Payback - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (CaeJose)

[Guest]

I'm not all too active here, but I posted this on Tumblr a few weeks back and figured I might as well put it on here too. This anime has totally taken over my life, enough that it forced me to write my first decent fic in literal years haha!

Setting is post-Battle Tendency, CaeJose AU. This started out with more of a plot and devolved into just. Self indulgent content (who needs a plot anyway, amirite?), so I apologize if the pacing is weird at all because of that. In any case, here's the fic! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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“When did you get so good at this, huh?” Caesar observed aloud. Joseph flashed him a daring grin. Moments earlier, Caesar had lunged at him, prepared to gain the upper hand of their sparring session…only for Joseph to catch, twist, and lock his arm behind his back. 

He would’ve had no problem taking him down a few months ago, but Joseph was not as inexperienced (or lazy) as he’d been when they first met. Nowadays, the two were practically matched in every aspect of physical combat, determination included. It’s not as if this was a surprise; the amount of time and intensity at which they’d trained together could make even the most pathetic people skillful in battle.

Caesar leaned back and raised his free arm to strike, but Joseph was prepared. He shot his own free hand out and caught Caesar’s arm, repositioning it behind his back as he’d done with the other.

“Whenever you started to fall behind. That’s when I got so good at this.” Joseph finally replied as he released Caesar’s arms.

“Tch, jerk.” The corners of Caesar’s mouth twitched with amusement. “You’re lucky we’re not training Hamon today, or I would’ve had you down long ago.” Teasing each other had become a natural part of their dynamic. Though it had once gotten on his nerves to no end, Caesar had grown to adore Joseph’s overbearing and cocky personality; being a smartass was one way he showed him affection, oddly enough. And even if it did still irritate him to no end at times, Caesar was never without plenty of playful remarks he could bite back with. 

Now free from his partner’s grasp, Caesar flexed his arms and hopped a few paces back. Then, without warning, he darted at Joseph with lightning speed. It was his turn to take him by surprise. He hit Joseph in the jaw with his palm, though careful to not do any damage. It was just hard enough to throw him off, and Caesar had no trouble grabbing and locking Joseph’s arms behind his back, just as he’d done to him before. With a smirk, Caesar said, “Now, what was that about me falling behind?” They were ever so close to each other, mere inches the only thing separating Joseph’s face from his own.

“Some warning would’ve been nice,” Joseph huffed. He locked eyes with Caesar in an intense stare, wavering when he noticed the feeling of his partner’s breath fluttering against his skin. Before he could even consider it, Caesar leaned in until there was no space left between them, locking their lips.

It was difficult to recall when the physical tension between them had evolved to be, well…physical in a different way. Nobody ever saw it coming. Hell, they could barely stand each other in the beginning, and save for being hot-headed, they were total opposites, Caesar being more serious and Joseph, frivolous. They’d learned to respect one another though. It was enough that they had both put their lives on the line to save each other, and after that, the escalation of their relationship never felt out of place. It was as if it was meant to happen.

Joseph’s attention narrowed in on the sensation of Caesar’s lips against his own, smooth like silk. He could never get enough of that. Caesar was charming, in a word, and had such a way with romance that Joseph was surprised he didn’t feel something for him sooner. Every moment of contact between them sent sparks through his veins.

When Caesar pulled away, teeth just grazing Joseph’s bottom lip, he could see his partner was distracted. “Do you need a warning whenever I do that too?” His green eyes shined with mischief, emeralds in sunlight. “So much for that ‘your next line is’ thing you always do. Guess it doesn’t apply to when you’re being kissed?” He couldn’t help but laugh when Joseph gaped at him.

“Hey, c'mon! You’ve admitted that it’s impressive!”

“When it actually works.”

“I would never attempt that prediction if it wasn’t going to work; that’s the point of it!” Joseph protested.

“Is that so?” Caesar almost shook his head; Joseph was far too easy to rile up.

“Yes. In fact, the next thing you’ll say, Caesar, is nothing, because I’m taking you down!” The brunette came at him with both fists raised. Caesar was quick to act, blocking each blow with his forearms. They kept that up for a while, Joseph throwing punches from every angle, and Caesar successful in blocking each one. Though they were matched on most levels, it was Caesar who acted faster this time.

