Word Count: 4842

"Stay close."

"Where'd the ape go?" You looked around in worry, taking a step to the side to look in the shower room only to see nothing. Jotaro grabbed your upper arm and pulled you closer to himself when you did so, annoyed that you didn't listen and just seemed to ignore his order or didn't hear him.

"It vanished into the wall." He simply said and you snapped your head towards him in disbelief.

"It vanished Into the- Jotaro, watch out!" Your question was interrupted when you saw pipes shoot out of the wall from behind him. You pushed him to the side, making the pipes shoot past him like snakes. Trying to deflect one that came too close with your Stand, the pipes instead wrapped around it and once again pulled your Stand to the wall, immobilizing you in your spot while even more shot out to grab hold of Jotaro and Star Platinum, binding them down as well, right next to your Stand. "S-Shit." You trembled slightly as you strained to move but your Stand was completely bound down, making you unable to even lift an arm.

Slowly emerging from the wall came the orangutan, laughing slowly to itself. It was dressed in a full on captain's uniform now, complete with smoking pipe. Holding up a dictionary, you saw the word it was referring to. 'Strength', the eighth card of the Tarot deck. It then dropped the book, instead bringing its attention to the rubrics cube in its hand, seemingly distracted. Turning your head, you looked at Jotaro stuck on the wall as well as your Stand. You both seemed to have the same idea and, while Star Platinum got one arm free, it was immediately bound down by more pipes. You tried to move your Stand, but you knew it lacked in physical strength and the chance of it breaking those pipes so you could move again was slim to zero.

The ape squared off with Jotaro, starting to laugh maniacally while Jotaro just glared at the animal. You didn't need words to know it was laughing in victory. You turned your head to look back at the ape to see it complete the rubrics cube before crushing it in its hand. "It's better at those than I am..." You quietly muttered but quickly shook your head, bringing your mind back in the game. "Jotaro, where is Anne?" You then asked and he glanced at you before focusing back on the orangutan.

"With the Old man."

The simple answer was enough to ease your worries somewhat. He'd keep her safe. But, new worries flared up when the orangutan moved its gaze to you, hearing you speak. It let out a huffing breath, sending you a disgusting wink as it cooed. You recoiled your head as far back as possible, since you still weren't able to move your limbs despite your best efforts.

Not looking away from your body, the ape licked its lips until it was suddenly hit in the back of the head by something. You saw it was a button from Jotaro's uniform as the orangutan turned around and picked it up, starting to tremble slightly as it looked at the shiny object. "That button is not your Stand. Does that make you angry?"

Jotaro continued to taunt it until the ape exploded with rage, jumping high into the air and towards Jotaro, a murderous intent in its eyes as it screamed in anger. With a calculated strike, Jotaro activated Star Finger and ricocheted the button right into the animal's forehead.

Falling back, it wailed in agony, clutching at its forehead while Jotaro broke out of the pipes, stepping out of them as if it was no big deal. He used Star Platinum to break the pipes still surrounding your Stand and you sighed in relief as you retracted it, able to move freely once again.

Stepping up to the orangutan, the animal ripped open its jacket, holding its hands up in surrender after it did so. "Are you asking me to forgive you?" Jotaro asked and the frightened ape nodded. "I'm afraid your actions have overstepped the law of the jungle." With that, Star Platinum appeared and began to pummel the creature.

As he did, you looked around on the floor, not particularly fond of seeing someone's face get punched in, even if it was a perverted enemy. Right as Jotaro finished, you saw what you were looking for and picked up the button from the delinquent's jacket. It was a little covered in blood but you picked it up nonetheless, just holding it away from your clothing to make sure you didn't get any blood on it.

"Yare yare daze, what a disgusting creature." Jotaro lowered the brim of his cap as he turned back to face you, leaving the body behind him.

