turned to Jotaro with a sharp gaze, debating on saying something to him, but she just let out a sigh and faced Rohan once again, pursing her lips and keeping her gaze on the table. 

        “...He’s my older brother.”

Chapter Text

'...He's my older brother…'

        Rohan’s face paled as he stared at Adrianne, flabbergasted by her reveal. Was that what she had to hide that whole time? There were many questions that Rohan had for the both of them - mostly Adrianne. Sure, she explained she came from Italy, but Jotaro wasn’t born and raised there. Even if their appearances were somewhat similar, their backstories didn’t line up from what he remembered. “Older brother…? How?!”

        “I didn’t want to say anything about it yet…but the cat is out of the bag now.” Adrianne turned to Jotaro and flipped him off. “Thanks, you were a big help,” she sneered.

        Jotaro scoffed and rolled his eyes, unpleased with Adrianne’s attitude. “It’s not my relationship… You have to deal with this yourself now. I’m not stepping in.”

        Rohan felt his head spinning. What was the meaning of this? Adrianne would have some witty comeback or start teasing after something serious, but…she wasn’t. That scared him the most. “Why didn’t you tell me about this–”

        “You know why, Rohan,” Adrianne said through her teeth.

        “No, I don’t know!" he exclaimed. "You said you are from Italy but now here you are saying you’re Jotaro’s sister. Something’s not adding up here. Explain.”

        “...I was adopted when I was nine years old by our mother, Holly. I had…just escaped from Italy and was left on the streets. She found me one day, fostered me, and officially adopted me after Jotaro returned from Egypt.”

        It would explain why Adrianne claimed she didn’t remember much of Italy. She was still quite young when she was adopted. Even if wasn’t a part of the family by blood, she was still a Joestar by name.

        Standing from his seat, Rohan shook his head and began to exit the bakery. His mind couldn't wrap around the information given to him. Why would she wait until the worst time to tell him? At the pace of their relationship, he would have found out much later, he thought. “...I’m going home.”

        Adrianne stood up and attempted to walk after him. “Hey, I wasn’t finished–”

        “Just leave me be for a bit. I have some thinking to do,” Rohan snapped as he stomped away from the building, hands tucked in his pockets as they curled into fists. If Adrianne was hiding that much, he knew damn well there was more to her. What happened in Italy? How well did she know Josuke and the others? Was she a stand user? Did she have any knowledge on the Kira Yoshikage case? Was she involved without him knowing?

        Rohan needed to know more about Adrianne. Escape would be impossible for Adrianne now that one of her main secrets was out if she were to try running away from his confrontations. He was determined to search for more, even if it meant possibly using his stand to get it out of her.

~~

Adrianne's POV

        Watching Rohan walk out of the bakery, Adrianne stood by their table as her fists clenched tightly. That was one of the main secrets she didn't want anyone finding out. It wasn't like she did it out of malice; however, for her relationship with Rohan to blossom, it had to be said. Would he have reacted the same way had he known much earlier? She had doubts, and that maybe he would have turned her down with that kind of reaction. Why have such a disdain towards her family? What did they do to deserve this treatment?

        Heartbroken and filled with rage, she sat back down and covered her face with her hands. "Fucking hell, Jotaro. Why did you have to join at that moment?" she asked him, her voice muffled through her hands.

        "It wasn't like I was trying to ruin anything. I just happened to be here at the same time as you," stated Jotaro in a matter of fact tone.

        Adrianne didn't appear to appreciate the sass coming from Jotaro, removing her hands from her face and glaring at her older brother. Sure, it was a happenstance that Jotaro showed up, but it didn't make her situation any better. "You have said to not tell anyone about my place in the Joestar family…so I did just that."

        Jotaro ordered a coffee which was stored inside of a white glass mug. He walked back to the table and sat across from Adrianne. "I know I did…but this is a different circumstance."

        "How is it different?" acquired Adrianne, quickly disrupting him.

        "You're romantically involved with him, aren't you?"

        Adrianne rolled her eyes and leaned back against her chair. She and Rohan weren't even inherently romantic whenever Jotaro entered the room, so she was confused how he came to that deduction. Though, her reaction to him walking out was probably a tell-tale sign. Her cheeks heating up in the moment, she scoffed and gritted her teeth. "What's it to you? I thought you were delusional when it came to that shit."

        "I was married once, Adrianne. I'm not a complete dumbass."

        "Yeah, but that marriage ended not too long after and you left her behind with Jolyne," spat Adrianne. "I’d say I’m not too far off.”

        His hand clenched at the plastic cup slightly and his eyes squinted at her. “There were circumstances and I had to leave." Jotaro sneered as he spoke to Adrianne, his expressionless face twisting in anger. “You fucking know that.”

        The young woman raised her hands defensively, glancing away from Jotaro. Yeah, she expected that, but that was the truth in her eyes. The man could have found a way to stay with Jolyne despite the stand users being a problem. "You don't keep contact with Jolyne at all; all you do is send money to your ex-wife to help out. But guess what? Even if I haven't been married or bore children, I think what you're doing is unreasonable. You were twenty when you got married and when Jolyne was born, right? Same age as me. At least my decisions haven’t been as impactful as yours."

        "You don't have the right to tell me what I'm doing with my life. I'm not telling you how to live yours, am I?"

        "...No, you're not." Adrianne lowered her hands and peered at her brother, her scowl staying on her face.

        Jotaro let out an exasperated sigh as he shook his head. "Maybe it was wise for you to not say anything to him. I'm not sure if he has even mentioned us at all, anyway."

        "No, he hasn't. I can tell he's hiding shit, too, but…we all have our secrets. I'd be a hypocrite if I were to ask him about what he's keeping from me."

        "Good grief, I guess it couldn't be helped that you two would cross paths. He helped us with the Kira investigation. In fact, if it weren't for Rohan, we wouldn't have gotten as far as we did. I'm pretty sure the reason why he didn't say anything was because of Josuke."

        So Rohan was a stand user as well, Adrianne concluded. Revealing stands was something forbidden, unless necessary. Even with a stand of her own, she didn't like using it as much as the other users. It wasn't as useful and she could fight well on her own. She always had. 

        But the real question was, "What does Josuke have to do with all this?"

        "He was there when Rohan's house burnt down. And instead of owning up to his mistake, he blamed Josuke for it." He pursed his lips and shook his head disappointingly. "Those two have hated each other since even before that event.”

        Adrianne's eyes widened from the confession. "...Josuke was there when that happened? He…told me that he was playing a game with someone and wasn't paying that much attention. He says he blamed himself for that incident."

        "He finally took accountability for that incident?" Jotaro scoffed and sipped his coffee for a moment, as if ruminating that statement. "I guess he could confide in you. From what I've seen, Rohan doesn't take accountability for shit when it comes to his own actions that have nothing to do with his craft."

        Adrianne blinked before thinking back to that moment. Rohan's face turning red and quietly admitting to the burning of his house was something not anyone could do. It showed a sign of some maturity, at least. "Really…? That's…not what I expected. He must have changed within the past few months."

        "Either that or he is just keeping face with you."

        Well, that certainly didn't make her feel better about the situation at hand. "You're not helping."

        "What else am I supposed to say? I'm not good with…feelings." Jotaro continued to sip at his coffee, his annoyed expression staying on his face.

        "What a wonderful brother you are," Adrianne stated sarcastically, chuckling from her own joke. Then, a moment later, she pursed her lips and stared at the table in front of her. All of the changes happening around her were out of her element. Almost a month passed since she and Rohan met and her life began turning for the better, somewhat. "Sorry for lashing out. You…caught me off guard at the moment. This is still new to me. Actually…liking someone and committing to them, I'm not used to it. I haven't gotten that kind of attention from someone…ever. And the fact Rohan hasn’t really judged me for who I am as well…” 

        She drifted off and thought about how Rohan had treated her so far. Even if he wasn't one for feelings, he was willing to stick by her side. Hell, moving in together was a large step, despite the financial circumstance. Emotionally and physically, they had a chemistry she viewed as indescribable.

        Jotaro's nose scrunched from Adrianne's words, glancing away from her and staring at the view outside of the window. "I feel like bashing my head against the wall hearing that."

        "Hey, you felt that way at one point. I don't want to hear it."

        "Doesn't mean I liked that feeling at first."

        Adrianne scoffed and lifted her head up to peer at Jotaro. "Are you going to try and find love again–"

        "Not a chance in hell," Jotaro answered immediately, interrupting her question. "Women are annoying, in general. And I'm not attracted to men at all. I'm better off alone and I'd rather stay that way."

        "All women are a bother to you, huh? Not just romantically?"

        "Yeah, exactly. You're the most bothersome one of all. All of you jump to conclusions and are always in your feelings. It's so fucking annoying."

        Adrianne laughed quietly, shaking her head from the absurdity of it all. She remembered when Jotaro announced he was getting married to his then wife, as well as the announcement of Jolyne being born. Even if she and Jotaro didn't exactly grow up together, she got to know him a bit more through reunions and their time traveling to Morioh together. While there were things Jotaro did that agitated her to no avail, she still cared about him and was grateful to have him a part of her life. "Well, despite all that, I do hope the day comes when you find love again. Whether it be with your ex-wife again, or possibly someone else."

        "Keep dreaming. It's not happening." Jotaro held the brim of his hat and tipped it downwards to avoid her gaze.

        Suddenly, the door opened and a couple loud voices were heard from behind Adrianne. Teenage voices… Great, school was let out. It was just her luck. She hoped to avoid other interactions with other people, especially after such an intense argument with Rohan.

        "Adrianne?! Where have you been??" a teenage voice exclaimed from behind her, to which the young woman turned around to find Josuke looking at her speechlessly, yet an excited smile spread through his lips. "I haven't seen you in weeks!"

        "I've been busy being an adult, Josuke. I have my priorities," admitted Adrianne as she held out a hand to him. She and Josuke shook hands before giving each other a fist bump. "Just like you have your own priorities, no?"

        "Yeah, yeah… School isn't that important to me, though."

        "Yet you're still passing with flying colors? You have the grades to attend college after this. Take that opportunity if you want to.”

        Josuke gave Adrianne finger guns and a flashy smile. “Not a chance! I have other dreams I want to accomplish.”

        “Damn, like what? You’re still young. Fighting a wanted criminal and earning a bunch of money from the lottery? Is that enough for you?” asked Adrianne. Even if Josuke was quite obnoxious and annoying, she didn’t see any issues with the guy. He would try to hold the whole “uncle” thing over her head, but it didn’t matter. Their family dynamic was already messed up as it was.

        Another voice from next to him piped in from his friend, Okuyasu. His blue jumpsuit and gold pins were enough to make him flashier than Josuke, especially in the bright sunlight. “I have some goals I want to achieve! One of them is taking you out somewhere–”

        Right then and there, Josuke turned to Okayasu and punched his shoulder. “Dude, she’s my family and way older! Go find someone at school. I know there are ladies who would love to go out with us.”

        “I doubt that, man! They all seem so disinterested in me! I figured if Koichi could land a pretty girl, then maybe I could! But I have shit luck.”

        A relatively shorter male walked past the group, with a high school girl taller than him, her wavy black hair bouncing as she walked. “Hey, Okuyasu… I know there are women out there who’d go out with you! Being down in the dumps won’t do anything for you at all,” he said to his friend before peering up at the two adults at the table with wide eyes. “Mister Jotaro? Miss Adrianne? What are you two doing here together?” he asked.

        Jotaro and Adrianne both peered down at the boy to find that was significantly shorter than them, to find that it was only Koichi speaking to them. Adrianne spoke first and gave a small nod. “It’s a long story. Adult things. Who is the lady with you?”

        “Oh! This is my girlfriend, Yukako. We…got together recently,” announced Koichi before he turned to his partner. “Yukako, this is Adrianne, Mister Jotaro’s younger sister.”

