P H A N T O M B L O O D

"This one is for the boys with the boomer systems."

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1881. (Y/N)'s thirteenth year of scarring the Earth and finally episode one is over.

"You want me to... Teach you table manners?" You had been out in the garden, stitching up the sleeve of one of Dio's shirts for him (who knows how it got damaged) when Jojo had approached you.

"Well yes... Since you know what forks for what and well you always have perfect posture so I assume it's the same for eating." The blue-haired aristocrat says bashfully and you laugh.

"I have perfect posture for a servant, silly. I don't think the same rules apply to future lords." You grin at the boy, "Besides you already have good table manners! You're just a bit... Quick when you eat."

"What's that supposed to mean? I can't help eating fast if I'm hungry! I'm a growing boy you know."

"Growing on my nerves." You sigh before putting the shirt beside you on the bench, standing up and grinning, "Come on then Jojo, let's learn how to eat right."

"You're the best, you know that?" Jojo links his arm with you and you both head to the kitchen where you'd sit for the next hour studying the art of gracefully shoving food into one's mouth.

Ah fuck, you forgot about fixing the shirt.

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You hand Dio back his fully repaired shirt, "You owe me a bobbin."

"I don't owe you anything, (Y/N). You're paid to do this sort of thing." The blonde says simply, looking over you and the shirt.

"You could at least give me a thank you? I did spend ages fixing it up just right."

The blonde leans further back against the tree he's sitting under, making it look like he's thinking, "I'm not sure, (Y/N). Maybe if you'd done a better job I'd be grateful."

"Golly and here I thought I was your friend." You pout, standing up from the spot next to him and starting to walk off.

"What are you doing? You're not upset, are you?" Dio's eyebrows lowered in a mocking concern, "You can't possibly be leaving."

"I fixed the shirt, didn't I? No point sticking around." You pause slightly and turn around, smiling deviously, "Unless you want me to stay?"

Dio looks into your eyes, "If I say thank you, will you come back?"

"You'd do that for me?"

"Don't take it personally... Your stupidity amuses me." Dio sighs, "Thank you for so kindly stitching up my torn garment."

The gardener blinked and grinned wider, hurriedly sitting back next to the boy, "My pleasure! I live to serve after all."

The marigold blonde only grumbled in response as you start blabbering on about some foreigner you'd met in a pub who taught you how to grow oranges.

"It won't be easy to grow them in this area and all but well, I'm sorta really good at gardening and all. Not to brag but y'know, nothing I can't handle. I'll have them growing by the dozen in no time!"

"Hm, and what are you going to do with all these oranges? I don't suppose there's a big market for them," Dio asks, continuing a conversation that doesn't interest him in the slightest. You notice. You also notice that he only does that with you.

"Ah well, you can cook them obviously, baking too. Orange tarts am I right? Oh um and teas too. Ah! That's right. I'm going to try to turn some of them into bath products, y'know make the water smell good, make the person smell good, soap and bubbles," You lean forward and rest your arms on your knees, looking at Dio through the new angle, "You've always struck me as someone who should smell citrusy. Lemons would be good but the bloke at the pub won't tell me how to grow them until I buy him a pint next."

"You do ramble, don't you?" Dio sighs slightly before blinking and looking at you in surprise, "You think what about me smelling? I'll have you know that I, Dio, can have whatever scent I please!"

"Oh well, here's a prototype of some soap I made earlier with one of the oranges that fellow gave me," You say, feigning disappointment before pulling out the bar of soap and handing it to the blonde.

"When did you have time to- damn. This is the sort of aroma I could pull off isn't it?" The blonde grumbles, sniffing it with the poise of an offended goose.

"What can I say? Knowing flowers means I also know fragrance. Hey! Don't look at me so judgementally you little London dwelling weirdo!" You jabber with an insulted look and a pointed finger at the blonde.

"I haven't been to London in a year!"

"Oh yeah? Well, how come you still smell like it?" You retort but Dio takes the soap in his hand and hits you over the head with it.

"Stop trying to make me squabble so childishly you oaf! Just start producing the soap and be done with it." Dio huffs as he often does before putting down the soap and crossing his arms.

