From Where the Silence Echoes

-5- A Bolero for the Uncertain

It took a little over a week for Kakyoin to get back on his feet again, both in the metaphorical and literal sense; his footing was still ever uncertain and hesitant, and there were days where he spent the entirety of his awake time tripping over himself. He resented the fact that his recovery was so slow, and he especially resented himself for being such a hassle to care for. Although he never uttered a word of complaint, Kakyoin could tell that Avdol was unbelievably stressed by his presence.

There was also the matter of Jotaro weighing itself heavily on his heart. Kakyoin already felt guilty enough for leaving with such few words to him in the first place, but his sudden disappearance was just icing on the cake. He knew better than anybody how rashly Jotaro tended to act in times of crisis, and the manner in which he had disappeared would only serve to make him more reckless.

Kakyoin noticed, in the midst of a bout of such worrying, that he had begun to pick up quite many unfavorable habits; his nails were bitten down to the quick, and the skin around them was picked at to the point of scabbing over. He cursed himself for letting his thoughts ensnare him that much, and quickly set off to look for some bandages.

Letting himself give into such habits would be his undoing, and there was no way he would give in to his worry that easily. Using various walls and tables for support, he wandered around Avdol's house, praying that what he sought was nearby.

His current lodgings were even more comfortable than he had initially realized; everywhere he turned there was some sort of cushion or armchair, which were all overflowing with pillows and blankets. However, Avdol didn't seem to be home at the moment, which only made Kakyoin's search harder. His initial thought to check the bathroom had proven fruitless, and there were no other places that were plausible. He turned back around with the intent to return to his room, but his path was blocked by some unfamiliar man with slush grey hair. Both he and the stranger gave a yelp of surprise, and Kakyoin lost his balance, crashing onto a nearby couch.

"Wh... Who the hell are you?!" the man said to him, his French accent heavily dragging on the end of his sentence.

"I could be asking the same thing of you." Kakyoin jeered. "Where's Mr. Avdol? What did you do to him?"

"What did I do to him, you say? You've got some balls, stranger. You're the odd one out here, as Avdol and I live here together. So I'll phrase your question to you; what did you do to him? He's been gone all morning."

"I've done nothing to him, actually. And another thing, I belong here just as much as you do. Mr. Avdol kindly took me in after a bit of a... Predicament I had."

The Frenchman folded his arms and raised a nonexistent eyebrow, curling his lip a bit in what Kakyoin assumed was a sorry attempt at looking intimidating. He wasn't phased at all by this, instead electing to stare him directly in his eye.

"Fine, fine." the man spat as his gaze faltered. "Let's just agree that we got off on somewhat of a wrong foot, okay? Call me Polnareff."

"I'd say more than somewhat," Kakyoin firmly shook his outstretched hand. "But let's put that behind us. I'm Kakyoin."

Polnareff sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes, but said nothing more. His whole demeanor screamed suspicion, but Kakyoin trusted Avdol's judgment.

"So," he began cautiously. "Do you happen to know where Avdol keeps the bandages? I need them."

"So that's what you were up for, eh?" Polnareff stroked his chin, his eyes swiveling from side to side in mock pondering. "I can't say I know. Mo- Avdol, had never really kept that kind of stuff around until you came along."

Kakyoin stood from the couch with a sigh, stretching to the heavens in an attempt to calm his shaken nerves. Millions of thoughts ran through his mind at once, most of them tainted with worry; not only did he have to fret over Jotaro and his brashness, concern for Avdol was thickly layered on top of his original feelings. He considered for a moment that perhaps his caretaker had simply gone out shopping, but he knew that that was most likely far from the truth. The most he could do was hope that Avdol would come back soon; and in the best case scenario, with some bandages.

"Hey, Kakyoin," Polnareff bit his lip, awkwardly glancing to the side. "If you need anything, while Avdol's gone... Let me know, alright? I don't know much, but... He's taught me some things."

Kakyoin made a noise that was akin to a crow being strangled, and soon enough his shoulders began to shake as his face twisted into what could barely be classified as a grin. He pressed a hand to his face in order to stifle the torrent of laughter that incoming, but in the end it was a fruitless endeavor. He cackled incessantly, almost sending himself spiraling back onto the couch with the sheer force of his mirth. 

"I'm offering to help you, you know!" Polnareff said indignantly, casting a shadowed glare at Kakyoin. "If you're going to be a dick about it, then perhaps I'll take my services elsewhere!"

"No, no, it's not that," Kakyoin wiped a tear from his eye, hunching over in an attempt to stop himself from giggling. "You sounded so awkward, and I couldn't take it. But in all seriousness, I'll be fine, Polnareff. Avdol should be back soon enough, and then I'll be out of your hair. Relax."

"If you say so. Do as you like. I could care less." Polnareff turned away from Kakyoin with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But don't think for a second that we're going to be all buddy-buddy. As far as I'm concerned, you're an asshole."

"So be it. I had no intentions of becoming friends with you anyway."

Polnareff left the room without another word, leaving Kakyoin to his own devices. He reclined onto the couch with a smirk, letting out a quiet yawn. People like Polnareff usually annoyed Kakyoin to no end, but something about his mannerisms amused him. Perhaps recovery would be more of an adventure than he had originally thought.