        The girl named Yukako peered over at Adrianne with a blank face at first before she revealed a slight smile. “I didn’t know he had a sister. This is news to me. Why weren’t you a part of the investigation…?”

        Adrianne blinked from the question as she tucked her hands inside of her pockets and crossed her legs beneath the table. “Well, it’s simple: there were too many people in Kira's case. And besides, there were other things to take care of around the city. I just took care of that while you all took care of the main threat.”

        “I see…” Yukako seemed to space out for a moment before looking behind her at the coffee and treats at the front counter. “Koichi! I found a treat that looks delicious! Almost as delicious as you~” She took Koichi by the hand and dragged him over to the front, leaving Koichi’s face red but he was still smiling as he followed her.

        Adrianne scrunched up her nose from hearing that flirtation. It was most definitely like a high school romance. Seeing them happy together made her think back to Rohan, and she thought about their own relationship. It was nothing like what Koichi and Yukako had. She heard what happened to them through Josuke, about Yukako’s stand and how she basically went ballistic on Koichi when she confessed to him. Everyone’s perception of love and relationships were different; not one love fit another person’s needs and wants. 

        Love? Was that what Adrianne felt towards Rohan? She didn’t know what it was, yet it wasn’t an intense love yet. Feelings were sprouting from the heart and mind, but her actions held back what she truly wanted. And because of their argument, she didn’t know how to exactly move forward.

        “...Earth to Adrianne?? Hello??” asked Okayasu, waving his hand in front of her face, causing the adult woman to stop his hand and squeeze it roughly. The young man yelped and pulled his hand away and stepped back towards his best friend.

        “Get your hand away from me. I don’t want those sticky, childish germs near me,” sneered Adrianne.

        “You know…sometimes you make me wonder if that whole adoption story is actually true,” admitted Josuke. “You and Jotaro both look similar, and you have the same demeanor.”

        Adrianne looked over at her older adoptive brother curiously, which brought him to raise a brow slightly from the look. “Nah, he’s lazier and doesn’t have a sense of humor. I have only ever seen him laugh once, and he rarely ever smiles.”

        “Tch. Good fucking grief, there’s no point in going above and beyond for things so trivial. That’s why you think I’m lazy,” Jotaro told Adrianne before standing to his feet. “I’m out of here. I need to get back to work…”

        Josuke huffed and sat down in one of the empty chairs. “Damn, you really aren’t any fun. Ah, whatever, I’ll see you around, man.”

        The adult woman looked up at Jotaro before she decided it was time for her to leave as well. With the teenagers taking up the space, it was enough to have her overwhelmed. “I’ll be leaving as well. I’ll see you around.” She stood to her feet and waved a hand as she stepped out. Josuke called out something to her, but she only continued rushing out the door to catch up to Jotaro.

        Once she tailed the taller man, she walked beside him yet had her eyes held to the ground. “Hey… Thanks again…for listening to me. I know you hate romantic things and dealing with drama, but…I haven’t told anyone about Rohan and I. I wanted it to stay that way, and live a normal life. I just want to think about other things for once, other people…without having to worry about my stand, my family name. This past month has been…different, but I’ve been enjoying myself.”

        Jotaro listened to her words before there was a long pause, as if he were thinking about what to say next. The noises around them were filled with the screams and shouts from teenagers or various laughter from other people, but the silence between the two siblings was almost deafening. Though when those noises around them faded out, the older man spoke once again. “I don’t care what you do…as long as you’re enjoying yourself, I guess…and that you’re making good decisions.”

        Good decisions… Well, Adrianne knew that her decision to stick with Rohan was one she didn’t regret. Even if their relationship was blossoming slower than usual - or at least she thought - she enjoyed her time with him. Teasing him, spending the quiet moments with him, talking about their travels…even vague thoughts of the future that would appear out of nowhere weren’t horrible. Rohan had his reservations for others, and even the steps taken towards their unique relationship, but he didn’t make her feel insecure before the fight. “I…am enjoying myself…and my time with him,” she admitted, a smile gracing her normally neutral features. “And yes I am making good decisions for the most part. At least I’m twenty years old and not parenting.”

        “Tch, you’re always going to hold that above me, aren’t you?” he grumbled, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up in front of her. “Well…if you’re satisfied, there is nothing for you to worry about. Just apologize and explain more when you see him next time. Just…be cautious if you tell him anything before the adoption, and anything about your stand, I guess.” He lifted the cigarette to his lips and sucked in a deep breath before exhaling the smoke moments later.

        “I’m waiting to reveal all of that. Him taking in the fact we’re a part of the same family is more than enough. I’ll give him space for now, but once I feel better, I’ll have a chat with him.” Adrianne held out her hand towards Jotaro, glancing at him with a hopeful gaze. “Do you have any extra? I could go for a smoke.”

        The taller man handed Adrianne one of his unused cigarettes from his carton with a dissatisfied expression. “Fine, just this once. But you need to buy your own packs if you want to keep smoking.”

        “No can do. Smoking is something I’ll only do on occasions…such as ones like this.” With that, Adrianne took the cigarette and held it up to her lips. To her surprise, Jotaro ignited his lighter and held it up to Adrianne’s stick. The woman used the lighter to light up her cigarette and turned away to blow the smoke out. She needed to cool down herself, and having a smoke was a way to cope with the situation. It may not have been the healthiest, but it was a way to ease her mind temporarily. 

        Trying to speak with Rohan after that event would be a difficult challenge, but in order to move onto that step, she had to take the time to think and plan her actions. While challenging in its own way, it was one she couldn’t tread lightly. Like most of her previous encounters and issues, she needed to face the personal issue head on in order to at least make amends.

Chapter Text

Marching back to his study, Rohan slammed the door behind him, letting the noise echo throughout the barriers of his room. He had been seething from the unfortunate events that took place, and his mind wouldn't steer from the betrayal he faced. Adrianne was a part of the Joestar family and there was nothing he could do to change that. 

Although he had Heaven’s Door in his possession, erasing that memory would only remain suspicious on his end. It would be the catalyst to other situations, including a possibly vengeful Jotaro. Dealing with him while upset was not on his bucket list of accomplishments as an artist. It wasn't like Rohan exactly hated the guy; it was that stupid Higashkita he was related to. Jotaro and Josuke were two separate people, living on two separate planets. They didn't even share the same brain cells as one another. But the fact they were still related and had stands were enough for him to stay weary. 

Adrianne and Jotaro were alike when Rohan witnessed them together: physically and even their personalities were similar. Their clothing styles resembled some relations, as well as their facial features. If Rohan was told they were biological siblings, he'd believe it. 

‘ Dammit ’ Rohan cursed to himself as he plummeted into his chair. His body sunk into his seat, mulling over the new facts that couldn’t escape his train of thought. While he figured Adrianne had her secrets, he never would have thought they’d be as mind-boggling as they were. Was she hiding more from him? If she had the galls to keep that from him, then there had to be more, right?

Glancing at the notebooks on his desk, the artist snatched the top one from the stack and picked up a pen in his other hand. Soon enough, Rohan dipped the pen into his ink and began to scribble on the blank pages. Sounds of the ink pen grazing the paper scratched the wall of silence that filled the room, and quiet curses slipped from Rohan’s lips as his teeth clenched together. As these sounds began to crescendo in his study, the papers were soon filled with bold strikes and some of the ink bled into the other sheets. His ink even bled into his black desk from the bolder ink blobs made by his pen. His thoughts and emotions transferred to his work, wanting his audience to understand what the character was going through. The fear, anger, betrayal the main character went through in his drafted chapter reflected his own conflicting emotions.