"Aw, you're always so supportive of my ideas. Thanks love." You grin and lean back against the tree, staring up at the sky. Dio sighs at the strong floral scent you always have and thinks back on the conversation.

Citrus, huh?

Of course, the Joestar brat's last remaining friend had to be the most comforting person he'd ever met. It was almost rude, the final person holding Jonathan's life together had managed to make the blonde feel genuinely... content.

Ugh.

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It was Dio's first birthday celebrated with the Joestars and good old Lord George has thrown a massive ball. Buying fancy decorations and fancy presents and having the servants cook only the fanciest foods for the occasion.

It was a large party, full of aristocratic preteens whose parents kept careful watch to ensure they were using the correct etiquette and making connections with the Joestars and their newest family member.

It was massively boring in your opinion but the blonde seemed happy enough with all the attention on him.

Jojo had been there at the start of the party all dressed up and ready to make friends but eventually, he'd been pushed out by all of Dio's new fans.

You had helped decorate the massive ballroom with bouquets and wreaths and flowers that hung on the wall for no particular reason, then you had to style up the cake with lovely edible flowers.

After all that work they made you stay inside like you were some sort of servant and not the second-best gardener in the country. It was well bad.

Throughout the party, you'd stayed in the corner of the room, watching in amusement as Jojo shuffled next to where you were instructed to stay.

"Hey," You whisper, glancing at the boy before looking back at the guests, "You know I'm not supposed to talk to you at events like this. Is something the matter?"

"No, well not really. I just feel a sort of unease with all these people praising Dio because of everything he's done. It just feels like everyone's celebrating a fraud." Jojo sighs, looking around with unease swimming about in his eyes.

So blue.

You nudge the tray of random alcoholic drinks in his direction, accidentally making eye contact with a randomer in the crowd, "And we're the only one's who know the truth, huh? I get you. But really there's nothing we can do about it. Not like we can tell everyone here all about Erina or the whole Danny thing. Guess the best thing to do is er, put your best foot forward?"

"Um, your gonna have to explain this one," Jojo looks at you in confusion and you're pretty much struck by the colour of his eyes. So, so blue.

"Well, the thing is, at some point Dio's gonna get exposed right? It's bound to happen eventually, just not right now. Trick is to win everyone over so that when it does happen, you can build your life back up. Sadly that's the best advice I got," You pay attention to the person in the crowd, the eye contact one and their talking to Dio. Fuck, now he's making eye contact.

Despite yourself, you didn't really hold Dio's actions against him. Something in your dumb gardener brain tended to overlook people's fault. You wanted to apologise to Jojo for the forgiveness you threw around like you were tossing babies into gutters.

Well, that's a bit morbid.

"Well, that's a bit shit," Jojo says bluntly and you immediately forget anything else going on and stare at the Joestar.

"Maybe you should go get a glass of water..." You move the tray of alcoholic drinks away and nudge Jojo in the direction of the food table, "How much have you been drinking? You're like, thirteen."

"So are you?"

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"Had a good time, birthday boy?" You ask, happily leaning against the wall outside Dio's door with your hands behind your back.

"No." The blonde said grumpily. You weren't surprised, it looked like a dull night even for you, and you enjoyed bird watching.

Though you had managed to enjoy it a little bit, even if it was mostly because of having to escort Jojo to bed and leave the party early after Lord Joestar noticed how tipsy he was.

The blonde narrows his eyes at you when he realises you aren't paying attention and you grin at him.

"Really? I thought you would've loved a room filled with people all celebrating you." You tease, crossing your arms.

"If only that had been the case." Dio moved past you and opened the door to his chambers, going in and flopping down on the bed.

You had seen enough of Jojo's parties to know that the guests rarely ever cared about the person, more so about the occasion to present themselves well.

'Silly rich people.'

"Awh, well it's alright now. I'm here." You smiled mischievously and plop down onto the bed next to the blonde, "I got you a present."

"Is it a flower?" The blonde says boredly, face still pressed into the expensive mattress.

"What? No, of course not." You sweatdrop slightly, "I'll be right back."

