Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/1119242.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Choose_Not_To_Use_Archive_Warnings, Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Yu-Gi-Oh!
  Relationship:
      Jounouchi_Katsuya/Kaiba_Seto_|_Seto_Kaiba/Joey_Wheeler
  Character:
      Kaiba_Seto, Jounouchi_Katsuya_|_Joey_Wheeler, Mutou_Yuugi, Honda_Hiroto_|
      Tristan_Taylor
  Additional Tags:
      Secret_Crush, Lust_at_First_Sight, Angry_Kissing, Frottage, First_Time,
      Seduction, Hand_Jobs, Blow_Jobs, Anal_Fingering, Anal_Sex
  Stats:
      Published: 2004-11-30 Chapters: 6/6 Words: 18805
****** Chameleon (2004) ******
by JennyB
Summary
     Ever think you truly know someone? You sure?
***** Chapter One *****
It was nearly 10:00 pm when the taxi pulled up to the curb and a lone figure
stepped out. As the cab sped away, Jounouchi watched as several people made
their way towards a building across the street. The structure itself was modest
and unassuming, two stories tall and built with a dark brick, resembling any
warehouse one might find in an industrial area. However, it was the pounding
bass and pulsing rhythms coming from within that belied its true identity as a
dance club. 'Nevermore' was spelled out across the front in large red neon
letters, and underneath was the garish outline in purple neon of a raven's head
that winked grotesquely as it indicated the entrance with its beak. This was
currently the hottest single's club in town, and it was well known around town
that admission was limited to the 'beautiful people', or to those who had
enough cash to buy their way in - apparently, the owners of Nevermore were of
the opinion that money could make anyone attractive.
As he stood on the corner, he contemplated his choice of outfit - tight fitting
black vinyl pants worn with a silver pyramid stud belt, a black Lycra T-shirt,
and a form-fitting black vinyl zipper-up jacket, worn open. To complete the
look, he had added some leather 3-buckle combat boots and, despite the
potential implication of doing so, a silver-studded black leather dog collar.
He knew he looked good - he had already received several propositions and wolf-
whistles from admirers heading to the club.
'Christ, Kaiba would have a field day with this,' he thought to himself, his
hand running over the thick band around his neck. But Seto Kaiba was nowhere to
be seen, and Jou seriously doubted the young CEO would ever frequent such a
place, let alone know how to have fun in one - after all, fun didn't come with
an instruction manual. He ran his fingers through his already tousled blond
mane in frustration. Although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he had a secret
crush on the brunet. He knew that Kaiba would never give him a chance, given
his normally standoffish demeanour and his obvious dislike of every human being
on the planet, save for his little brother. Truth be told, Jou would do
anything possible to goad him into a confrontation, and their bickering excited
him. For those few brief moments each day, Kaiba's complete attention was
focused solely on him, and often Jou would pretend to be outraged at the
barrage of insults hurled at him only to prolong the moment. The dog insults
were a prime example; in all honesty, they didn't really bother him that much -
in fact, he kind of enjoyed the extra attention they commanded. So yesterday,
he had 'accidentally' let it slip that he was going out tonight, and he had
deliberately chosen to wear the dog collar hoping that he might, by chance, run
into Kaiba. He knew it was a long shot, and if nothing else came of it, he was
out to have a good time.
When there was a break in the traffic, he crossed the street and headed towards
the club. As he got closer, he could hear the music getting louder and feel the
heavy bass thumping in his chest. He was happy to see that there was no line
outside, so he pulled open the heavy iron door and went inside. He was
surprised to find a small corridor painted a dark violet, and in the distance,
a faint green neon light, illuminating what could only be a stairway. He found
it strange that a place with two perfectly good stories above ground would
bother having its patrons enter from the basement. He was still thinking about
the logistics of such a thing as he made his way down the dimly lit stairway
which erupted into a fairly large alcove sparsely lit by electric torches. He
took a moment to let his eyes adjust to the new lighting level, and he could
see that a fair sized crowd had already gathered, awaiting admission to the
club itself. 'Ah, now I understand,' he thought as he looked around. The alcove
allowed patrons to wait without having to stand out on the street, effectively
protecting them from the elements and from the prying eyes of passers-by.