Or rather, what he went through.

~~~

Hours passed and Rohan inevitably passed out in his chair. He jolted awake as a paper stuck to his face from the previous sweat that formed. Ripping it away, the artist skimmed at the thin surface and found it was empty.

Rohan whipped his head towards the clock on his desk to find that it was past 2200. His room was dimly lit with a lamp, his stack of drawn papers pushed to the side and scattered on the flat surface. He picked up a couple pieces of his draft, examining his emotional work. The flood of rage and betrayal surged through his body as he crumpled one of the splotched drawings. The style of his work stood in contrast to Pink Dark Boy . While his work had a certain edge, the newest sketches proved to be caused by impulsive emotions. 

As Rohan picked up the other pages, his eyes skimmed over the panels and the facial expressions shown on his characters’ faces. The negative emotions, the intense situation they went through together…it would make for the perfect chapter. This was absolute proof that romance was just a measly contract in his eyes. Nothing great came from finding a romantic partner. His friends spewed nonsense about a nonexistent fairytale, and once again, his work deduced an existing fact delusional people refused to believe.

In the midst of his brewing thoughts, his rumbling stomach interrupted his internal train of thought. Well…he did crash after experiencing an emotional turmoil and using all of his brain power towards his work. 

Though, there was an issue: Adrianne was most likely home. He refused to even look at her after what happened earlier. She betrayed his trust, and even skewed the image he had of her. While no human was perfect, a romantic partner wouldn’t hide their family…right?

Despite his worries, Rohan had to eat something, at least. So he trudged through his studio and downstairs to his large kitchen. Rummaging in his fridge for a decent meal, the container from lunch set his sights – the lunch Adrianne made for him. He threw the container in the microwave and stood by the counter while his meal toasted in the heat. When hearing the loud ding come from the microwave, the artist rushed to retrieve his food. 

As he brought it over to the kitchen island, he picked up a fork from the drawer and began to divulge into his meal. The soft texture of the vegetables, the flavors clashing with one another, the warm feeling in his mouth… This was what he needed.

“Glad to know you came out of your cave,” a deep yet feminine voice called out from behind. Her tone sounded flat and almost unappreciative, as if she were the one hurting in the situation.

Rohan startled and turned to find Adrianne on the couch, her attention on the book in front of her and flipping a page idly. ‘Shit…’ he thought to himself. He had a feeling Adrianne would turn up at some point. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the back of the stool with a scoff. “I was working,” he spat.

“Yeah, yeah… Working as always.” The book Adrianne held shut and it had been placed on the coffee table in front of her. Then, she turned to face Rohan, her bluish hazel eyes finding the artist closing himself off. “Why can’t we just talk about this? Running away from this isn’t–”

“I’m not running away,” he snapped. “I have a job to do and my hours are not set like yours.”

“You’re straying from the problem, Rohan.” After a long pause, Adrianne sighed defeatedly and fully turned her body towards the artist. “Look, I’m sorry for not saying anything about the Joestars earlier. You’re aware of why we can’t talk about this openly, right? And it’s not like I’d hide it forever, either. I already planned on telling you soon enough.”

The glare on Rohan’s face fell into a neutral expression. While Adrianne hadn’t been wrong about the Joestars, knowing more about her life had been vital in order to complete his story. Besides, she asked about his life when he deserved to know more about hers. “What does ‘soon enough’ even mean?”

“ Days from now,” she said immediately. “I wanted to tell you more about it…when we’ve had more time to get to know one another. I…didn’t want any judgment, or to just be known as one of them. Just because I was adopted by Jotaro’s mother, it doesn’t mean I’d like to be linked to them all the time.” Adrianne made her way from the couch to the counter. She sat at the other stool and moved it closer to Rohan. “Hell, it’s not like I spent my whole life with them. Jotaro is seven years older than me; we didn’t live together that long if you think about it. Not only that, I found out about Josuke recently. Only a couple months ago.”

Rohan kept his eyes on his meal, his heart pounding against his chest. He did not want to give Adrianne any sort of attention. “...How is your bond with Jotaro?”

“... Well, it’s not really as straightforward as you’d think. Somedays, he’s tolerable. Other days, I can’t stand being around him. He has…black and white thinking, and he refuses to expand his horizons with the exception of his job. Jotaro moved out shortly after I was adopted, but the things I heard about him and saw when he visited…” She shook her head and chuckled briefly. “I wanted to beat his ass.”

Despite the two being alike in some ways, there were differences in how they went about their day to day lives. The black and white thinking was spot on with Jotaro, especially during the investigation of Kira Yoshikage. Adrianne treated others in a more neutral way than Jotaro; it wasn’t like she pushed annoying humans away. 

Not that he knew of, anyway.

“I’m…sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was always told to keep my position a secret due to how much the Joestars are wanted.” Adrianne rested her arm on the flat surface and rested her chin in her hand. 

“...I guess I can understand your position, but knowing this information, I don’t know what else you have to hide. Is there anything else I need to know, Adrianne? Now would be the time to discuss, would it not?” Rohan asked.

“Yes… Although, it’s very late, and I think this one big secret has caused a shitstorm. Can we…let this sit for now, Rohan?” asked Adrianne, her stern tone shifting to her almost pleading for some sort of pause.

Rohan felt a twang in his heart, his gaze planted on Adrianne’s eyes. The soft light cast upon the ocean like irises and her brows raised in concern. Her body sank into the couch as her arms rested on the top of it. Her head tilted to the side, shifting the casted light to her pale skin like a vampire. 

He opened his mouth to combat her argument, but all that escaped were his newfound stammers that snuck into his voice. The image captivated him, in his own way. The pose and her vulnerability captured the perfect drawing in his mind.

Unfortunately, this look was enough to have him give in. 

Letting out a sigh in defeat, the artist stirred the contents of his food and avoided the mesmerizing gaze from Adrianne. “Fine… No more questions.” He proceeded to eat the leftovers, quickly inhaling the spoonfuls of his meals. It really had been a while since he last ate.

When the container was empty, he placed it in the sink and washed it carefully. The tension in their silence slowly faded with every minute that passed. While curiosity ate at the back of his mind, he knew the two of them would be back to where they started earlier that day. The last thing he wanted was an angry woman stomping around the house nagging him as if he were a lazy husband. 

After cleaning his dish, Rohan made his way to the couch and sat on the very end of it, allowing for more space between him and Adrianne. He fully expected Adrianne to be reading her book, but she had been curled up on the mattress completely asleep. The book she had in her hands earlier ended up on the floor, as if she had dropped it in her sleep. Her breathing remained slow and rhythmic. 

This had been the most peaceful Adrianne had looked. Her stance was always so stiff and her mind had been hypervigilant of most things. Her sleeping the way she had been was a sight to behold. Humans were always at peace during this time of night, but something about Adrianne sleeping as she was made Rohan stare in awe. The sight has been enough to almost forget about their fight from earlier…

That was until the memory of their fight came back up. How angry and betrayed Rohan felt, how he wanted to leave her behind after her mistake… The feeling haunted him to the point he sought revenge. If she wouldn’t tell him everything in the moment, why not seek answers for himself?

He held out his hand, his eyes laser focused on her vulnerable stance. The opportunity awaited him at that moment. What better time than the present, he thought to himself.

His mouth barely opened to call his stand before Adrianne pulled her arms close to her body and rolled over to the other side. 

Well, she might be a light sleeper. It would be a risk to do this now.

Reluctant to continue, the artist pulled back and shook his head. It was useless if he didn’t see how long she slept without waking up. Knowing how she had been around him, the chance of her waking up after minor movements and noise was high. 

Getting material for his manga would wait for some time until he could gather everything at once. And besides, his tiredness and irritability would go away after a better night’s worth of rest.

As Rohan gave up his risky plan, he stood up from the couch and searched in the drawers beside him. If he wanted to stay on Adrianne’s good side for now, his stand couldn’t be the first thing on his mind. Rummaging through the small spaces, his hand touched a soft, thin surface. He swiftly pulled out a thin quilted blanket and held it out in front of him. While it wasn’t big enough to wrap around Adrianne’s body, it was better than nothing. 

He shuffled to the sleeping Adrianne and laid the long fabric over her body. There was no way he could pick her up and disturb her slumber, especially this late.

Feeling the heat travel to his cheeks, Rohan turned away from Adrianne and quietly rushed back to his studio. His mind and heart were in two separate, frightening places at once. His mind shouted logical affirmations and answers to the situation at hand, while his heart longed for the newfound feeling he discovered thanks to this woman. He anticipated new, bubbly feelings spending time with Adrianne that he only ever felt when creating his masterpieces. 

Never in his life did he feel so torn about a person, let alone a woman.

Rohan being harsh to a fault was in his nature. What Adrianne did was an act of betrayal; however, she had a point about keeping that part of her a secret. The Joestars had their secrets and couldn’t fully risk exposing themselves. Adrianne had to abide by their rules, despite not being related by blood.

As he made it to his studio, he paused at the door and shook his head, trying to clear the loud thoughts running through his mind. He already drew out his feelings, but any more would run him ragged. He didn’t need to be dealing with burnout again.

Giving in, he begrudgingly walked to his bedroom. Getting better rest was needed, despite the long nap he had. Sleeping on his feelings would smooth things over, he thought.

The moment he sat on his bed and took off his headband, he leaned back, his head landing against his pillow and his eyes drifting off to his long awaited slumber.

Chapter Text

        Three days blew by without a hitch between Rohan and Adrianne. With the both of them occupied with their jobs, it was as if their fight never happened. Their interactions weren't at a minimum, but more so evenly spaced out. The first day after their reconciliation had its awkward moments, especially since they both tried their hardest not to mention their fight; however, the days flew quickly and so did their fleeting moments in conversation. 

        By the time the third day came around, Rohan’s head spun. Despite the comfort of his routines at work, images of Adrianne flashed in his mind and a twang was felt in his heart. Clutching his chest, the artist shook his head, dismissing the repetitive thoughts. Her smile clouded his thoughts, her voice rang in his ears, and her piercing gaze held him at a standstill. Rohan needed his muse for his work, and he began to realize: she was required for his intricate drawings.

        Sketching someone on a basic level was one thing to Rohan, but his expertise aligned in the raw, real human experience. If he licked spiders for his manga, he would do anything to tell his stories!

        Hiding from his own muse for some time, the artist feared that tension would grow if they spoke again. Because of his own timelines, he couldn’t sacrifice his art just to appease his feelings. That wasn’t a part of his character. He broke boundaries to tell his story, so why was this any different? Why did his heart and mind hold him back?

        When Rohan arose from his bed, he paused before his gaze landed on the scattered mess of papers. 

        ‘Am I taking Adrianne’s feelings into account? Am I genuinely scared of her?’

        Fear and longing were clouding his judgment since their fight, he thought to himself. Two opposing, powerful feelings conflicted his thought process and work for the first time in his few years of being a manga artist.

        He didn’t think his heart could take the painful throbbing any longer. As he rushed out of his room, he began to execute a plan to smooth things over.

        ~~

        Rohan spent the first hour or so of his morning in the kitchen. He hadn’t seen Adrianne, despite her being an early bird. Because he hadn’t seen her, he scavenged the fridge for some food to make for the both of them. Food would break the strain between them, and he knew Adrianne wouldn’t deny having a meal with him. At least in his prideful mind…

        Eggs, rice, miso soup were on the menu for breakfast initially; however, Adrianne ate much more protein than he did. It was an essential part of her diet and one of the contributing factors of her physique. 

        After making the smoothie and setting up their meals, he heard the door from behind him. He jumped back from the counter and found Adrianne slipping her shoes off. The artist rushed to place utensils in their respective places, his heart pounding against his chest. Not only were her arms exposed, her legs and stomach were out in the open. Even just a mere glance at them had Rohan’s head in a spin. Her legs had muscle definition he normally didn’t see from other women. The lining from the peak of her exposed stomach peaked his interest, yet filled him with a twinge of envy.

        “Good morning,” she greeted, making her way to the fridge and fetching herself a bottle of water.

        “Good morning…” he muttered, his eyes darting towards the floor as he made his way to his chair. 

        Rohan felt Adrianne’s strong presence as she sat next to him, his heart pounding louder with each second that passed. What would she say about him doing something so random, after it felt like an eternity since they last bonded together? The anticipation slowly swirled into impatience, as his hand tapped against his thigh nervously. He refused to allow Adrianne to see his face flushed and vulnerable, yet he had to know what she thought of his cooking.

        “You made me a protein smoothie?” she asked. “Have you been watching me make them?”

        Rohan scoffed. “How could I not? The sound the blender makes can be ear-bleeding at times…” He placed his hands together and sat in silence for a few moments before reaching over to meekly slurp his miso soup. He placed his spoon down and glanced at Adrianne with concern. But upon setting his teal green eyes on her, he got a better look at her attire and body. Beads of sweat had formed on her skin, most likely due to a hard workout. The scars he once saw before were etched into her arms, especially around her muscles. 

        She picked up the glass and took in a few sips of the smoothie. After putting it down, she turned to Rohan with a small smile graced upon her face. “You’ve been very observant. It’s exactly how I make it. Good job.” She reached for her spoon and began feasting on her meal.

        “Of course I’m observant. I have to be for my job, after all.” Hearing her gentle praise, Rohan lips twitched a slight grin as he continued to savor his bowl of soup.

        The two ate together in silence, and Rohan began to relax around Adrianne after days of tension. It was like their fight never happened. Despite Rohan being torn about the secret that was kept, he reflected back on why she did it. While he knew that she had a purpose for it, the fact she kept it from him was the most disappointing – despite the danger she would have been in if she confessed sooner.

        Besides, he somewhat relaxed knowing she was not related to the Jostars by blood. What a nightmare scenario that would have been…

        According to some reading material he caught up on over the past few days, a way to reconcile was to validate one's feelings and ask questions. The artist internally fought with his pride and overbearing ego on the matter, debating on bringing up the subject, or just letting it go. Yet deep down, he secretly longed for their talks and their quality time together. If that meant asking about the Jostar family – even that Higashkita – then he had to suck it up.

        Rohan finished his meal and shifted to face Adrianne. He took a deep breath and straightened his posture. “So, Adrianne… I wanted to ask you a few things…about…your relationship with some of the Jostars.”

        Adrianne had finished the rest of Rohan’s homemade smoothie at that point, turning her chair to face him. She rested her elbow on the counter and placed her chin in her hand. “You’re finally curious? Well…it’s not going to be like you hoped,” she began. She also sucked in a breath before letting out a long sigh. “You already know about how long I lived with Jotaro: not long at all. But when I did…I almost looked up to him. While he was intimidating, he wasn’t exactly…mean to me. At first, he was indifferent and just spoke when Holly made him. Over time, before he moved out, he took the time to bond with me. Those days were my favorite as a kid. A strong guy who saved the world and actually took the time to listen and help me out of jams? That meant the world to me and at times, he did feel like an older brother.

        “Yes, he can be the biggest pain in the ass known to man, unmotivated about other priorities, and much more…but he and Holly made me feel like I belonged when I didn’t in my own home country…” Adrianne drifted off, her smile slowly fading into a saddened expression.

        Rohan nodded slowly. “...If you are able to speak on it, what happened to where you had to leave Italy?”

        “My parents left. Or died… Probably both. No goodbyes, no plans to leave… I woke up one morning and they vanished. They weren’t…the best of parents, let alone people.” She opened her mouth to say more, but paused and shook her head. “I don’t want to give that away right now, or even think about it…but because of their status where I’m from, I knew I had to leave. So I took a few things with me, went to the nearest airport, and just travelled to where I knew I’d be very far from Italy. I ended up here after sneaking onto a few random planes. I had to escape and I wasn’t going to rest until I found a new home. I’ve been here ever since.”

        The artist sat in silence, taking in every word she spilled. Adrianne didn’t have to say anything to him. In fact, the fact that she let her guard down this much shocked him most of all. Judging by how she spoke of her parents, they were people he wanted to know more about, but prying any more would only further provoke Adrianne, much like a few nights prior. 

        “My deepest condolences… I may reserve my own feelings for the Jostars, especially Josuke, but I’m glad to know that they took you in and you were able to live a modest life with them,” said Rohan. His gaze shifted away from the woman as he placed a hand near her arm. “I’d…like to give out an…apology for not taking in your point of view when Jotaro barged in on us.” He paused for a moment, his heart stuck in his throat. “S-Sorry…”

        He felt a warmth envelope his hand and fingers cup around it. “You’re forgiven, Rohan. Thank you… And I’m sorry for not telling you sooner,” Adrianne confessed..

        The artist looked up at Adrianne to find her bluish hazel eyes piercing through his own. The lump in his throat remained but his heart calmed itself, relieved to feel the relaxing touch he secretly longed for. ‘Good, he thought, This was the perfect step in the right direction.’ Rohan needed the reunion to happen. Even if the conversation had been difficult – especially setting his ego aside to apologize – a part of him felt at peace knowing things could return to the path of his new normalcy. 

        He also had his muse for his manga around again.

        Removing her hand, Adrianne stood up and retrieved both of their bowls. “Well, I’m glad we had that talk. We can spend time together today if you don’t have a lot going on.”

        Rohan smiled slightly, stepping away from his chair. “I have to draw for my manga, but that is all I have for today.” He stopped himself, turning to Adrianne. The cogs turned in his brain, his eyes taking in the woman’s presence. Since they would be in the house all day, an idea popped into his head. “...Hopefully this doesn’t sound too bold… Would it be alright if I captured some model sketches of you?”

