Chapter Text
"What?"
Jotaro's deep voice conveyed much more than the simple word. It's not that Jotaro didn't understand what he was asking, he simply wanted him to elaborate while also making him feel stupid for asking in the first place. Unfortunately for Jotaro, he was not discouraged.
"I want to read you." Rohan repeats, looking up from his half-empty cup of tea to an impassive face and icy blue eyes that gave nothing but annoyance away, "You have a very intriguing story, I can tell."
Jotaro's eyes narrow, studying him closely from across the bistro table. He's at least thinking about it, which is better than the outright refusal he had expected. Casually he sips his tea, tearing his eyes away from Jotaro and feigning indifference to the man's potential answer. It was going to be a no, but he couldn't help getting his hopes up just a bit as the silence continues.
"If you want to read me, Rohan, you're going to have to work for it."
Rohan's eyes dart back to Jotaro instantly. He's unable to completely mask his excitement as his lips quirk up into a small smile. Jotaro's expression is pointedly reserved, but he can see that his perpetual frown had lessened ever so slightly.
"Are you free today?" Jotaro asks before he can get a word out.
"Of course." He lies, happy to reschedule his weekly phone call with his editor.
"Would you mind coming with me?" Jotaro asks, placing a bill for the drinks down and getting to his feet, "It's only a short walk."
"A small price to pay for reading you." He says softly, pushing his chair in and following after Jotaro.
The man had already walked a fair distance, causing him to have to jog a few moments before falling in step beside him. What kind of work did Jotaro have in store for him? Knowing what little he did about the man it was sure to be something that would surprise him. Perhaps he was to do some extra leg work into the person they were trying to find. That would be annoying, but even a peek at what was hiding in Jotaro's book would surely be worth the most arduous of tasks.
An easy silence follows them as Jotaro turns sharply, taking the staircase onto the beach two at a time. Rohan hesitates at the last step.
"Excuse me, Jotaro. Where are we going?" He asks, regretting that he didn't bother asking earlier.
"The beach."
"I know that but-"
"A little sand won't destroy your shoes, Rohan." Jotaro says, turning to rest cold eyes on his own, "Do you want to read me or not?"
He swallows a sudden spike of anger at Jotaro's tone. Never mind the fact that he seemingly read his mind. Out of pride he steps onto the beach and trudges through the sand. Immediately granules sneak into his shoes he grinds his teeth at the sensation.
"Do you know what an Anatomist is?" Jotaro asks, staring at the waves lapping at the sand.
"I can guess it has something to do with anatomy, no?" He replies, watching Jotaro's face carefully. The man's usually hard expression has relaxed upon looking out at the water.
"Yes." Jotaro is silent for a few more moments before moving again, walking over to a rocky outcropping. Stepping between pools of water with speed and grace that Rohan would not be able to replicate, "Look here."
Begrudgingly he climbs across the rocks and kneels beside Jotaro, gazing into the still waters of the tide pool. He's struggling to keep balance on the slimy rocks, not keen on falling face-first into the stagnant water that housed innumerable critters.
"I'm studying these starfish." Jotaro says, pointing at a large, pale orange starfish stuck on a rock, "I need an Anatomist to credit for my thesis on them, if you would draw me three pictures of them I will let you read me."
That's all he wanted? A few drawings of starfish? Rohan can't help but snort at the suggestion, earning raised eyebrows from Jotaro as he pulls his sketchbook forward.
"And here I thought you were going to ask me to do something difficult." Rohan snickers smugly as he presses a pen to paper and starts to draw the starfish below him.
"I have very high standards." The man warns, a small tinge of annoyance in his words.
"I'm sure. Usually, this would cost a lot." He smiles at Jotaro over the page as he turns it towards him, "But I'm sure your life story will cover it."
Jotaro's brows furrow as he looks at the still drying ink of the drawing. The sour expression alone is enough to make Rohan bristle immediately.
"This is too...cartoony. It needs to look more realistic." Jotaro says dismissively, looking back into the tide pool at the starfish.
"It is realistic." Rohan insists, scowling at the innocent creature in the water.
"It looks like a drawing from a manga."
"No it does not!" He looks at the drawing and is annoyed to find that it does look more stylized than realistic. Though he refuses to admit this. Rising to his feet and making his way off the wet rocks to the dry sand.
He sits, paying no mind to the sand that was going to be covering his expensive pants, and starts drawing another starfish. Taking more time to detail it than his previous one. This endeavor only takes him an extra minute and he looks up at Jotaro smugly. The man was standing in front of him with a passive expression. Wordlessly Rohan offers him the book and waits for his apology.
"This one is wrong too."
"No it is not!" Before he can leap to his feet in righteous anger Jotaro sits beside him.
"It's accurate for a drawing from memory, but you forgot the sieve plate in this one. Less cartoony but you added shading, which is unnecessary." Jotaro explains, voice annoying calming as if he was talking to a child.
"I'm not going to stand around in the water drawing starfish at this time of year." He protests, "Especially if you're not going to give me any real constructive criticism."
Light blue eyes meet his and he swallows back another biting remark. Unfortunately for him, the man was giving constructive criticism, but he refused to take it. Wordlessly he watches Jotaro pull a pen from his pocket.
"Oh, are you going to draw it better?" He mocks, enjoying the way Jotaro grits his teeth in annoyance.
"Give me a break." The man mumbles under his breath.
"What was that? You should speak up." He says, enjoying a brief moment of smugness before Star Platinum appears between them.
The sight of the powerful stand brings a shiver of fear through him. Until now he had never seen Star Platinum in person, only having read about it in Koichi's pages. From what he had read he knew that Heaven's Door would be no match for something that could stop time, even if only briefly. Though he was certain Jotaro would not attack him for no reason he keeps his mouth shut just in case he pushed his luck too far.
"Usually I have Star Platinum draw marine life for me," Jotaro says, handing his stand the pen and book, "But it can't make diagrams as its only able to draw what it sees."
Rohan watches with interest as Star Platinum draws. Its movements were unlike any human. Quick and precise. Each stroke of the pen is perfectly calculated. It works downward, practically printing out a photo-realistic image of a starfish on the page. The way it works is so inhuman it's impossible to look away.
"I don't expect you to do anything like this of course." Jotaro adds when Star Platinum sets the sketchbook in his lap gently, "But I would like these drawings to be as detailed as possible."
He stares at the drawing of the creature. Even the smallest detail was immaculately replicated in pen stroke. How silly of him to feel jealousy over a stands artistic ability.
"If you don't want to-"
"I'll do it." Rohan interrupts, closing his sketchbook and leveling Jotaro with a determined stare, "If this is all it takes to get to read you, I'll draw as many starfish as you need."
Ever so slightly Jotaro's lips quirk up into a small smile. The sight of it makes his pulse race for reasons outside his control. The man stands, dusting sand off his coat before offering his hand. Rohan takes it and is pulled to his feet in one swift motion. He had almost forgotten about the sand in his shoes until he started walking. Disgusted at the feeling of the sand rubbing against his socks and feet. These were not the correct shoes to wear anywhere but the sidewalks.
"Meet me back here tomorrow during low tide, if you're not busy. I'll give you reference material." Jotaro offers as they climb the steps away from the beach.
"I'll see if I can fit it in." Rohan lies, stopping to dump sand out of his shoes.
"Stay safe." Jotaro says suddenly, already a few paces ahead of him, "Though I'm sure you can handle yourself."