A Family in Tune

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure AU
Summary: Jolyne hearing her father sing changes a lot of things, but most of them aren't apparent right away.
Word Count: 505
Rating: Gen

            Jolyne is very young when she first hears her father sing.
            He thinks she’s asleep.  Jolyne may be young, but she’s a clever girl.  She’s figured out that he works very late, so late that even he begins to get tired, and wakes up very early and leaves again.  She attempts to wake up early, but it’s very hard, so she stays up instead.  Long enough that she’s yawning deeply the next day, but it’s worth it because occasionally she hears him come in.  No matter how late it is or how tired he is, he’ll come into her room.
            Some people would be scared, but a towering giant is all she’s known of him, and he’s only ever gentle with her.  He’ll sit down on her bed, and sometimes he’ll tell her about what he did during the day, about dolphin this or fish that.  Jolyne decides her favorite stories are the ones about the octopus, because it’s silly and likes to escape or eat all the fish.
            Jolyne suspects that the octopus is Daddy’s second favorite, too.  His absolute favorite is the dolphins, but the octopus is intelligent, too.
            His voice is deep, but it’s pretty, just like the music Mama likes.  She especially likes it when he speaks in Japanese, even though she can’t understand a word he’s saying.  It’s lyrical, like a song.
            Sometimes he’ll pat her on the head.  He’s fallen asleep there, before, sitting on her bed, and she’ll hear his breath even out.  She’ll match her breath to his and pretend she can see little glowing butterflies appear, giggling quietly so she doesn’t wake him up.
            Usually, he’ll wake up and slip out before morning, but the times when he doesn’t are the best, because the way he smiles at her, it’s obvious that he loves her like all other dads, and those moments of doubt slip away.  And he’ll beg Mama for chocolate pancakes, as much as Mama complains about them not being healthy, and then he’ll put fish and dolphin sprinkles on his and Jolyne’s too, and for a little while they’ll feel like an actual family.
            One day he comes in, and he doesn’t sit on her bed.  She’d almost freak out about someone else being in the house, but no one’s as tall as Daddy.  He’s quiet, which is usual, but this time he’s quiet enough Jolyne’s not sure whether he’s fallen asleep or left.
            And then he starts singing.  Jolyne has to think hard to will every muscle not to move.  She’s never heard him sing before, ever.  She’s not even sure Mama has heard him sing.
            It’s quiet at first, almost quiet enough that she can’t make out the words, but then it gets louder and it’s beautiful.
            Daddy has a very good singing voice.  He shouldn’t have to hide it.
            She can’t understand what he’s saying.  It’s in Japanese.  When he’s done, he walks over, kisses her hair, mutters something in Japanese, and leaves.
            When he sings soon becomes Jolyne’s favorite.