~~~

        A little over an hour passed after Rohan’s big question. In between then and when preparations were being made, Adrianne just about denied Rohan's offer, laughing off the question and deflecting it. To convince her to actually partake in Rohan's work, he promised to have her model in an open space with windows and curtains closed. In addition, he promised to not suggest anything risqué when she posed for him. After the promises were guaranteed, Adrianne relented and rushed to shower and change into attire she felt more comfortable in.

        Rohan prepared the living room for the both of them. Waters were set on top of coasters and the room was dimmed, with the exception of the faint lamp lights near the couch and entertainment center. Despite the experience he gained as an artist under Rohan’s belt, the moment he was waiting to have felt more vulnerable, intimate. His muses were far out of reach, until Adrianne arrived. She had a magnetic aura to her fueled by that physicality which made her appear unattainable to the normal person who'd fancy her, but that didn't scare the Rohan Kishibe. Her presence intrigued him and her story had him coming back for more. 

        That was what he needed for his own character in his new manga.

        Adrianne stepped downstairs and into the living room after Rohan finished his innovative art room setup, adjusting her tight fitting black cropped top. There were two long scars that created an ‘X’ across her stomach, which stood out to Rohan the most. He couldn't help but feel for the woman, all the while having thoughts and questions as to how that could have happened to her. Adrianne underestimated the extent of her bad childhood, but he began to understand her reasoning for hiding as much as she had.

        “Thank you for agreeing to do this. I needed to find more inspiration for my manga, and try something new,” said Rohan. His eyes scanned her body before he pulled out his sketchbook and wrote some starting poses on the corner of his blank page.

        “Are you trying to draw a character that looks like me?” she asked, standing in the living room with her hands on her hips. 

        Rohan froze and stopped writing. ‘No… She can't know! What if she snoops around my studio? Or search the library when the first volume is published?’

        “I wouldn't go as far as to say that,” Rohan lied, “I need to brush up on full body poses and see if I can illustrate a different art style. You happen to be right here, so why not use you as inspiration?” It was an explanation he could use for now. Flowery and reasonable.

        “Alright, if you say so.” Adrianne raised her hands and rested them on the back of her neck. 

        “Stay right there… Try not to move too much.” Rohan stared at her intensely, taking in the muscles formed around her arms, her abdominal muscles tightening, and her muscular legs that filled out the jean shorts she wore. Her whole image belonged in a museum full of statues, museums that portrayed the beauty of humanity. Societal treatments of women always burned him with rage, as well as what they overall population desired from them. Being petite, slim, abiding by only men’s petty wishes… It was not how he wanted them to be seen.

        While he may not say it aloud most days, he had the utmost respect for women who defied social norms. He gave equal amounts of chances to women he worked with as much as the men. 

        “Adrianne,” he began after a few moments of silence, tapping the top of his pencil against his head idly. “If it's not too personal, how did you get that scar on your stomach?”

        “... I got this when I was in Italy. Long story short, I bumped into some people from one of the Mafia groups and they wanted to fight, even though they know not to blatantly attack children. I tried fighting them off, but they were pissed off and to get me to shut up, they sliced my stomach.” She let her arms go for a moment before suddenly getting back into position. “Sorry.”

        Rohan glanced between Adrianne and his book, sketching the outline of her body. “It's fine, I haven't begun the hard part yet.” His mind couldn't wrap around the fact Adrianne had to deal with such indecent people in her past. Rage began to build for her, and the childhood she had to endure.

        But the scars on her body spoke of her will to survive. Scars or not, she had a powerful story to tell, and it needed to be shared with the world.

        Continuing the conversation, Adrianne spoke up as she stretched her arms slightly. “How did you end up meeting the Jostars?”

        With a scoff, Rohan answered plainly. “I met that Josuke and his friend Koichi first. They practically came banging on my door to ask me to sign my manga, Pink Dark Boy. I let them in and things were fine, but because they were offended by the way I went about writing my manga, Josuke wanted to fight me. He beat me to a pulp.”

        Adrianne stifled a laugh. “And how did you offend them?”

        “...I picked up a spider and licked it…and Koichi proceeded to vomit while I drew his expression…” He couldn't tell her about his stand. That would ruin their relationship, especially if she didn't have one, or used it against him.

        Adrianne stopped laughing for a moment, before she continued from the absurdity of it all. It was almost joyful, yet he knew she was laughing at him for what he did. “Rohan, you scared Koichi. Of course Josuke would be offended by that.”

        “But I needed to capture the essence of his fear, his disgust!” he exclaimed, his cheeks burning red. “You can't write the scene without having direct access or experience to it!”

        “Are you sure that's true? There are plenty of writers who write without having ever experiencing something before. Like…killing someone. Or writing about burying a body? Having sex–”

        “Those are extreme examples,” Rohan interrupted, refusing to make eye contact with Adrianne. His cheeks burnt quickly as if he stepped out into cold weather.

        “Not really…especially writing something that has to do with a romance you've never experienced. And having sex. Many people write about it without ever having–”

        “I need to focus on the sketch. I don’t have time to talk about this.” The artist peered at his book, avoiding the conversation completely as he placed a hand against his headband. Writing a scene like that completely took over his train of thought. He read books that had them, seen movies that depicted the act right on screen, but that was way out of his territory…

        Unless he found a way to miraculously step forward in their unique relationship.

        “Rohan, you're drifting off again…” Adrianne said, taking a step forward.

        Rohan flipped to a new page and set his sketchbook down on the table next to him. With his feet firmly planted on the hard floor beneath him, he stood up and found himself face to face with Adrianne. And barely a foot away from her face. His heart quickened as his eyes fixated on Adrianne’s ocean gems for eyes. The smell of flowers and citrus radiated from her hair and exposed neck. He gulped as his eyes darted down to her soft lips and then her hands.

        The moment brought him back to their first kiss. It was right before their fight, but that surprisingly didn't affect his view on it. While he secretly enjoyed their intimate moment together, he wasn't aware of how to initiate first. Was this one of those moments?

        “You know… there is another pose that I would like to draw,” he said abruptly. He stepped back only to find his foot against the couch, only giving little space between him and Adrianne. His face burnt like a toaster oven. “Have your arms draped over your head like this?” He raised his arms and placed them over his head, his arms crossing over.

        Adrianne mirrored Rohan's model pose and leaned on one hip, blinking confusingly. 

        “Can I adjust your stance?” he sputtered.

        The taller woman nodded her head, her eyes lowering to the ground. “Go ahead. I'm not sure what your vision is.”

        The artist gulped a nervous breath as he shuffled to Adrianne. His heart continued to pound in his chest and ears when he reached to turn Adrianne a mere few degrees to her left. His eyes focused on her legs and where they were placed. Her skin felt hot to the touch, soft, and fragile despite the scars she had. 

        Nothing had been explored past this step, despite them having shared their first kiss days before; however, the tension was enough to break with a knife. Even before that moment, the tension was nothing compared to what he felt when holding Adrianne. ‘Was it okay to push further?’ 

        “There… I think I have what I need.” Rohan looked up at Adrianne to find her gaze landed on him. His breath hitched and his heart stopped. The world came to a halt as they stood there. The last thing he wanted was to break away from her warmth, her gaze, and the safety he felt from her.

        Adrianne lowered her arms from over her head and stepped closer to Rohan before she reached her hand to his face and allowed her lips to press against his.

        Rohan closed his eyes upon contact and squeezed her waist. Despite the distance from days prior, his thoughts always trailed back to that first kiss. He longed to feel the warmth of her lips and her large, gentle hands. Kissing Adrianne was like time traveling to a peaceful future where he wouldn’t need to worry about his jobs, but only the time savored with her.

        Pushing further, Adrianne guided him back to the couch, stepping forward while he stepped back and sat down, pulling her down with him. Despite not knowing where this went, he craved more from her. He continued to kiss her, deepening the lip lock and pulling her closer to him.

        The woman straddled his hips and leaned her neck lower to reach him. Rohan reached a hand up her back, taking in more of her scent, taste, touch. Suddenly, he was pulled from the kiss when he felt Adrianne hold his head and hip. Before he knew it, she completely moved him to his back, letting out a gasp and looking up at Adrianne, his eyes widened in shock. 

        “Are you okay?” Adrianne asked nervously, her face inches from his. Her hot breath gently fogged against his cheeks and lips, sending chills down his spine.

        “Y-Yeah… I'm okay. I…didn't think you'd move me like that,” he stuttered.

        “Was that too much??”

        “No… Not at all…” His heart drummed his chest. “I've just…never been moved like that before.” 

        He hated to admit it, but he didn't dislike it. 

        “Now you know,” said Adrianne, a sultry tone bouncing from her voice. It was enough to have his head spinning and his stomach fluttering. Rohan actually got as far as he did without the help of his group of friends, even if his intentions of the relationship could have been interpreted as calculating.           

        Before he knew it, Adrianne bent down and captured his lips once again. 

Chapter Text

        As their intimate moment continued, Rohan snaked his arms along Adrianne’s toned back, allowing her body to press against his. Her presence enveloped him in a world where it was only them. The outside world was out of mind and her touch became the very thing that could ground him.

        Rohan felt his pants tighten against her stomach. He let out a breathy moan he wouldn’t even let himself hear. His mind didn't register his slip up, nor the tent that began to quickly form, something that was very unlike him.

        Then, Adrianne pulled away from his body and peered down, her eyes wandering down to his waistline and right back to his face. Her lips formed a smirk as her hand traced along his chest. “I heard that,” she teased, her voice barely above a whisper. Her face appeared red, but not as much as Rohan knew his face was. “And I love hearing those noises.”

        Not only did his body tell him he wanted more, but even his logical reasoning was thrown out the window. His body yearned for  more, curious how far he could go. Going straight into sex was out of the question, but the feeling of her touch and heat was all he craved.

        He gained attention he desperately sought out, and despite his need for content, his desire grew personal.

        Adrianne continued further, letting her lips trail down his neck. His breathing became heavy as more loose, quiet moans escaped from him. His hands gripped Adrianne's back as he froze from the lighter touches. Heat travelled to his groin as more of his noises filled the room. How could one's lips create an effect on the body, he thought. The feathered motions were enough to weigh his body down.

        “God, you're driving me crazy, Rohan,” she whispered as she came back up and initiated another lip lock. Both of their hips rolled forward, creating more of a friction. Rohan slowly let his hand travel down to her hips and pushed her closer to him. 

        The moment had reminded him of one of those scenes in an American rom com, or one of those adult movies where two people who were crazy for each other would make out like rabbits. He came to understand why people would do this, or let the moment take them. The physical feeling of another person touching him was enough to drive him wild, making it a need for him to survive. 