But little did he know that Joseph had another plan in mind. Every hit he blocked forced Ceasar to step back a few inches, which brought him closer and closer to a shallow cliff behind him. He knew it wouldn’t take much to trick Caesar into his trap; he was far too occupied defending himself to even consider looking over his shoulder.

And then, when he was just close enough, Joseph suddenly stopped. “Now is when I’ll prove my little prediction correct!” he declared. Disoriented, Caesar didn’t have time to move as Joseph did just that, charging at him and colliding into his chest. Caesar stumbled back and fell over the edge with a grunt of surprise.

He wasn’t surprised enough to lose his ability to think fast, however. As he fell, he reached up and managed to grab onto the tails of Joseph’s scarf. “W-what are you-?!” Joseph cut himself off with a strangled noise as the fabric pulled tight around his neck. Caesar was quick to let go, but not without purpose. He held on just long enough to shift Joseph’s weight forward, so that he too stumbled over the edge. Payback.

The cliff was mainly a shallow slope, only a short way down, but it was by no means smooth, with rocks and roots poking out in all places. Upon hitting the bottom, Caesar lay about a yard away from Joseph, clutching his head in discomfort. There was only the sound of heavy breathing as both men tried to regain their bearings.

It was Joseph who pushed himself up first, only to grab at his throat and fall into a coughing fit. “Damn, Caesar…that was a dirty trick,” he complained through a wheeze. “Are you trying to kill me?”

Caesar didn’t even bother to lift his head from where he lay, absentmindedly staring up at the sky. “If I’d been meaning to kill you, I wouldn’t have let go,” he retorted. “But hey, if it were me pushing you over a cliff, you would’ve done the same. I know how you are.” Caesar crossed his arms and huffed.

“Is that so?” Joseph had risen to his full height now, dusting himself off. “Well, since you were so kind to drag me down with you, I think I’ll keep you here for a while, hm?” 

“JoJo, please. Just accept that you couldn’t quite beat me this ti-” But Caesar’s words were choked off as Joseph pounced on him like a cat. On instinct, he tried to wriggle away from him, but Joseph was determined in keeping him down. It was only a matter of seconds before he succeeded too, securing Caesar beneath him with his arms above his head.

As he caught his breath a second time, Caesar’s attention drifted up to Joseph. It then occurred to him the…compromising nature of the position he was in, arms pinned above his head and straddled by his partner. 

This wouldn’t be the first time they’d had contact of this nature while sparring, so it wasn’t anything new. At least, not exactly. Joseph looked especially pleased with himself nonetheless, holding his beloved in such a suggestive position. What was he planning to do with him now, exactly…? Caesar didn’t have a chance to ponder this though, or blush at the thought of it in turn, as something else caught his attention.

The air around them had a faint, yellow tint to it. Caesar almost brushed it off as a cloud of dust that had yet to settle from their rough landing, until he turned his head to the right. Wildflowers. They were surrounded by them, he realized as he looked the other way. Why, out of any flora, did it have to be these? Most flowers, Caesar would’ve been fine encountering; he was quite fond of them actually, sunflowers especially. But these wildflowers? Quite the opposite.

Caesar’s focus drew back to the air above, now recognizing the yellow tint as pollen. Already, he could feel his nose twitch, and he narrowed his eyes, hands tense in Joseph’s grip with the urge to rub them. This… was going to be a problem; the look in Joseph’s eyes told Caesar he didn’t plan on letting him go anytime soon. 

There was that, and the fact that Caesar refused to explain said problem. The importance of staying strong and hiding weakness had been ingrained in him at a young age, leading him to even perceive his own allergies as a weakness, a vulnerability. It was not something he wanted to reveal to an enemy in a real battle, lest he wanted to leave himself at a disadvantage; a sparring partner would be treated just the same, even one who was more than that to him. If Joseph knew it only took a few flowers to break him, he’d never let him live it down. Now it was just a matter of convincing him to give it up, which was easier said than done… 

“Okay, JoJo, you’ve won. Get off of me.” Hoping it would distract from the urgency in his voice, Caesar shot him a stern look. Joseph, however, did not lose the playful shine in his eyes.