Besides, having it underground provided the needed area without compromising
space on the dance floor. He didn't see a line of any kind, but he did see the
bouncer.
He was a giant of a man with short-cropped black hair and biceps the size of a
small watermelon. His thighs looked like small tree trunks and his hands were
clenched in meaty fists down by his sides. If this man's sheer size wasn't
enough to make Jou stare in awe, then his 'uniform' was definitely something to
behold. He was wearing a fuchsia mesh muscle shirt, probably a size or two too
small, with the club logo silk-screened on the back in violet, black spandex
bicycle shorts that left nothing to the imagination, and black commando boots.
He wore a hands-free microphone headset, and occasionally, he would point to a
patron and grant them access. Jou looked around the room. Obviously, they had
some sort of hidden closed-circuit TV system installed, and in a security room
somewhere, someone was picking and choosing which 'beautiful people' would be
able to enter. He sighed and leaned against the wall, hoping his wait would be
short.
He watched a short, balding man in a business suit enter and walk up to the
bouncer. 'Business executive or lawyer,' Jou figured. He said something Jou
couldn't hear, then the bouncer erupted into laughter and said, "Get the hell
outta here!" The man said something else, and Jou could see the giant was
talking to someone on his headset, then he nodded and turned back to the short
man. "Ten thousand. Cash," was all he said.
The short man nodded, then pulled ten crisp bills from his pocket billfold and
handed them to the bouncer, who stuffed them through a slot, then stepped aside
so the man could enter. Jou goggled in amazement. He had never seen that much
money all at one time before, nor could he imagine someone dropping that kind
of cash on one evening out. He hoped it didn't come down to that for him.
Fortunately for him, someone must have liked his look.
"Hey, Blondie!" the bouncer grunted, pointing a gigantic finger towards Jou and
beckoning him over. "You're in. Now move that sweet ass of yours over here."
Obligingly, he scooted across the alcove and waited for the large man to move.
With a sly smirk on his face, the bouncer took a half-step to the side so Jou
would have to wriggle past him to get inside. As the blond approached him, he
felt a beefy fist clamp around his arm, and he turned to stare wide-eyed into
the huge face in front of him. "Yummy, I love a man in vinyl," the bouncer
whispered lecherously in his ear. "My shift ends at 1:00 – maybe I'll look you
up." He released his vice-like grip and admitted the blond, but not before
giving him a hearty slap on the rear end.
Jou yelped in astonishment, and looked back at the bouncer, a look of pure
revulsion on his face. 'Like hell!' Jou thought, and made his way further into
the club. Jou looked around and noticed with some surprise that the club was
essentially one floor with a very high ceiling. The only indication of a second
story was the diamond plate steel catwalk that travelled the perimeter of the
room. It was about 10 feet wide and littered with small cocktail tables, except
for along the back wall where it widened out to accommodate a Shooter Bar made
of glass block and backlit with pale blue lighting. The walls were all painted
with the same dark violet paint he had seen in the upstairs corridor, and with
the lights down low the room took on an eerie glow. Laser beams and neon
lighting ricocheted off the mirrored ceiling, and a fog machine was creating a
soft mist over the entire dance floor. The main bar was at the far end of the
main floor, also constructed of glass block and backlit like its smaller
counterpart. In the low light, it almost looked like a large piece of ice
adrift in a sea of darkness. The DJ booth was tucked away in the far corner of
the room, and the only indication of its presence was the tiny red light the DJ
used for illumination. Little clusters of overstuffed hot pink and violet
loveseats and armchairs littered one side of the room, and small cocktail
tables and bar chairs occupied the other. The dance floor was, in a word,
incredible. It was constructed of black glass tiles, overlaid with a thick
sheet of Lexan, and set up to work like a plasma ball – little wisps of pink
and blue lightning could be seen dancing across the floor as people moved
about. Jou was impressed by how unique this place was, and was anxious to dance
and have a good time.