        Was it because this was new to him? Were his hormones so wired after his lack of experience with other people? 

        Rohan broke their lip lock for a moment to catch his breath. His eyes wandered about his clothes and the tent forming inside his pants, finally coming to senses where things headed. The site brought him back to reality as panic slowly set in. Adrianne just saw some of the most intimate parts of him and he, himself, didn't realize it.

        “Shit… I- This is crude of me. I'm sorry…” he stammered, slowly backing away from Adrianne, his eyes locking on the couch beneath him.

        The woman sat up and pushed her hair back. “Why are you apologizing…? Rohan, do I go too far–?”

        “No, no… I'm just… I didn't think this would go as far as it did.”

        “Did I make you uncomfortable?” 

        Rohan glanced at Adrianne, his heart still pounding from before. Her eyes were wide with worry, but her face flushed a warm color that brought a healthy glow to her. “No, you didn't,” he admitted as his gaze shifted downwards. “I…haven't experienced anything like this before…” 

        “That's okay…” Adrianne inched closer to Rohan. “Were you enjoying yourself, at least?” she asked quietly.

        Rohan sucked in a shaky breath, not daring to peek at Adrianne. Her new, disheveled look only drove him more crazy than he felt mere moments ago. A woman like her showing a side that wasn't so tense had him curious. And why on earth would she not question him after he admitted something secretive? “So what if I was…” A direct answer meant coming to terms with his own wants…something he wouldn't dare reveal in fear of overexposing himself more than he already had.

        She paused for a moment before laughing to herself. “If you keep denying your desires and life's opportunities, you'll regret it down the line. How do you think you became a successful manga artist?”

        He let life take him where it wanted him. Rohan's head tilted upwards, his green eyes finding Adrianne’s gaze. She wasn't wrong about the observation, but he hated that she was right. “You're right…” he muttered.

        “What's that?” teased Adrianne. “I didn't hear–”

        “I said you have a point,” he interrupted. The position he placed himself in was nothing like he experienced, much like how he chased risk for his work. But he never went as far as touching another person for it.

        Adrianne leaned back against the couch with a smile. “You do whatever makes you feel safe. What we did is not something to take lightly. And besides, I thought it was fun.”

        Fun… That was one way to describe it, Rohan thought. But the shock came from Adrianne’s patience and her own desires. She touched him like she craved him, her lips brushed against his like they were fragile… Not a single ounce of judgement came from Adrianne. 

        ‘Maybe she was being genuine, after all…’

        His heart drummed against his chest as his eyes mapped her entire body. From her glistening face, to her long disheveled hair, to the sweat dripping down her sculpted physique. The lustful feeling slowly built up from just the sight of her. He didn't know whether the rush of hormones kicked in, or if he wanted to push further. But the words from Adrianne rang in his mind…

        ‘...you'll regret it…’

        Rohan locked eyes with Adrianne as he shifted closer to her. Without giving Adrianne time to respond, he cupped her cheek and kissed her, hard. His other hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her into him. Rohan leaned forward and felt Adrianne lower herself onto the couch. He loomed over her as they continued to kiss one another, blocking out the world once again. He pressed his slim body against her and could feel her body heat transfer to him. As if he wasn't burning up for her already…

        His hands roamed along her sides and her hips, taking in the smooth touch of her skin. The longer he touched her, the hotter he felt. Pulling away momentarily, he reached for his top and scrambled to slip it off of his body. “It's hot in here…” he mumbled, throwing his piece of clothing onto the floor, not caring about the tidiness of his living room. His headband shifted lightly, his dark green hair moving along with it.

        Adrianne followed suit, rushing to take off her top and tossing it to the side. Before Rohan could continue, he stared at the top half of her body in awe. His eyes widened as he finally had his eyes on her partially bare body. He saw the giant scars overlapping her abdomen, and some smaller ones along her muscular arms. The artist felt goosebumps grow as his fingers trailed each small scar and his eyes laid upon her black bra holding her sculpted chest.

        “Beautiful,” he whispered to himself. Her figure deserved to be modeled by the best, drawn by the most talented, and sculpted by the ones who knew what beauty meant. 

        The artist traced her scars and figure as he repeated what Adrianne did to him mere moments ago. He kissed along her neck, planting his lips on some of her scars. He landed at her chest before he paused and peered at Adrianne.

        “You can touch me there,” she said, as if reading Rohan's mind. 

        He reached a hand to her right breast and let his thumb drag across her black bra. He felt a slight bump, causing his heart to stop. His hand lightly grasped her breast and his breath hitched. It was soft and fit in his hand perfectly. 

        Rohan heard Adrianne’s shaky breath slip as he squeezed her lightly. It only stirred him further, as he leaned back down and captured her lips once again. The pleasure of it all went right down to his pants. Rubbing against her body only allowed for the moment to carry on, raking his free hand to the back of her neck. 

        The artist wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his pants on without staining them. His dick was already throbbing with pleasure, wanting to be free from the constraints of his clothing. But in his devious mind, it only made him ache for more. His lips crashed against Adrianne’s, and he felt her hips roll upwards and graze the crotch of his pants. Moans and sharp breaths of pleasure were all he could hear, Adrianne's body was all he could touch. His attention solely focused on her.

        When Rohan reached down to unbuckle his belt, he suddenly heard the ring of his doorbell. He pulled away quickly and his gaze darted towards the front hallway. He scrambled from Adrianne, his gaze unwavering. 

        “Were you…expecting someone?” asked Adrianne breathlessly. She slowly sat up and grabbed her shirt from the ground.

        “No, I wasn't… Who could that–”

        “Rohan, are you home??” a masculine voice was heard from the outside. It wasn't high pitched, but the tone came off as playful. “It's been forever since we saw you last. I hope you haven't been holding yourself to your studio.”

        Josuke… 

        ‘SHIT! He CANNOT find out about this,’ thought the young man.

        “Adrianne, do not come out,” warned Rohan.

        “Is that Josuke? Why would he be here?”

        “If he finds out about you being here, I'm screwed.”

        “So what? He knows I've been jumping places–” She paused before slowly scrambling off the couch. “Fuck, he doesn't know about us, does he?”

        “Absolutely not! Are you insane?! He would never live it down.” He reached to grab his top and slipped it over his head. His hands smoothed his green hair over, leaving no strands sticking upwards nor evidence that he was partaking in a very adult activity. “I'll get him out of here.”

        “Yo, Rohan, why do I see a car in your driveway? Is that yours??”

        “Shit…” cursed Adrianne as he listened to Josuke's question. “Too late.”

        Rohan glanced in the reflective glass of a picture frame and adjusted his pants, tightening his belt as he began to feel the tent relax against the fabric. He presented himself to a point and while it wasn't perfect, he knew he needed to face Josuke again. It had been some time and it would look suspicious to anyone, especially him and Koichi.

        The artist cracked the door opening, finding both his so-called nemesis and Koichi. “What is it, Higashikata?” he sneered.

        Josuke let out a slight chuckle. “Finally, I haven't seen you in forever, man! It feels like since you moved in, we haven't heard a thing.”

        “I have plenty of work to catch up on with Pink Dark Boy, and I'm writing new material. I'm sure you both know this.” He raised a brow as his eyes scanned the boys at the door. He wanted nothing more than to head back inside his house to compose himself.

        “We do, but normally, you hole yourself up like a vampire into the night.” Josuke leaned a bit closer as Rohan slowly opened the door. “But hey, you don't look as pale as you usually do,” he teased with a smirk.

        “I may be working more but at least I'm taking some of it outside the home.”

        “Are we allowed inside, Rohan? Since your home has been renovated, we wanted to see how it looked–” Koichi began to ask to ease the tension before Rohan stepped outside and shut the door behind him.

        “That is not happening today,” Rohan interjected, guarding the front door. “I'm sorry, Koichi, I haven't prepared the house for visitors quite yet.”

        Koichi and Josuke looked at each other for a mere moment before they turned back to the artist with quizzical looks. “Your place is normally spotless, man! How could it not be ready?”

        Behind the door, a voice was heard. “Rohan? Is everything okay out there?”

        Josuke side stepped to the window, peeking inside the artist's house. “Who was that I heard?! Koichi, you heard that, right?”

        “I did, and they sound familiar,” said Koichi.

        The artist froze hearing the familiar voice, his fight or flight itching to kick into high gear. “You boys are just hearing things. Now if you'll excuse me–” As soon as Rohan turned around and lifted his hand from the doorhandle. The door opened and exposed Adrianne in a cropped white tank top and light blue jeans. 

        “You slamming the door almost shook the damn house. Is something wrong?” asked Adrianne. Her blue eyes gazed upon Rohan's fearful expression.

        Rohan rushed to close the door again, except she casually blocked the door with her foot, preventing him from hiding inside the house.

        “A-Adrianne?” Koichi asked after a moment of silence.

        Rohan attempted to close the door, only to be blocked by Adrianne’s strength. Her hand blocked the movement alone, but she continued to park her foot in front of it. “I-I said to stay inside…” he muttered.

        Suddenly, Josuke began to laugh. “Adrianne, what the hell are you doing here?? Are you broke to the point of living with complete strangers?”

        Adrianne scoffed. “First off, Josuke, I'm working a job right now. Secondly, he's not really a stranger.”

        Josuke continued to laugh, leaning against one of the posts on Rohan's wooden porch. “You're so weary about strangers, so this is a whole new low for you. Rohan isn't the type to let people in his home, let alone live in it.”

        “This is not a low for me. At least I'm not living on the streets,” said Adrianne, letting go of her grip on the side of the door, causing Rohan to lose his footing. 

        Without tripping over the step to the entrance, Rohan planted his foot on the ground and helped himself back to a standing position. “This is none of your business, you two.”

        “But we're friends, Rohan,” pleaded Koichi. “Surely you'd tell us what’s going on. At least you’d tell me, anyway.”

        “It’s not like you’re dating or anything, right?” piqued Josuke. Silence followed his question, everyone staring at one another. 

        Alas, the dreaded question arrived. The artist spent more time worrying about the moment than actually preparing excuses. “Now, don’t jump to conclusions–” Rohan began to say. There was no going back, but the truth would have been revealed sooner or later.

        Josuke’s laugh echoed inside the porch. An arm held his stomach as he banged his fist against the railings. “Nooooo waaaaaay!! Rohan? Dating?! Who would have ever thought! HAHAHA,” he continued to laugh.

        “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” snapped Rohan, his face shading a dark shade of pink.

        “You talked a big game last time about how you know what love is. I thought you were shitting with us… I guess not!” Josuke continued laughing. “Oh, I can’t breathe! I can’t believe you’re dating my half-niece of all people.”

        “Quit laughing! It’s none of your business what I do in my free time.”

        Wiping a tear from his right eye, Josuke stood up and suddenly began cracking his knuckles, his eyes glaring at Rohan. “With that being said, hurt Adrianne and I will beat you to a pulp like last time!”

        “I can protect myself just fine, thank you,” said Adrianne, walking out from inside of the house and standing next to Rohan.

        Koichi cleared his throat. “You know, I can see why you two would work out. I won’t pry further, but I’m happy for you, Rohan. Maybe you’ll lighten up a bit more!”

        Suddenly, Josuke began to circle the artist, dancing around and poking his arms. “Rohan and Adrianne, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First come love, then comes marriage, here comes a baby–”

        Rohan guarded himself and escaped the humiliation ritual Josuke set up for him. “If you don’t get out of here right now, I swear I will finally have my revenge,” snapped Rohan. 

        “Fine, fine,” chuckled the Joestar. “It’s too easy to make fun of you. But I’m shocked Adrianne hasn’t been scared of you or that you’ve angered her.”

        “Very funny,” said Adrianne, resting her arm around Rohan’s slim shoulders. “Despite what you think about Rohan, he’s been nice to me and he takes accountability. You may talk all this crap, but he’s a good partner. He was nice enough to let me live with him while I get my life together here.”