“Mmmmmnope. I think I like you better this way. Wouldn’t you agree?” He winked at Caesar, who fought the urge to blush. The blonde tried to wriggle his hands out of his partner’s grasp, to no avail.

When the hell did he get so strong? Caesar thought with a frown. Even his legs were in a position that, with the way Joseph pressed down on them, made it impossible to move much.

To make matters worse, the dry itch in his eyes was starting to trickle down into his nose, and a tingling lingered just at the edge of his nostrils. Being pinned down like this was humiliating enough; revealing this weakness to Joseph was something he didn’t need on top of that. “C’mon, JoJo, I’m serious…”

“Awww, lighten up, Caesarino~ I thought you’d enjoy being straddled by me.” Joseph shot Caesar his trademark grin, the one he always flashed whenever he flirted with him.

Under different circumstances, yes, Caesar would enjoy it. But as things were, he rolled his eyes at him. “Yeah, very funny. And stop calling me thahh-!…” His venom-laced words were cut short as the itch spiked into a full blown tickling at the center of his face. Caesar’s glare softened, his eyes suddenly distant. Fluttering hitches and gasps made the pitch of his voice waver as he tried to finish his sentence: “…St-stop callihhng me thah, heh-…thahh-” His lip quivered. 

The tickle was mounting at an alarming rate, but he was desperate to fight it. Caesar turned his head to the side, chest swelling with another wavering gasp. His arm, and his sleeve in turn, were in a convenient spot for his current predicament, at least. Grateful, Caesar squeezed his eyes shut as he crushed his nose against his sleeve and rubbed into the fabric until the tickle receded. He followed with a sigh of relief, though he knew it was only a temporary fix. His nose went pink from the rough treatment, and as he met Joseph’s eyes again, the rest of his face glowed a similar color, reminded that a certain someone had him pinned, and that that same someone was watching his every move.

Knowing he could only keep a hold on himself for so long, Caesar resorted to pleading. “C’mon, JoJo, please…” he whimpered. The desperation in his voice was like nails on a chalkboard to his own ears.

“And why should I, exactly? I think I deserve some payback for what you pulled earlier,” Joseph sneered. Caesar cursed him in his head; only Joseph would use an excuse like that just to keep toying with him, and hot-headed as he was, he couldn’t help but give him the reaction he was looking for. 

 “This has nothing to do with you. It’s the flahh, heh-…the flowers…” He finally admitted to it, just as the sweet, floral scent began to wreak havoc once more. His nostrils flared as he spoke, desperate for air that wasn’t saturated with pollen.

Joseph tilted his head at him. “The flowers?” He feigned innocence, only to switch Caesar’s hands so they were pinned with just one of his own. With his other hand, he then reached to his right and plucked a small bundle of flowers from the ground. Facing his partner once more, his devious grin returned. “Oh, you mean these?” He playfully dangled the flowers above Caesar, who stared back with wide eyes. The blonde’s body went rigid under Joseph as he brought them near his face. 

“JoJo! Get those away from me. I’m not kiddinghhh-…” But the damage was already done. Despite twisting away from the flowers as best he could, the pollen still managed to invade his nose, and it wasted no time setting off a reaction. Caesar’s frantic expression crumpled into one of sneezy desperation, tears forming in his eyes. This tickle was far stronger than the one from before, bringing his twitching nose back to life instantly. 

His hands trembled under Joseph’s, eager with desire to rub at it. When fulfilling that desire was still out of the question though, he resorted to pressing his nose into his sleeve again, breath hitching wildly. “Hih, heh-… d-damn you, JoJohhh-!!” There were a few seconds where Caesar debated on trying to fight it again, but he couldn’t decide if that might be more humiliating than just letting himself give in to his allergies. He didn’t have a choice, however, as he sniffled, a mistake that pushed the sensation to the point of no return. “Hih-…heh, hH-!!” His lip curled back into a snarl as he stole one more painfully tickly gasp of air. Then, still pressed into his sleeve…

“Hnn'gtt-!!“ Caesar stifled the first sneeze into his shoulder. A slit was the furthest he could open his eyes before they slammed back shut, brow furrowed and breath hitching.  “huh-!! hah’gnxt-! Nhgxt-!! Ahh, hahh-…” The last one left him in anticipation, teasing just enough to make the tears in his eyes spill over. “hHt’KSHh’ah-!!” When he finally pitched into his sleeve again, it was too strong to completely stifle. Caesar groaned when he pulled away, feeling the wetness that clung to his upper lip, which he could only assume coated his sleeve likewise.