He moved onto the dance floor just as a heavy techno beat song began. Jou
started to move with the rhythm, swinging his lithe body in a fast, visceral
motion. He closed his eyes and felt the music overtaking him, his movements raw
and erotic, his thoughts a blur. After a few songs, he opened his eyes and
noticed that quite a crowd had gathered to watch him, among them a taller man
with white-blond hair and piercing emerald green eyes. Blushing slightly, he
nodded to his admirers and as a slower song came on, he headed off to the bar
to get a drink. After a few minutes, a voluptuous brunette in a lavender satin
bustier and black leather miniskirt came over to him and said, "What can I get
you, Cutie?"
"Um…Stoli on the rocks, please," he replied. She nodded and returned a few
moments later with his drink. He paid her, and after leaving a sizable tip, he
made his way over to where the cocktail tables were located, plopping himself
into one of the chairs. As he sat there sipping his drink, he became aware of a
presence behind him. Turning around, he met a pair of grey eyes. Startled, he
let out a gasp.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," a male voice said. "I was watching you from
across the room, and I just had to come over and say hello." He took a long
drag off a cigarette, and eyed Jou up and down.
Jou looked at the man in front of him. He was probably his height, but a little
bit stockier, with grey eyes and unkempt black hair. He was dressed in black
velvet jeans and a black brocade dress shirt and sported several piercings in
each of his ears. Probably the most distinguishing, and disturbing, feature
about this individual was the fact that he'd had his canine teeth sharpened
into fangs. As Jou stared at him nervously, the man took another drag off his
cigarette and smiled broadly.
"My name's Xavier, and you are simply beautiful. I'd love to take you home with
me tonight." He exhaled, making small ringlets out of the smoke.
"No thanks. I don't date smokers. It's like kissing an ashtray – disgusting."
Xavier raised an eyebrow at him. "No? Then I'll quit," he replied, crushing out
the remnants. "You'd be worth quitting for."
Jou shifted uncomfortably in his chair, amazed by the man's tenacity. He
decided to try a different approach. "Sorry, but I'm here with someone."
Hard, grey eyes stared intently at him for a moment, glinting with amusement.
The dark haired man cocked his head slightly to the side, his tongue resting on
his upper canine. "Bullshit. You arrived alone, you drink alone, in fact, until
now, you've been alone all night." He broke into an evil grin. "Ok, I'll play
your game. Tell me, who are you here with?"
"He's here with me," an icy voice said, and Jou felt a pair of strong arms
snake around his waist protectively.
'Please, God, don't let it be that psycho bouncer,' he thought as he glanced
behind him to see the man from the dance floor with the pale hair and green
eyes, whose cold gaze was currently fixed on Xavier. He felt a shiver of
anticipation shoot through his body as he peered into the other's face.
"You," Xavier said, pointing at the blond stranger, "Are here with him?" His
mouth curved into a malicious snarl as he spat the words. "I don't believe
you."
"I don't give a damn what you believe," the green-eyed man sneered, the
faintest trace of a British accent in his voice. "But maybe this will convince
you." He bent down low to Jou's neck, and whispered softly in his ear, "Trust
me and play along." He moved around the blond and cupping his cheeks in his
hands, kissed him tenderly on the lips.
At first, Jou tried to keep the kiss fairly innocent, but the intimate contact
from the stranger sent a shockwave of excitement rippling through his body,
overwhelming his good sense, and the next thing he knew, he was locked in a
heated embrace with a man he had only just met. Their tongues swirled together,
and a soft moan escaped from Jou's lips. His longing for Kaiba and his
frustration at rejection were momentarily forgotten as he explored the other's
mouth hungrily, feeling a tingling sensation travel down his spine to end at
his groin. When they finally broke for air, Jou was left breathless and light-
headed.
Xavier watched the whole display, a look of horror on his face. When they were
finished and he saw the smug look on the green-eyed man's lips, he let out an
enraged growl. "Fine," he seethed through clenched teeth to Jou. "I guess you
do have a whore here after all. No matter, I can find some other prey. I'll
leave you be – for now." For a moment, steely grey eyes stared into bewildered
golden ones, and the dark haired man smirked nastily. He skulked off towards
the lounge area, leaving the two alone.