        Rohan flinched, feeling the strong arm around him but crossed his arms and avoided her gaze. The words warmed his heart, but the public affection made him feel as if his friends were watching something private. He didn’t feel he deserved the praise, especially after his yelling and his cowardly attempts of descaling the situation.

        “We may not see the Rohan you see, but if he makes you happy, that’s all that matters,” said Koichi, his smile beaming as he attempted to lower the tension.

        “Eh, that’s true.” Josuke gave in and tucked his hands in his pockets. “I’ll still be on the lookout, but I’m glad you’re staying around, Adrianne!” Josuke turned around and began to make his way down the stairs. “Stay safe, you two. We don’t need any more happy accidents around here.”

        “K-Keep those thoughts to yourself, Higashkita! That is not happening,” spat Rohan, the color on his cheeks still there and his face still warm. Luck was on Josuke’s side. If Adrianne hadn’t kept a watchful eye on him, there wouldn’t be much laughter ringing throughout the porch or house.

        “See ya, guys! Come on, Koichi! We gotra pick up Okuyasu and then catch that movie!”

        “O-Oh, right! See you around!” Koichi hopped down the steps and the two teenagers strolled along the sidewalk, their voices becoming more distant as they strolled away from the Kishibe house.

        Rohan made his way inside, Adrianne following behind him. His heart slowed against his chest as he shut the door and leaned against the wooden surface. His social clock ran out for the day, especially after the unexpected visitors. Even with the recent life changes, he hadn’t been used to extra time with other people, to include his friends. “Thank goodness they’re gone.”

        “That wasn’t so bad, right?” asked Adrianne, her hand reaching out to the artist’s, her thumb grazing the back of his hand.

        The artist had his attention on his partner, his eyes trailing up to find her face. He found her smile to be a small comfort after their big reveal. While he never wanted their relationship to be out there for his friends to know, he knew he wasn’t great at keeping his temper in check. In his mind, the entire fiasco embarrassed him; however, Adrianne’s praise lightened the blow. She prevented another fight, as well as a chance for his stand to come out. Would she have been able to see it? What if she had gotten in between the fight, especially since she knew how to do so? What if a fight caused more tension between Rohan and Adrianne? Newfound tension would be taking a step back, especially after their intimate moment earlier.

        “Right… It wasn’t terrible…” His hand intertwined with Adrianne’s, grateful that a conflict was handled without fighting or arguing with one another. With the new feat accomplished, his lips twitched a slight smile at the sight of their hands held together and the calming energy she brought to him.

Chapter Text

Adrianne’s POV

        Inside the Morioh Grand hotel, the morning sun shone on Adrianne, who was in the gym lifting fifty pound dumbbells in each hand. She was laying down on a lifted platform performing bench presses by the large window that overlooked the city. She listened to the sound of broadcasted music on Morioh-Oh, as well as the numbing sound of the people running on the treadmills behind her. Although working out was an integral part of her routine, the athletic woman had been behind more days than normal. Working in the bookstore downtown took over the majority of her time, and she felt satisfied after her runs when she couldn’t muster the energy from socializing with many people each day.

        The gym provided comfort where she didn’t feel nor catch many prying stares from others around her. She focused primarily on her routines and the badgering voices buzzing in her head. On this particular day, the whirling thoughts of revealing more to Rohan came to haunt her. Ever since she and Rohan resolved their fight about some of the family secrets, Adrianne couldn’t decide what else to tell him. The life she had with Jotaro and Holly were only a fragment of what she experienced. The memories of her time before, however, were some she wanted locked away.

        As much as she enjoyed getting certain reactions out of him and getting physical with him, she knew they had to progress more emotionally. The most she knew was how to physically attract a man and see what pleasured them. Rohan and Adrianne hated small talk, yet they knew some intimate things about each other no one else knew. Rohan was hesitant to say much before due to his celebrity status, but he spoke about his journeys around the world and even told tales remnant of ghost stories. Little was known to her about his family, with the exception of him being the only child to parents who lived a normal middle class life…for the most part.

        While Rohan admitted to more of his past than she did, she needed to protect the both of them. What if he ended up frightened by her? What if he reported her to the authorities after learning her parents’ names and her former last name? Would he even trust her after she already hid her adoptive family from him? There were times when Adrianne knew he deserved someone better, someone who had a better head on their shoulders. She was far from perfect and knew that him staying would potentially tarnish his reputation as a manga artist.

        If Japan was anything like other tabloids globally, their relationship would be plastered all over and tarnished. Rohan didn’t deserve the negative press he already received from other ignorant adults who didn’t read his material. What would they really think about him dating someone more intimidating and towering over him?

        As Adrianne’s questions almost spiraled out of control, the sound of a masculine voice interrupted her. “Excuse me? Is everything okay?”

        The woman brought her weights down to the ground. ‘How long had I been sitting here?’ she thought to herself. She looked between the man staring quizzically at her and the clock on the wall. Half past 0900… Her blue eyes widened as she sat up and began to move the weights. She was so lost in thought that she forgot to take breaks between reps, and hogged the bench from the other gym goers. “Yeah…I just got lost in my routine. Sorry… Let me clean up before you use it.” She stood up and switched the weights out for a spray bottle and a cloth. She cleaned the weights before moving back to the bench, meeting with the same guy and wiping away the sweat that puddled on the bench. The man, who appeared to be in his late twenties, stared down at the ground and tried to sneak some glances towards her. Adrianne didn’t know if this was out of fear or admiration, but she didn’t want any more attention on her than she already received. 

        Once finished, Adrianne put up the cleaning supplies and took her personal towel with her, walking from the scene. “Have a good day,” she said as she passed by him and the rest of the gym goers in the room. Her heart rate sped up as she rushed out, her nerves wiring her body and putting her on high alert once again. She spent more time pondering about her relationship than focusing on the routines she made for herself. No one had Adrianne so entranced, and no one had taken up so much space in her head until Rohan. It gave her butterflies in a way that annoyed her.