You go to leave but stop when you hear the blonde laughing at you. It wasn't overwhelmingly kind laughter but you were still pleased to see your friend was back to his usual mocking self.

"I know Lord Joestars probably given you half of India for your birthday but there's no need to laugh!" You huff, embarrassed, poking at the blonde with your spare hand.

Dio's cackling slowly stopped and he raised an amused eyebrow, "Go on then, show me the flower."

You grumble slightly before pulling the flower out from behind your back and presenting it to the mean marigold blonde. In your hand was a small bouquet of white blossoms.

"What is it?" The curious Brando asked, taking the flower and poking at the odd sticky-outy bits.

"A myrtle." You say sheepishly, "I'm not the best at presents, sorry."

"Like the wedding flower?" Dio says, somewhat confused. Was the gardener trying to make a move on him?

"If it was for a wedding I'd have paired it with orange blossom." You grin at the joke but cough slightly when you realize he didn't get it, "Yes like the wedding flower- but don't worry! I'm not interested in marrying you. That's weird."

You panic slightly when the blonde still looks unimpressed and start desperately waving your hands about. "It symbolizes love- like what I call you- don't take it romantically or anything dodgy! ...I thought it was neat. Golly, I'm dumb, sorry. You know how it is with implications, woosh, right over my head."

The blonde starts laughing again, so hard in fact that he quickly has tears in his eyes. Dio rolls around on the bed just laughing and eventually manages to push you off. Making him laugh more.

"They should hire you as a clown rather than a gardener," Dio said in between his fits of laughter, clearly having the time of his life being an asshole. Halting his laughter slightly to smirk down at your floored figure.

God his eyes looked so firelike in dimmed lighting.

"I should've gotten you a dandelion so I could wish for a better friend. Or better yet use it to make you piss yourself in front of-" You pout only to gasp slightly when you get pulled back up onto the bed and hugged tightly.

"How is it you manage to make me so happy when all you're doing is behind stupid?" Dio muttered, wrapping his arms around your neck and placing his head on top of your shoulder, "I should have you fired for giving me such a lacklustre gift. You're just an annoying git, aren't you?"

You grin at this, being cruelly laughed at was a weird way to treat friends but if Dio was genuinely happy so were you.

"Annoying git? Nah. Just lucky, I guess." You say, wrapping your arms around the blonde's waist, "Happy birthday, love."

Dio was always slightly fussy with who can be his friend and who can't but you'd skipped merrily past all that. Not that it really mattered. You could benefit him as a friend and besides, you weren't in a powerful position as a gardener which meant you'd never be able to interfere in anything important.

"Just so you know, hugs are a bad way to keep me complacent, love."

"Oh shush."

Okay so maybe hugs are pretty much a sedative to you. That's fine.

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The heels of your wellie boots tapped sporadically as you sprinted down a cobbled street. Speeding faster than someone should through a busy street.

The Joestar beside you was also running, both of you laughing and holding hands despite the high velocity.

Why are you running? Well, that's simple. The two of you are being chased.

The group of boys following you were some major fans of Dio and took in all the shit he said about Jojo like it was the gospel.

Upon seeing the Joestar in person they didn't hesitate to insult him and get all up in his face about how much he sucked.

You asked them to apologize, they didn't. With Jojo now quite sad about the whole thing, you only saw one solution.

A thrill to cheer him up!

So, logically, you kicked one or two of the boys and said some very rude words about their mother's supposed sexual relations with you before taking Jojo by the hand and running off.

And naturally, your plan succeeded, the pretty blueberry haired boy was once again beaming with the thrill of it all. The joy of a chase and all.

"What a rush! I can't believe you'd say such a vulgar thing (N/N)!" Jojo says with a laugh and a pant of breath as he continues running.

"Only for you milord Jojo!"

Despite the oncoming threat of the boys, you took the time to glance at Jojo's beaming face in the sunlight and he glanced back at your own grinning visage.

Sadly this leads to you bumping into Dio... who was surrounded by a different set of boys who quickly picked up on the annoyance of their friends.

'Shit.' You thought in the face of adversity. Squeezing Jojo's hand slightly as you both come to a skidding halt.