Jou lightly touched his lips with his fingers, and looking at the stranger he
said, "Sorry about that. I don't usually –"
"Don't worry about it," the green-eyed man said, interrupting him and smiling
amusedly. "Honestly though, you aren't here with anyone, are you?" he asked,
sliding into the chair opposite the blond.
"N-no, not exactly," Jou stammered, eyeing his new companion. He had shoulder-
length white-blond hair which reminded him somewhat of Bakura's, and his bright
green eyes were rimmed with kohl eyeliner, which made them appear even more
intense. He was tall and lithe, and looked like a supermodel in the black
leather pants and white vest he wore, which accentuated his muscular legs,
toned chest and sculpted arms. His cologne lingered on Jou, and he inhaled
deeply.
The man chuckled softly. "What do you mean, 'not exactly'?"
Jou sighed. "I was hoping someone would show up, but I don't think he's going
to come."
"Hmm, his loss," he said, his fingertips reaching out to touch the leather
collar. "Mmm, now this I like. Very animalistic."
Jou blushed and coughing slightly gulped down the rest of his drink. "So, uh…
Thanks for what you did back there…um, I'm sorry, I don't know your name."
"Quinn. And you are?"
"Quinn," Jou repeated, nodding. "My name's Jounouchi, but my friends call me
Jou. Seriously, thanks. Um, can I, uh, buy you a drink or something?"
Quinn nodded, and picked up Jou's empty glass. He sniffed it, then said, "So, I
see we're drinking vodka tonight. Make it two."
Jou walked up to the bar, Quinn in tow, and ordered two more drinks. For some
unknown reason, this man got Jou's heart racing. He glanced at Quinn out of the
corner of his eye, and frowned slightly. There was something that seemed oddly
familiar about his movements, but Jou couldn't quite place it. He handed one of
the drinks over, and then quickly gulped his down, trying to calm himself.
Quinn winked at the blond. "Cheers," he said, downing his drink. He licked his
lip slowly, then turned to Jou and said, "You know, I just got a wicked idea.
Are you a betting man, Jounouchi?"
Jou eyed him suspiciously. "What did you have in mind?"
"The Shooter Bar is upstairs. You and me and a bottle of Jagermeister – the
first to quit loses. When I win, you agree to meet me here next Saturday night.
If you win, well, you name it. What do you say?"
The blond smirked. "I say only an idiot would play a drinking game with a
Brit."
"I'm not British," Quinn replied cryptically. "Come on, I'll buy." He grabbed
Jou's hand, sending another jolt of electricity rippling through his body. His
head swimming from a combination of alcohol and desire, he allowed himself to
be dragged up to the second level and the Shooter Bar.
As he sat at the small wrought iron cocktail table Quinn had ushered him into,
Jou sat silently wondering how the hell he'd been talked into a drinking game
with a guy he had just met. While he was contemplating a graceful escape, Quinn
returned, a bottle of the herbal liquor and two shot glasses in hand. The
taller man poured out two draughts and handed one to the Jou.
"Ready?" Quinn asked. "On three – one, two, three, go!" Both downed their shot
and set their glasses on the table. Immediately Jou's head began to swim from
all the alcohol, but he had to admit, it did have a fairly nice taste to it –
kind of licoricey. "I'm still in," Quinn stated. "You?"
Jou nodded. "I'm in. Set 'em up again."
By the fifth round, Jou was completely numb, and by the eighth, he was so dizzy
he dropped his glass on the floor where it shattered. Quinn smiled. "I think
you've had enough, and since you've managed to destroy your glass, I guess that
means I win by default."
"Yeah, yeah," Jou said dismissively, with a wave of his hand. He stood up,
tottering slightly, and announced, "I need to go outside for a while and get
some air. Want to come with?" Quinn nodded and the two of them made their way
outside to the sidewalk. Jou cast a half-lidded sidelong glance at his
companion and slurring slightly asked, "How come your legs seem to be working
much better than mine right now?"
Quinn smiled softly and said, "I cheated. I only had one shot; you were too
preoccupied to notice. I'm sorry; I won't hold you to our bet if you don't want
to."
"No, s'okay. I got nothin' better to do next weekend," Jou said, half
chuckling, half hiccupping.