        ‘How was he so captivating, yet so aggravating?’

~~~

        Adrianne arrived at Rohan’s house with some time to spare. Her shower lasted longer than normal, and she pondered more about her appearance in the mirror more than she wanted to. The day before, Rohan announced he wanted to visit a designer store that had new items in stock. Some of his clothing items, to include custom made outfits, came from this specific store, and the artist wanted to stop by since he had closet space again. And for reasons Adrianne could not put her finger on, he decided Adrianne would tag along with him. The thought scared her at first, especially knowing they would be seen by many people. But after realizing that their secret was already out to some of her family, she knew there was nothing to lose for her, at least. 

        Since they would be in a crowded space together, the anxious woman knew it would be best to doll herself up. While she tried not to care about her appearance, being out in a place where some would more or less recognize Rohan had her concerned. If they did or asked about Adrianne, she knew she had to be somewhat presentable. She dressed in a blue and green flannel with a white tank top underneath, and blue jeans to match. She tucked in the white tank top and wrapped her belt around the loops of her jeans. She applied makeup how she normally would, but kept the eyeshadow light. Throughout the process, the sounds of tapping from one of the rooms appeared periodically, most likely from Rohan. It wasn’t abnormal to hear it, but the more it happened, the more curious she grew.

        ‘I hope Rohan’s getting some work done,’ she thought as she finished applying her makeup.

        When she finished her routine, she stepped out in the hallway and heard a string of soft curses come from Rohan’s studio. She paused in her steps as she tried to decipher why he would make such a noise. Was it his work frustrating him? Was he talking to himself…? With each step creaking the floorboards and reaching the source of noise, she heard a quiet sigh and the sound of a pen scratching against paper. The scratching was deeper, as if Rohan was drawing erratically. That hadn’t been a normal occurrence, according to Adrianne.

        Not knowing what was happening yet curious to know how he was doing, she took a deep breath before knocking on it. As she did that, she noticed the room turned silent. “Rohan? Is everything okay?” she asked him, hoping he wouldn’t shoo her away. Interrupting him was something she only did when he forgot to eat in between breaks, so the change might deter Rohan away.

        After a long moment of silence, Rohan cleared his throat and announced, “Y-Yes, I'm fine. I'm only doing my work, as per usual…”

        She sighed with relief and checked her watch, only for her to catch her breath when noticing it was fifteen minutes before 1200. They had plans to leave around that time, but Rohan was almost always ready fifteen to twenty minutes before leaving somewhere. “I hope you didn't forget our outing today. We're supposed to leave in fifteen minutes.” The doorknob shook as Adrianne attempted to give him a scare. Maybe it wasn’t the right move, but she knew her mood would lift instantly seeing his flustered look.

        Clumsy steps could be heard behind the door before he opened it partly to reveal his flustered expression and warm colored cheeks. “I said I was working. I'll be down in a few minutes. This is a chapter I need to finish today.”

        Adrianne scanned his body for a moment until her blue eyes stared downward longer than intended. Her eyes shifted to a wide eyed gaze, slowly backing away from the door as her cheeks began to darken a pinkish color. She spotted a familiar shape she saw days prior, her mind immediately shifting to those highlights. Their bodies tangling together, her hands wandering along his back and smooth skin… It wasn’t something they talked about after Josuke and Koichi interrupted them, yet she wanted to know what he thought. ‘Was he just taking care of business? Or was this about the other day…’ 

        Avoiding the embarrassment between the both of them, she looked away from the artist, hiding her mouth with her hand. “I'll…check on you again later,” she said quietly as she sucked in the laughs that were trying to escape her body. 

        “It's not what you think–” he began to explain.

        “Uh-huh… That's what they all say.”

        “You know not to interrupt me when I'm in my studio!”

        As containing the laughter only hurt her more, she let out a quiet laugh. “Then being a caring person is a crime, I guess,” She shrugged her shoulders. 

        “I'm fine, I don't need to be watched over.”

        Adrianne scoffed. “Clearly,” she retorted with a smirk, adding salt to Rohan’s clear wound to his pride. The fact Rohan hadn’t shut the door in her face was a surprise in itself, but it only left her questioning: Was he thinking about her in his studio?

        “Then will you leave? I have a chapter to finish.” His face only grew redder as their conversation continued, amusing Adrianne.

        “Sure... Have fun thinking about me, though,” she teased, her eyes glancing back down at his body and settling on his emerald green eyes. She knew they were both all talk at that point, but seeing Rohan squirm from her words only satisfied her more. After they made out like bandits the other day, she knew her voice got some rise out of him, so why not use it to her advantage to get him riled up more?

        Rohan’s eyes widened for a moment before his face contorted as he reached for the door. “Fuck you,” he sneered before attempting to shut it in her face.

        Adrianne’s smirk grew wider as she swiftly caught the door and stepped into the doorway, face to face with Rohan and towering over him. Her heart pounded against her chest as they were standing almost toe to toe once again. She brought a hand to his chin, lifting it up slightly so they met face to face. “Oh yeah? Is that a promise?” she asked, her teasing words and tone raising the tension between them. Arguments only fueled Adrianne’s confidence and desire to beat Rohan at his own game. If it meant getting her kick from pushing his buttons, she would go there.

        Rohan stood there speechless, staring up at her as if he was short circuiting. He attempted to argue, but was only met with stuttering as he looked for a way to break from their moment. He looked back at his desk before letting out a scoff and sharply turning away from her. As Adrianne stepped away to give him a bit of space, Rohan muttered, “I will be finished in just a few minutes. If you’ll excuse me…” He slammed the door and left Adrianne standing there. 

        Satisfied from seeing Rohan squirm and stammer, she chuckled before leaving space for him to finish his work in the studio. 

        ~~~

        Stepping into the mall, Adrianne and Rohan were met with groups of people walking to various stores and other groups sitting around the food courts. Voices filled the air, as well as loud music blaring throughout the speakers. Adrianne sucked in a deep breath as she looked around her, bracing herself for a day of walking in a large yet claustrophobic space. White and grey walls closed them in, but bright colors from the neon fluorescent lights popped to lure customers toward shiny wares.

        While she had her share of shopping malls in other places, she hadn't visited the local mall in Morioh throughout her stay. Some stores appeared local, but most were corporate and chains that started in other countries. Most of the stores were out of her income bracket, but it didn't hurt to window shop, she thought.

        Rohan led the way, walking past locals and tourists alike. It was a stark difference from earlier, especially with how speechless he became around Adrianne. During the car ride to the mall, the tension had mellowed out and the two spoke to each other as if their small argument didn't happen. They talked about their favorite stores, and Adrianne found out more about his personal tastes. If it hadn't been obvious, Rohan had a finer taste than she. While his custom outfits revealed that to be true, she learned he liked Gucci and Louis Vuitton – both of which were light years away from Adrianne’s income status. She envisioned the young man wearing their clothes and it only showed that Rohan was a true creative who embodied art and style. Despite Rohan not having a knack for words and pleasantries, he expressed his true self in ways Adrianne admired.

        After walking for some time, Rohan stopped in front of one of the windows that had mannequins lined along the front of a fancy designer store. “Here we are… And it appears they have new clothes in stock,” said Rohan, walking into the space as if the place were his home. He made his way towards a pair of slim green pants. He unfolded them and held them up.

        Adrianne stepped closer to Rohan to inspect the fabric, tapping her chin as her eyes skimmed through the pants. “I can see you wearing them. They'd match some of the white shirts you have.”

        “Ha! Well, well… It seems you have picked up a thing or two from my exceptional taste in fashion. My lecture on color theory must have stuck with you.” He turned to Adrianne and gave her what appeared to be a smug smile. His emerald eyes shone in the bright lights of the store as they stared up at the young woman.

        Adrianne couldn't help but laugh quietly from the assumption. “You can say that,” she replied, a smile creeping onto her lips. “But I'm just observant of what you wear. Your unique sense of style can be recognized anywhere.”

        Rohan and Adrianne browsed the store, both of them picking up certain items and then putting them back. Adrianne shopped around for some pants for herself, closely looking at the material: 100% cotton. Her fingers found the tag and scanned the price. Her eyes widened before hastily folding them and walking away from the stand. “Fifty thousand yen??” asked Adrianne, turning back to Rohan as her face paled. 

        “What's wrong?” asked Rohan.

        “I'm way too broke to be shopping here, let alone trying them on! I freak out after spending even four thousand yen on a jacket.”

        “There is no harm in trying them on, at least.”

        Adrianne scoffed, crossing her arms as she huffed a defeated sigh. Out of place in the store, she didn't feel right even trying on designer clothes. She couldn't afford to buy them and they weren't ever in her size. “Good luck finding women’s clothes in my size here.”

        Suddenly, the receptionist running the register stood right behind Adrianne. “Can I help you find anything?” she asked, her voice bubbly and standing with a straight posture. 

        Adrianne froze for a moment before turning to the woman, who had a bright smile but she could tell her eyes screamed intimidated. The store associate was much shorter than Adrianne. “This will be a long shot, but do you have this in a size bigger than large?” She held up the pair of pants she shoved away moments earlier.

        The store associate shook her head quickly and sucked in a deep breath. “I am so sorry, we don’t have anything larger for women. But if you wish, you may look in the men’s section or search the online store. We’ll have a better selection for you there.” She bowed her head slightly, her brows furrowed as she quickly made her way back to the front counter.

        The taller woman sighed and walked back to Rohan, who stood there with a quizzical look on his face. It was worth it to ask, but the chances were low, as she expected. “I told you, Rohan,” she pointed out as she brushed past the artist to look over at the men’s section. 

        As Adrianne scavenged for the black pants in the men’s section, Rohan scoffed. “How could they not have your size? This designer does create bigger sizes for other countries. I’ve seen them in their magazines.” With that, Rohan stepped away and made his way to the counter. “Excuse me, miss,” he lectured. “As one of your regulars, I know for a fact that the designer has made bigger sizes than what is on display.”

        Adrianne swiftly turned her head to find Rohan’s arms crossed and talking back to the worker. Her face burned with shame as she rushed over to him. She didn’t feel important enough to be helped in an expensive store, and especially one that did not carry her size. Being twice as tall compared to the locals and heavier than the average woman, she knew she wouldn’t find much, even if some of the stores were designed for tourists. “Rohan,” she called out through gritted teeth, rushing over to him hastily. “It’s fine, we can leave–”

        The sale’s associate froze in fear as kept her gaze on Rohan. “R-Regular… What’s your name…?”

        “Rohan Kishibe,” the artist answered, ignoring Adrianne’s pleas. “I can see that you’re new here, but I think most of the employees here should know the names of those who come in on a frequent basis. I suggest you look closely or in your stock in the back of the store, or I will find a manager or call the designer myself. I have him on my contact list and he knows me by name. I’m sure he won’t be too happy to hear about one of his employees completely dismissing a customer.”

        The poor sales associate standing behind the counter shuffled back, as if scared for her life. “I-I’m sorry, Kishibe-san. Let me go look and see what we have.” She shamefully rushed to the back of the store to rummage through the collection of extra clothes.

        Adrianne stood in the middle of the store, her face burning with embarrassment yet in shock by how Rohan stood up for her. She knew she didn’t deserve it and it was a long shot from getting what she wanted, but he advocated for her anyway. “Why would you do that…?” she asked quietly, refusing to look his way in fear of him seeing how embarrassed and helpless she appeared.

        “Because you took interest in clothes that represent real art,” answered Rohan, as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Even if you physically don’t fit in with the locals here, it doesn’t mean you should be left out. That isn’t what art or fashion is about. The designer made his clothes in bigger sizes and branched out of Japan for that purpose.”

        “Well… I’m glad they make items for other body types,” mumbled Adrianne, flattered Rohan stepped up for her. The artist only seemed to care what mattered to him, so why would he go all that way for Adrianne? “I’m used to the treatment, though. It’s another reason why I typically only thrift clothes around here.”

        Adrianne turned to find Rohan staring at the ground, his cheeks warming into a pinkish color. “Someone like you deserves to experience the beauty of art that hangs in this room. To hell with these sizes here.”

        The young woman stayed silent, staring down at Rohan’s flushed face. For him to say his feelings aloud in a public manner meant a lot to her. As Adrianne stepped closer to Rohan, her eye caught the sales associate returning to the front of the store. “We do have a few items in stock bigger than a size 10. They’re hung up in the dressing room. Again, I am so sorry,” she said nervously, standing a few feet from Rohan.

        “Thanks,” said Adrianne, her lips not even forming a smile and avoiding eye contact with the employee.

        Adrianne made her way to the dressing room while Rohan grabbed a couple items for himself. After the artist returned with his small haul, some music began to play in the speakers of the store. The Morioh-Oh still played in the room, playing the end of the song Genie In A Bottle and shifting to an alternative rock hit that only recently started playing repeatedly. It was as if the song playing was a mix of rock and a ballad in one, expressing how a guy is head over heels in love with a woman above his standards. By the time the chorus started, she got the hint the song was She’s So High, the lyrics repeating throughout the small section. A slight smile revealed on her face, she stepped out in her first outfit. She wore the baggy black pants she spotted earlier and a purple cropped halter top that was almost form fitting to her chest and the rest hung down to her midriff, only showing the slight shape of the scars on her abdomen. 

        Behind the curtains, she found Rohan staring at himself and the outfit he had on. He wore brown pants with a dark green top that exposed his midriff. It was long sleeved and fit his body like a glove. “You look like you’re ready to hit the runway,” joked Adrianne, placing a hand on her hip. 

        Rohan smirked as he turned to Adrianne before his eyes fixated on the outfit she tried on. His mouth hung slightly agape as he tried to form words to describe his sights. Clearing his throat for a moment, “What are your thoughts…?” he asked, his eyes darting from her chest to how the pants fit her long, muscular legs. 

        The woman peered in the mirror and stood with one foot in front of the other. She placed a hand on her chin and examined the fit. “I like how comfortable the pants feel. A little tight around the thighs, but I think they were made to be that way…or I just need to tone my legs down.”

        Rohan scoffed, standing a little behind her. “You don’t need to change anything about it, or yourself. The outfit looks like it was made to be on you.” He looked at Adrianne through the mirror, causing Adrianne’s heart to skip a beat. “Changing the routine and adding purple to the color palette was a good choice. It makes your skin and eyes stand out.”

        As they stood in the mirror, Adrianne’s ocean eyes took in her attire and how she looked next to Rohan, draping an arm around his shoulders. Seen closely like they were, butterflies flew in her stomach. Even though she stood taller than him, they looked like they were meant to be together like the picture perfect couples in the magazines. She was hit with reality at that moment. She was with a man who miraculously let her stay in his mansion of a home, who had a life for himself, and he appeared to enjoy the times they spent together when they weren’t busy. While he was not close to a prince charming on paper, he brought new value to Adrianne’s life and future. 