“Enjoying yourself?” Caesar hissed once he’d recovered enough to speak. He’d wipe that smirk right off Joseph’s face if his hands were free, he thought, green eyes shooting daggers up at him.

“A little… You’re adorable when you get all hitchy like that, ya know.” There was that flirting grin again.

Caesar blushed madly at his words and averted his eyes to the side. “Tch, cheeky bastard…Y-yeah, sure, whatever. You’ve had your fun, now get the hell off of me.” Though his gaze was sharp as ever, he punctuated his words with a sniffle, betraying that he hadn’t completely pulled himself back together. 

“Hmm, really? Because I think there’s still some payback you owe me.” Joseph arched his brow. Caesar’s lips parted with a retort, only to press into a tight line as the blossoms appeared above him again. “That, and it’s refreshing to see you lose control. Just let me see that one last time…” He drew them closer to the blonde’s face.

Caesar writhed under him in protest. “W-what do you think you’re-…JoJo, no, not againhh, haH-!” He couldn’t help the loud, ticklish gasp that overcame him as Joseph practically shoved the flowers into his nose. The effect was as immediate as it was intense, his nostrils flaring wide.

“Hih, hh, hehH-…Oh Gohhd, that i-itchehhhs, hh-” Joseph had (thankfully) tossed the flowers to the side, but Caesar could’ve sworn he was still holding them right under his nose. To call it an itch, or even a tickle would be an understatement. This was more of a burn, like the whole inside of his nose was on fire. Allergic tears were a continuous stream running down his face now, and Caesar shuddered with every hitched breath, unable to breathe fast enough to feed the building sneeze the air it required. It was torture, pure allergic torture, and he was drowning in it.

Only mere seconds passed before he was turning and pressing his twitching, dripping nose into his sleeve, lip curling back with one last, shrill hitch- “hHH-!!” -before he came undone with the first volley of suppressed sneezes: “Hh’ngtt-! Ht'kshht-! heH-! hht’GNXx’uh-!!” The fit was enough to make his head spin, far stronger than he was used to. “F-fuckhh, haH-! Nn’gSHht-!! hHt’KSHt-!!” Besides his determination to keep them stifled, he felt no control over himself, completely at the mercy of his own nose. He actually almost forgot Joseph was even there.

That is, until he could faintly hear yet another teasing remark from above: “C’mon Caesar, just let them out. It won’t do you any good to hold them in like that.” He felt Joseph’s thumb briefly stroke across his cheek, wiping a tear away. The gentle touch was enough to pull him out of his allergic haze for a moment. He turned his head, and the red, irritated tint of his eyes emphasized the fiery rage that flashed within them. Joseph was going to regret what he’d just said.

Breathlessly, Caesar hissed his response, “W-well, if thaht’s what you whh-want, hih-!” If only he’d thought to do this sooner. As he felt the tickle reach its peak, he tossed his head back with a violent, oh so itchy hitch of breath: “HaHH-!!” 

And then, “hhH’EHSHh-!! hAH’DSHHh’uhH-!!” he sneezed totally unrestrained, aiming right above at Joseph. 

“GAH, Caesar!” Joseph exclaimed, whipping his head to the side as a misting of spray got him in the face. He scrambled off of his partner, who wasted no time in sitting up…except, he only got to his knees before he was curling in on himself with another wrenching sneeze, 

“hah’ESHHh‘uh-!!” His hands hovered in front of him, but he couldn’t move them fast enough to cover his face, another sneeze overtaking him. “iSH’uhh-!!” The second one allowed him enough clarity that he could pull up his scarf over the lower half of his face. Caesar buried his nose into the fabric, dismayed to find the tickle still teased his nasal passages, “hih-! Ahh-!” until he pitched forward with a muffled, “Hih’tschh-! hH’EHsh’uh-!!” Caesar was still for a moment after. The sensation that remained was only a mere tingling, yet he was cautious not to move or even breathe wrong out of fear it would strike back with vengeance. Only when it dulled did Caesar slump forward in relief. He made no effort to rise from where he was kneeling, totally spent.