You were about to respond when the entire ship shook, the creaking of metal deafening you as you looked around in shock. "Alright, time to go!" You didn't wait another second before hightailing it out of there, knowing Jotaro was behind you and not wanting to stay there for a second longer than you had to. With each passing moment, the freighter seemed to shrink in on itself and you squeaked when a pipe broke half-loose, making it hang loosely in the hall as you almost ran straight into it. Ducking at the last possible second, you circumvented a splitting headache before sliding across the hall to make the turn into the communications room where all the sailors were before and not lose speed.

All that speed still left you however, when you turned the corner into the room and saw the carnage that spread across it. Your breath escaped you as you looked upon the bodies of the sailors. People you had been talking to just minutes prior.

Your body went into shock upon seeing it. You tried to blink, tear your gaze away from the faces of the men but you couldn't. Your vision was flickering in and out of focus, the red of the blood being the only thing that was visible at all times.

A hand grasping your upper arm snapped you out of it as Jotaro tightly took hold of it, dragging you along behind him as he kept running. "Do you not hear me, woman!? Keep going!" His hold on your arm didn't let up and you winced slightly at how firmly he was grasping you.

Finally gaining your footing again, you ran as fast as you could along with him, making him let you go so he could run properly as well. You had left the room with the cage behind you and now burst through a door, onto the deck of the freighter.

"Jotaro, Y/N!" Kakyoin stood all the way on the other side of the deck, waving his hand at the both of you so you'd notice him. The entire ship once again creaked and shook and you realized you had stopped running as you just stared at Kakyoin.

Jotaro noticed you weren't behind him and turned back, once again taking hold of your upper arm to shake you out of it. "Run you dumb bitch, it's all going to collapse!" That was enough to get you out of your state and you snapped your head to look at him, only to have him push you forward. You started to run again but as you did, the deafening noise of the freighter shrinking down was drowned out by your own thoughts. And one emotion flooded all others.

Guilt.

- - - -

You all watched the freighter shrink down into a tiny boat, a vessel even smaller than the one you were in right now and Anne called out in surprise, seeing the impossible.

While everyone was distracted, you stood up and walked to the front of the boat, where no one sat since there was now more than enough room, not having to accommodate the extra sailors like before – you were painfully aware of that.

And so you sat in silence, making yourself comfortable as you leaned your arms on the sides of the boat, putting your head on top so you could effectively stare out onto the water. A full day had already passed, having been spent on that freighter, and it was now night once again. The stars were beautifully reflected in the dark liquid of the ocean, making it almost seem as if you were surrounded by the universe. Just floating in nothing, with no obligations or deadlines. Just – nothing.

"Y/N?" Turning your head back at the voice, you saw Anne standing beside you, looking a little fidgety.

"What is it?" You asked, sending her the best soft smile you could right now. You just hoped it was convincing because nothing about you felt like you were capable of comforting her at the moment.

"Can I sleep with you?" She asked and you realized how shaken up she was from the day. You only knew the girl for a short while but you knew that she'd normally have just plopped down next to you without a care in the world.

"Of course, c'mon." You turned sideways so she could comfortably lay down, using your lap as a pillow. One of the benefits of being a small kid in a small boat; she could actually lay down. "You alright?" You looked down at her once she was settled. Her large eyes looked up at you, seeming a little conflicted before she just looked away, muttering a small 'yea'. It was clear as day she wasn't so you just sighed softly, patting her head. "Thank you for saving me today." She looked up at you confused but you just looked out over the water. "If you hadn't ran and found Jotaro so fast, I don't know what I would have done." You once again forced a reassuring smile, looking down at the girl.

"Oh..." There were almost visible cogs turning in her head as she processed the information until she lit up a little, a small yet slightly proud smile appearing on her face. "Well you're- you're welcome then!"

Patting her head one last time, you just took a deep breath in. "Now, go to sleep." Anne nodded and yawned, settling in for the night and hugging your legs as she quickly fell asleep, making you snort softly before returning to look into the ocean.

Your eyes drifted to the dingy that was once 'Strength'. The freighter itself had vanished but what of those that weren't part of the Stand? Were the remains of those sailors now floating around, scattered in the ocean?