        For the first time since arriving in the town of Morioh, she envisioned somewhat of a future where she stayed around with Rohan Kishibe. She envisioned some roots being planted for the first time in her life – with another person, no less.

        She felt Rohan instinctively lean into her touch and rest his head against her shoulder. If this had been mere weeks ago, Rohan would have pushed her away, but he instead welcomed the physical gesture. Adrianne looked behind her to find that no one had been looking their way. Since most types of physical affection were frowned upon, she didn’t want to make a large scene. Besides, what if someone Rohan knew found them out? 

        “I think we could both hit the runway like this,” said Adrianne, looking back at the mirror. 

        For the first time, Adrianne spotted a softer smile from Rohan. Nothing smug or condescending. His smile radiated in the small hallway of the dressing room, exposing his already attractive features. His arm next to Adrianne wrapped around her waist as he gazed in the mirror for a few moments longer. The longer Adrianne and Rohan stared at their reflected selves, the more shy Rohan became, seemingly not wanting Adrianne to point out the change in demeanor. He pulled away and stepped back into the dressing room. “Give me just a moment,” he said to her. Seconds later, he pulled out a camera and hung the strap around his neck. “If you’re comfortable, I thought I’d take some photos for the designer. I do know him personally, after all. Maybe I could get him to make a custom outfit for you. He’d be interested in taking on a client who stands out from the rest.”

        The young woman blinked and looked down at her outfit. Was Rohan only flattering her? Or did he really mean that? Regardless, the compliment was not meant to be taken lightly. “Are you sure this isn’t for your own work?”

        The silence between them hung in the room for a few minutes before Rohan responded. “Of course I am,” he answered after a moment of adjusting his lenses. 

        Adrianne stood behind one of the curtains and posed with one foot in front of the other. She straightened her posture, placed a hand on her hip, and flicked her hair to the side. Rohan held the camera in front of him, clicking a button atop the camera a couple times. Her heart drummed loudly as she felt almost overwhelmed by the attention. “Is that good enough?” she asked quietly, holding her arm as she peered at Rohan.

        Rohan pulled the camera away from him and clicked a couple more buttons. His emerald green eyes shone as he stared down at the screen in adoration. “These will do. Thank you. Now, I believe we should get going. I do not want to waste the employee’s time anymore than we already have. I’m satisfied with my outfit. Are you?”

        “Yeah, I like it. But the cost of this is worth five of my paychecks.” Adrianne looked down at her freshly made clothes. She inhaled sharply as she thought about the cost. 

        “No need to worry… Let me buy it,” he responded in a matter of fact tone.

        The tall woman peered at Rohan, blinking a couple times in confusion. “U-Um, Rohan, these are ridiculously expensive. I can’t do that to you.”

        “Why not? These are clothes that I normally wear. Besides, like I mentioned, I wouldn’t rob someone like you of wearing and experiencing art.” He turned back to the stall his normal clothes were left in. “If you like it, there is no harm in me getting them for you. You deserve to have quality clothing, too.”

        Adrianne stood there in disbelief, her face warming quickly and her breath shaky. Why would he spend his hard earned money on her? Why did he care enough to buy her expensive things? Was this normal of someone to do in a relationship?

        No, the moment wasn’t casual, Adrianne concluded. As she sucked in a deep breath, she quickly rushed to her stall as she changed into her normal attire. A casual partner wouldn’t pay for something she wanted unless it was a casual dinner. She would know better. Casual flings didn’t care for dates like theirs. The few she knew and experienced, they would laugh at something intimate like they experienced. 

        At the same time, Adrianne had to admit, she felt appreciated and she had a fun time doing things with Rohan that weren’t just physical. She enjoyed the fact Rohan had a sensible taste in fashion and wasn’t afraid to show it. He wanted her to enjoy some of the finer things in life, not stay linear to just what she knew. 

        The two finished changing into their normal clothes and headed to the register with their new clothes in tow. The employee had been shaken from the earlier interaction and worked to get them both out of the store. All four of their clothing items were packed into one bag and Rohan pulled out his credit card to pay for the items. He didn’t even blink twice before paying for them, which shocked Adrianne. He swiped his card as if he was used to purchases so large. They left the store with a paper bag and began walking further into the mall. The song The Boy is Mine began to play on the loudspeakers as they began to make their way to the food court. More stores surrounded them and even more people gathered around in clumps or walked their own paths. 

        Adrianne looked around her as she couldn’t focus on what to pay attention to. Then, she found multiple eyes glancing at her, to include a large presence looming nearby. She whipped her head around to find a man about her height leaning against one of the store windows looking through a pamphlet with one hand, and his other hand in his pocket. While the person wasn’t looking at her, she couldn’t help but feel on edge.

        Her stress from the noise and the staring was enough to have her stepping closer to Rohan and grabbing onto his arm. Normally, she would have survived a situation in a crowded mall with no issue; however, Rohan being in her presence led to an advantage, in a way. Sure, seeing them together might not be great for journalists, but she was in the presence of another guy. Would that have been any relief from the unpleasant feeling that loomed over her? Did Rohan feel it, too?

        Rohan stopped in his tracks and looked up at Adrianne with a raised brow. “Is something the matter?”

        “Sorry… It’s getting crowded in here,” she told him, squeezing his somewhat toned arm. “Can we find another store that isn’t so crowded?”

        “Hm… Very well.” While Rohan didn’t say much, he didn’t push her away. He continued to lead the way with Adrianne now in tow. They continued their walk until they had some space by the escalators. A couple mostly empty stores were nearby and they walked into the one to the left of the moving stairs. It was a place filled with DVDs, games, figurines, and even some manga. No one else had been in the store with the exception of a couple male teenagers browsing some of the gaming collections.

        Taking a deep breath, Adrianne let go of Rohan’s arm and sighed with relief. Her heart stopped pounding and her head began to clear. The store had room for more selling items, but there was a section for her to sit. She eyed a volume of Bastard on the shelf and pulled it. She had only read a bit of it from Rohan’s collection, but she became interested in it after seeing the gore. Was it perfect? Absolutely not, and she had her critiques on how the women were treated, but she did find Dark Schnider hilarious and badass.

        Before Adrianne was about to read the first page of the volume, she heard two elementary school aged boys walking over to her and Rohan. “Woah, Rohan Kishibe?? Is that you??” asked one of the boys.

        “What are you doing here?!” the other one asked right after.

        Rohan stepped away from the bookshelf and let out a chuckle. “I am simply just browsing for manga and seeing if this store carried my previous Pink Dark Boy volume.”

        “Haha, they do!” A smaller boy with short brown hair held the Pink Dark Boy volume in question in the air like a prized possession. “My mom told me that this store would have it, and she was right! And I got to meet you today! Boy, my day is just getting even better!”

        The friend next to him had darker brown hair that grew past his ears. Adrianne looked down at this boy and noticed the look of awe in his eyes. “Woah, you’re really tall, miss! Are you from around here?”

        Adrianne put the manga volume in her hand back on the shelf and placed her hand on her hip. “I am not. I’m from Italy.”

        “Italy?? That’s so far from here!”

        “It sure is.” Adrianne gave a slight smile as her attention went back to Rohan.

        The boy with the lighter brown hair stepped in and gasped when he had his sights set on Adrianne, eyeing her in a child-like innocence. “Wow, you’re tall like Wonder Woman! Do you have muscles like her?”

        Adrianne glanced at Rohan nervously before she eyed her own clothes. She normally didn’t show off her bare arms in public, but since no one else had been paying attention, she unbuttoned the rest of her shirt and flexed her right arm. It took a lot for her to do what she did, but being around Rohan and already trying clothes that revealed her scars, she didn’t need to hide her body as much as she realized. If these were adult fans, however, boundaries would have been crossed in that moment. “You can say that,” she answered with a slight smile. Since these boys were watching the two with innocent, child-like wonder, it didn’t hurt to entertain them, at least.

        Both boys gasped in joy. “No way! Wonder Woman does exist! And she is near Mr. Rohan!”

        “Mr. Rohan! How do you know her??” asked the boy with the darker brown hair.

        Rohan peered at Adrianne, glancing between her eyes and her muscular arm that was going back into the sleeve of her shirt. He gulped nervously before tugging on his collar. “Knowing everything there is to know about your idol sometimes comes at a price. I may reveal details about my personal life in pockets throughout my work, but manga artists and celebrities alike deserve to have their privacy.”

        The kids furrowed their brows at the adults in the room before one of them spoke up. “That makes sense, Mr. Rohan. Adults need their privacy. We’re sorry for asking!” He bowed slightly.

        “It’s alright,” said Rohan as he pulled out his pen. “Now, if you both have materials for me to sign, I’d be happy to give you my autograph.”

        “Please??!” both boys exclaimed as they practically shoved Pink Dark Boy manga volumes at Rohan.

        As Adrianne buttoned her shirt again, she felt that looming presence again. She froze and reached inside of her pocket for her pocket knife. While she hadn’t been carrying it with her lately, she was grateful to have it on a day such as this one.

        She turned to find no one standing around, but the crawling feeling throughout her body warned her something was imminent. The woman mumbled that she’d be back before stepping out of the store. Suddenly, the mall became quiet and the sound of music began to fade away. Adrianne widened her stance and gripped the handle of her knife. Her head was on a swivel, finding where the presence was coming from. Out of the corner of her eye, the man from before stood with both hands in his pockets. He was about the same height as her, wearing a long black trench coat and his pale skin illuminated in the fluorescent light. He had brownish-red hair down to his shoulders and his eyes were as dull brown as mud in the forest.

        “Oh, I don’t even get a hello? Not even from a beauty like you?” he asked, his voice low, almost alluring.

        Adrianne scoffed, her brows furrowed. “Why were you following me? What the hell do you want from me?” she asked as she slowly stepped closer to him, preparing for an attack.

        “Oh, nothing too pressing. Your appearance was enticing. And I thought I’d get a taste of what you’re like. A woman who looks like you around these parts is such a hard find. And yet you’re with someone who doesn’t even match you whatsoever? That’s such a low for you…Adrianne…~”

        She stepped forward even more, gritting her teeth and holding her knife to his chest. Her thumb pushed on the lever and the blade pointed at the trench coat. “How the fuck do you know my name?”

        The man’s stand appeared before him. It appeared to be similar to a bat, but dark green with light brown tips in the wings. The lights flickered above him and the light was shown on Adrianne’s bag. Suddenly, a part of Adrianne’s black bag became see-through and her name appeared inside the wallet. The stand had x-ray vision and another ability to shine bright lights while doing so. “With my stand, of course. Adrianne is such a beautiful name. Something I’d share with the world, if you’d let me.”

        “Not in a thousand years, asshole.” She raised her arm slightly, allowing the tip of the knife to poke the fabric of his clothes. “And I highly doubt you’re targeting me based on name alone. Why are you here?” she asked a second time.

        The man laughed under his breath. “Calm that temper of yours. That’s what got you in trouble in your childhood, right? Among other things, of course–”

        Adrianne ducked as her leg swept the man’s feet off of the ground. She jumped back and held her knife in front of her. “Stop taunting me. Just tell me why you have interest in me.” The hint of dark blue clouds appeared from behind her as she lowered her stance.

        “Your family name,” he answered. “You escaped your home life from the beautiful home of Napoli and came here instead. Why…? Why, when you had a life built up for your success?” He dashed forward and attempted to chop Adrianne’s neck with his hand. Fortunately, Adrianne grabbed his hand and kneed him in the stomach. While he leaned forward, she maneuvered herself to stand at his side and kicked his feet off the ground once again. He fell back first and his head hit the tile floors beneath them.

        Kneeling on the ground with her knife pointed at his face, her eyes appeared hooded and the ocean color faded into a more dull blue. “You’re with one of the mafia, aren’t you?”

        “Ooh, there’s the woman I was waiting for,” he cooed before kicking Adrianne off of her. She rolled away a few feet before scrambling back to her feet. Her head pounded from the fall and her knees began to swell from the bruising. “No, I am simply a journalist interested in your story. I came from Italy, that much is true. I would never get close to an actual member of one of the mafia. That would have me killed. But being with a former member, I knew I’d get my answers about the Morelli family.” He let out a ring of laughter that sent chills down Adrianne’s spine.

        “Oh, you dirty bastard,” muttered Adrianne. No, the Speedwagon Foundation scrubbed the information from Adrianne’s past.  They were already on her case long after the adoption. So who still knew about her in her hometown? For all Adrianne knew, her parents were long gone or dead. No, she knew for a fact they were dead. So why? Why bring up old wounds?

        Inhaling through her nose, Adrianne pounded her own fist into her palm and called out her stand. “Everlong!” The blue flames behind her formed a dark blue human-like figure with a black pixie cut with torn grey and black clothes. Some spikes formed along the leather jacket and on the black combat boots of the stand. Their eyes were dark brown and the face of the stand appeared in grunge type makeup. It floated next to Adrianne mirroring her position.

        The evil man walked to Adrianne and stood right across from her, a smirk growing from his thin lips. “No wonder I felt a strong presence from you. You now have a stand. I thought only your physical prowess was something to be marveled at. Now you have added to your beauty. Drunk on power and status, I see.”

        Adrianne’s brows furrowed as she stepped back and suddenly jumped forward. “Good Riddance, filthy journalist!” she bellowed out as she attempted to punch him in the face. Unfortunately, the man let out his stand as well. It was a bat that flew above his head and used its eyes to blindside her stand. 

        “Ray of Light!” the man shouted. Suddenly, Adrianne’s vision burned and all she could see was a white light. She cursed loudly as her hand made contact with not his face, but his right shoulder. The sound of blood splattering, as well as objects piercing through flesh, were heard. The evil man screamed loudly as he kicked Adrianne’s stomach forcefully.

        Adrianne felt herself falling backwards, but before she could get back on her feet, her head hit the wall behind her with a loud thud before landing with her back sliding against it. She landed sitting upright and her vision went dark. Attempting to open her eyes, all she could see were blurs of the view in front of her and the blue flames beginning to fade. The blurred male in front of her had five blood spikes along his shoulder and he held his arm to prevent further injury. He screamed out in pain as he tried to walk towards her. “Look what you did, you bitch! Argh, I can’t get rid of them!”

        The sound of ringing filled Adrianne’s hearing, and blood rushed throughout her body loudly. She coughed up blood and slowly reached for her head. While her head hadn’t bled, she had a feeling her coughing her own blood was the result of her stand’s powers. Her stand had special abilities, but because Adrianne only had her stand for merely less than a year, she didn’t know the full extent of her power. Blood spikes burst from another person if she made contact while using her stand. Up to fifty blood spikes could show at once; however, she never reached the goal without passing out from the loss of her own blood, especially if she was already beaten up, or out of breath. 

        From the corner of her eye, she saw a green blur that looked similar to Rohan. She gasped before she attempted to reach out to him. “R-Rohan… Help me…” she said to him, her body sliding to her side as she closed her eyes and proceeded to pass out on the ground beneath her.