When he opened his eyes, he found Joseph was still pawing at his face with a look of disgust. Caesar let his scarf drop down to say, “Now, that? You deserved that.”

Joseph froze and blinked at him. “I…suppose that’s fair. Gross, but fair.” He then noticed Caesar pinching at the bridge of his nose, the rest of his face still itchy in appearance, but more exhausted than anything. It was followed by an unsatisfied sigh as Caesar found he could no longer breath through his nose. Joseph’s expression softened, and his eyebrows knitted with worry. “Uh…I may have gotten carried away. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Caesar’s frown relaxed as he heard the concern in Joseph’s voice. He had half a mind to punch him after torturing him like he did, but…even if he could be a complete moron, at the end of the day, he was a complete moron that cared about him. “Well, you did stop and let me go, so I guess it could’ve been worse.” Though it may not have shown on his face, Caesar’s voice carried a smile.

“Yeah, sorry…” Joseph avoided Caesar’s gaze in discomfort. Then, he brought himself close to the other man. “I wasn’t lying though. You really look cute when you’re all allergic like that. Adorable, actually.” He faintly blushed. You’re just…usually so composed and controlled and I just…” 

Caesar, meanwhile, blushed much harder, his eyes darting to the ground. “I-If you say so,” he stammered. “Just…be extra nice to me for the rest of the day, and I’ll call this even,” he added after a moment, seeing that look of guilt etch Joseph’s features again.

“Deal,” Joseph replied, his worry melting into a smile. “If you really want to get even though, I’ll let you make me sneeze next time.” He punctuated his words with a wink and a laugh.

Caesar couldn’t believe his face could grow hotter than it already was, but it did. What’s worse was he couldn’t explain why. Although, when he thought about it… the idea of having Joseph at his mercy in such a way was appealing. Strange, but appealing. He might take him up on that the next time Joseph took something too far, which was sure to happen again; it was in his nature to be a handful.

Caesar briefly pressed his face into his scarf again, sniffling. The itch had not returned, he was glad to find, though he wasn’t sure it would stay that way as long as he hung around here. As though he could read his mind, Joseph stood and held out a hand to him, which he gratefully took in his own. “Here, let’s go back home so I can make it up to you. You’ve suffered enough.” He pulled Caesar up, only to pause when their eyes met. Caesar raised his brow at him expectantly. “You’re still adorable,” Joseph finally said, before leaning in and kissing him on the nose.

Still sensitive, Caesar’s only response was to hitch and muffle another sneeze into his scarf.

[SterlingSilver]

I've never seen JoJo, but I can tell you've written the characters perfectly!! ❤️ I love the situation you put them in, and their banter, haha~ Such a cute fic  Thank you so much for sharing it here!!

[Akahana]

Fucking NICE!!  Battle Tendency is my favorite part and this was hot as hell ❤️ 

[Guest]

On 9/26/2020 at 5:24 PM, BlackScatter said:

I've never seen JoJo, but I can tell you've written the characters perfectly!! ❤️ I love the situation you put them in, and their banter, haha~ Such a cute fic  Thank you so much for sharing it here!!

Ahhh that's so sweet of you to say, thank you so much! ❤ Their dynamic is super fun to write and I'm glad it shows haha! 😁

 

On 9/27/2020 at 7:34 AM, Akahana said:

Fucking NICE!!  Battle Tendency is my favorite part and this was hot as hell ❤️ 

Gahhh thank you so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed! ❤❤ It's definitely one of my favorite parts as well! ☺

[Diamond_Promise]

Due to personal reasons I will be passing away now.

[MiraKarat]

Soo good! I've never seen or read JJBA but you made me want to!

[Guest]

On 3/4/2021 at 4:25 PM, MiraKarat said:

Soo good! I've never seen or read JJBA but you made me want to!

Ahhh thank you! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! ☺️
And I personally can’t recommend it enough! It’s definitely bizarre, as the title would imply haha. The first two parts can be slow for some people, but I always say it’s worth giving it a shot; I never expected to love it so much and I’ve been totally obsessed for like a year now haha!

[anna]

Holy shit this was so good!