You cast down your eyes, putting your head on your arm again as comfortably as possible without jostling Anne too much as you thought of what happened.

You hadn't heard a single scream. You were the last to see them, you were just down the hall, and still you didn't hear a single sound of distress. Yet their faces – those that still had faces you could gaze upon – were struck in horror. If you had been paying more attention, could you have saved them? Wasn't that your entire purpose for being on this trip? Protecting others? Their limbs had been torn off. How could you have not heard anything! How could you have been so oblivious and let that happen!?

You felt angry. Angry at yourself for letting it happen but also for being so shaken up about it. If you couldn't handle this, then how in the blazes were you supposed to continue on this trip? Clenching your fists, you suddenly felt something digging into your palm. Bringing your hand closer and opening it up, you were greeted by the bloodied up form of Jotaro's button. Huffing in amusement, you leaned over, letting your hand dangle in the water while making sure to keep a firm grip on the button. You weren't about to accidentally drop it into the sea.

Sloshing your hand back and forth a bit, you brought it back up after a few seconds, seeing that the blood was washed off now, thankfully. Seeing that it was clean, you just lowered your hand again, putting the button in your pocket to give back later and returned to staring out the ocean.

Moving your head every so often to scan around, you caught Polnareff's gaze and he flashed you the diver's sign for 'Ok', his expression holding a questioning look. In other words, he was asking if you were alright. You just gave him a thumbs up with a smile you didn't feel, but you had experience in faking happiness so Polnareff was none the wiser. There was no use in worrying the other Crusaders and you definitely didn't feel like coming across as a weak and naïve little girl that was in over her head and would cry at the first setback or inconvenience.

Pretty soon, everyone got into more comfortable positions, falling asleep one by one. Anne had tossed a bit in her sleep and was now hugging your waist, contently sleeping. You however, didn't sleep a wink. You were tired, yes, but sleep just wouldn't come. Your mind was blank – empty. No thoughts crossed your mind, you effectively making sure of that. Every thought brought you back to the sailors so to combat it, you just stopped thinking. So, for the entire night you stayed awake, scanning the ocean for peace of mind and potential danger.

At some point there was a ruckus in the water but you recognized it as a shark on the hunt, simply accidentally breaching the water with its tailfin while chasing a fish; no threat to your boat.

Another heard the splashes however and from the corner of your eye you saw Jotaro lift his head, turning to look at where the noise came from.

"It's fine." You spoke out softly, practically in a whisper. There was no need to raise your voice, since the only sound was the gentle lapping of the water, even despite the fact that he was on the opposite end of the boat and the furthest away from you. "Just a shark on the hunt, we're fine." You informed him and heard him grunt softly in response as he lit up a cigarette – them having finally dried so he could actually smoke. Taking that as the end of the conversation, you leaned your head back on the side of the boat, staring up into the night sky. It thankfully didn't look like it would rain anytime soon, making this night at sea a lot more bearable. Could you imagine if you had to sit in the pouring rain out here for the entire night? No shelter or heat source anywhere. No wait that wasn't true, you had Avdol. But you'd probably all get sick anyways. Losing yourself in the sky and your thoughts, you just marveled at how much of the stars you could see here. With practically no light pollution, the universe was on full display and it was a beautiful sight.

In your musings about the sky, you didn't notice the teen delinquent staring at you with a sharp gaze. He could tell something was off with you and it annoyed him to bits. Judging from the position you were in, you hadn't slept at all; still in the exact same pose as earlier in the night.

The both of you just stayed like that – unmoving. Jotaro watching you as he smoked, and you, watching the sky, too focused on the stars to notice. With an aggravated expression, Jotaro exhaled the last of his smoke as he pushed the butt of his cigarette into the edge of the boat, standing up as he did so and leaving it where it was as he swiftly made his way over to you. Not once did he stumble or stop to catch his balance to accommodate for the swaying of the boat, just walking as if he was on land instead of a shamble dinghy.