"What's going on here then?" The blonde smirks slightly as one of his questionably chosen friends starts yelling about what had happened and pointing at you.

What a snitch.

"Well, that's quite a damming testament, what have you got to say for yourselves?" The blonde announces smugly, managing to look down on you and Jonathan despite you both being slightly taller than him at this point in time.

"He lied about everything! I would never even think about kicking someone! It's ridiculous." You huff, tightening your grip on the Joestar but not hurting him.

The small crowd of boys boos at you and Dio raises an eyebrow, "Is that so?"

"Yes." You nod before smirking, "I did do his mum though."

Quickly shoving one of the smaller boys out of the way, you start sprinting away with a happy Joestar in tow.

"Ahh (N/N) I can't believe you said that! What if one of them tells a grown-up?" Jojo asks, voicing his concerns as soon as you're far away enough to slow down to a walk.

You scrunch up your nose in distaste, "As if. They're a right slimy bunch, only honour they have is the stuff they inhale when you're near."

"Pft, that explains why some of them were coughing. Can't handle it."

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"Look at my poor garden." You sigh, standing near the open window looking at the skeletons of your flowers. The few evergreens scattered about were the only solace this time of year.

Cicily, the maid you were supposed to be helping just laughed and continued setting up the holly and mistletoe decorations, "I know you picked all of these from the garden but the works not over yet, lazy."

"I surmount all obstacles." You say, beginning to tie tiny bundles to a doorway in the ballroom, scarred fingers handling the plant with care, "Funny meaning for a parasite."

"Funny thing to kiss under a parasite too." The maid laughs once again, you enjoyed making the bubbly senior laugh whenever you work together. It was a warm, wrinkled grin and the sight of it usually spread smiles to everyone else, however it was just the two of you in the ballroom today.

Later in the week when the Christmas ball had arrived and you were on duty carrying around a tray of apricots for the aristocratic guests.

The room smelled less of Christmas and more of old money, and the conversations were about politics, business and Lord Joestars adopted son's first Christmas ball. Nothing you were particularly interested in.

The Joestars and adopted Brando were all mingling, dressed in whatever rich fabric was fashionable as they joked with other rich and fashionable people.

The evening went quickly, with the guests eating away at the apricots and the clock ticking away to Christmas day. You were tiredly waiting for the ghost of Christmas past to arrive by the time the hosted many began to depart.

The red ribbon attached to the front of your apron had begun to droop and the apricots had almost all runout. Like other sleepy servants, you leaned against one of the doors to the ballroom after the room was almost empty.

You were dozing off where you stood when Dio takes a step in front of you and smirks, "Is little (Y/N) ready for hibernation?"

"Oh hello, Dio..." Standing up slightly and rubbing your eyes, you smile at the blonde, "It's amazing how you still look so awake and put together this late at night. Wanting to look good for me, hm?"

Dio rolls his eyes but the orange irises catch on a particular bunch of berries hanging above you, "Wanting a kiss from me, hm?"

"You wish. Never thought you'd be the gal-sneaker type, Dio." You look up at the mistletoe and huff when you realized you'd stood right under it, "Goodnight Dio."

The blonde's smug expression remained and he leaned a little closer to you, "Why, (Y/N), I thought we were close."

You look at his face, studying the amber of his eyes for ill intent. Looking at the same eyes that saw fit to steal Erina's first kiss.

Hm.

Good thing you'd already kissed people before.

"Of course we're close. I just don't really want to be smooching so late at night. But here, if it means so much," You quickly move to kiss him on the cheek before leaving the doorway, "I'm going to bed now. I can hear my hammock calling."

The blonde blinked, slightly shocked, and touched his reddening cheek before turning and smirking at an angry-looking Jonathan across the ballroom.

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I feel like this chapter had a lot more Dio than Jonathan but oh well. Grrr I feel like their both out of characterr. Oh well.

Also yeah, I decided to do like a lil collection of moments from over the seven years the series skips. Next chapter is probably gonna have some more moments just focusing on (Y/N) or just focusing on Dio or Jojo.

Idkk characters making memories are neat <3

Hope you enjoyed!