You only noticed his approach when his outline appeared in your field of view, the black figure blocking out some of the stars. Lifting your head, your eyes followed him as he sat down to your right. Since you were at the tip of the boat, he sat at a 90˚ angle from you, one leg bent and in front of himself while the other was stretched out over your legs, because by god this man was tall and he had long legs. And he wasn't about to fold in on himself and be uncomfortable when he could just as easily sit like a normal human being. He made sure to not touch Anne though, not wanting to wake her and have her make a ruckus by being her obnoxious self.

"Why are you not sleeping?" His question caught you off guard, especially since it broke the silence of the last few hours – not counting your own words – and you sent him a questioning look. With your eyes adjusted to the dark you could easily see his piercing gaze and you did your very best to look anywhere but directly into his eyes. "Did that ape do something to you?" His tone was matter-of-fact and a bit too loud for your liking as he crossed his arms.

"Shh, keep your voice down a bit." You tried, making a shushing motion as you frantically looked around, not wanting to wake anyone up. Especially if the reason the two of you were talking was you. You'd feel terrible if you and your stupid feelings were the cause for them not getting a sufficient amount of sleep.

"I don't give a fuck if they wake up. I'm asking you a question, so answer me."

Knowing this was a battle you couldn't win, you just answered. "No it wasn't that, it didn't do anything to me. You came in just at the right time. Ah- thank you for that... For saving my ass. Again..." You trailed off a little at the end, not knowing what else to say, only for you to remember the button in your pocket. "Oh." Pulling it out, you turned to Jotaro, seeing him giving you a bit of a questioning glance until he saw the button in your hand. "I picked this up earlier. Don't worry, I cleaned it – sort of."

Jotaro raised an eyebrow as you held it out for him, but he wasn't showing any indication of wanting to take it from you. Unsure, you just motioned your hand forward a bit more, urging him to take it. What you didn't expect however, was for him to suddenly lean towards you.

Grasping your hand, he guided it over to his jacket, where the button was missing, before releasing you.

Catching onto what he meant, you just blinked a few times, a little stunned. "O-Okay." You softly said, leaning forward as well so that you could properly see what you were doing and pop the button back into place. Making sure to not move too much for Anne, you gently took a hold of his jacket and pulled it taut, starting to maneuver the button back in the hole where it once sat. Your face was heating up slightly, not used to having the boy so close to your face.

Your blush only worsened when he suddenly bent down so his face was next to yours, his breath hitting the shell of your ear. "Stop beating yourself up about those sailors, there was nothing you could've done so there's no use." While his manner of speaking was brash and straight-to-the-point as usual, his voice was low, a whisper only for you and him to hear.

Your eyes widened slightly as your movements froze for a second. It was foolish to think you could slip anything past Jotaro but you didn't expect him to say something like that. Several thoughts flashed through your mind, thinking of how to react or what to do but all rational options seemed to have jumped ship. "It's... not as easy as that." Was what you just blurted out, having nothing else to say. Jotaro didn't say anything, just leaning back to his previous position. He was still close, but not as close as before.

Quickly finishing up with the button, you straightened his jacket, almost to test how it looked while in actuality it was just a move to not have to look him in the eyes. All in all, the button would have to be properly sown in later, but for now it would stay put.

"Get some sleep, we're not going to get attacked in the middle of the ocean so there is no need to keep watch." Jotaro spoke when he saw you finished and he moved back so that he was in his previous spot, his leg still encasing your legs.

"Right... night."

- - - -

Despite what you said, sleep didn't really come. Although, you did get in a good hour, maybe even hour and twenty minutes of sleep! So hey, you better believe you were raring to go! Definitely!

"Y/N?" You felt someone shake you and you lazily swatted at them, too tired to open your eyes. "Y/N." The person reinstated but you just turned away.

"Just.. gimme a fe..w more.. minsh..." You slurred softly, turning around to lay on your stomach and get some more shuteye. You didn't know what you were laying on but it was hard and very uncomfortable. Ice cold water was suddenly dumped on your head and you shot up into a standing position, shouting "I'M AWAKE!" as you went.