Quinn was momentarily stunned, then grinned. "Touché. I guess I deserved that
one," he said, winking at the blond, then he furrowed his eyebrows in concern
at the vile shade of green Jou was turning. "I think you need to get home. Can
I give you a ride?"
Jou wobbled slightly, and said, "No, I'm fine. I just don't feel so – " He
teetered once more, then passed out against Quinn. He came to rather quickly,
and could feel himself being carefully set down on the sidewalk. He tried to
open one eye, but the world was spinning, and he didn't like the ride. He
drifted in and out of consciousness several times over the next few minutes,
and the last thing he thought he remembered hearing before he blacked out
completely was the concerned voice of Seto Kaiba calling, "Jounouchi! Jou!
Puppy!!"
***** Chapter Two *****
Jounouchi groaned as he turned over, snuggling his pillow. He felt like there
was a jackhammer going off inside his head, and a nasty wave of nausea was
threatening to make a bad morning even worse. As he lay there fighting an
internal struggle with his body, he cursed his horrible luck. It figured that
as soon as Kaiba showed up, he'd have to go and pass out, and in the company of
another guy, too. 'That's just fucking fantastic,' he grumbled to himself. 'I
imagine I made a pretty big ass out of myself last night. Damn it!' After
mentally berating himself for a few more minutes, he thought again about the
previous evening. 'I bet the whole thing was a dream. Why would Kaiba want to
bring me home? He'd probably complain that having me as a passenger would lower
the resale value of his precious car.'
All of a sudden, his eyes snapped open and he took in his surroundings. He saw
the Duel Monsters poster pinned to the wall, the desk cluttered with textbooks,
papers and empty soda cans, the school uniform lying haphazardly across the
back of the desk chair, and he realized with a sick feeling in the pit of his
stomach that he was back in his room. In a panic, he threw off his blankets,
his headache forgotten for the moment. He was still wearing his clothes from
last night, and with a wave of dread, he undid his pants and peeked into the
darkness therein. With a sigh of relief he saw that he was still wearing his
underwear, and he didn't feel like he was in any kind of pain. He rolled over
onto his back and stared at his ceiling. 'Ok, so I didn't go home with anyone
last night and I didn't bring anyone back here, thank God for that,' he mused.
'But the question remains, how the hell did I get home, and who brought me
here?'
The harder he tried to remember, the more his head throbbed. The room had
finally seemed to stop spinning, and he figured he had better get up. Yugi had
invited him over to work on their homework assignments, and despite how he
felt, he knew he'd much rather feel sick at Yugi's than healthy at home any
day. Besides, if his father found him still in bed when he woke up, he'd be in
for an ass kicking for sure.
He swung his feet over the edge of his bed, fighting a new wave of nausea as he
sat up. When the dizziness had passed, he stood up and took a few tentative
steps across the floor. 'So far, so good,' he thought. He reached for the
doorknob, then quickly recoiled as if the metal was red-hot. He glanced over at
his alarm clock and saw that it was 8:30. Doing a quick calculation in his
head, he knew that he had about an hour to an hour and a half before his father
would be awake. Nevertheless, he knew better than to go parading about the
house in his current state of dress. Jou knew that if he were caught, his life
would quickly go from being a living hell to a complete nightmare. He threw off
his clothes and stowed them carefully away where his father wouldn't find them,
then tossed on a pair of flannel sleep pants and an old T-shirt. Satisfied with
his appearance, he quietly opened the door and padded off to the bathroom.
He flicked on the overhead light, and was momentarily horrified by his own
reflection. The bare bulb cast a sickly yellow glow over him, making his pale
skin look sallow and waxy. He could see the dark circles hanging heavy under
his sunken, bloodshot eyes, and he was grateful that it was Sunday. 'That's the
last time I'll ever do that again,' he swore to himself, only half-believing it
and knowing full well that he'd be going out again next weekend. Rummaging
through the medicine chest, he found a half-empty bottle of Pepto-Bismol and a
bottle of aspirin. Jou dumped five tablets into his hand and swallowed them
down with a large swig of the chalky pink liquid. He grimaced slightly, and by
some almighty miracle was able to will everything to remain in his stomach.
Hurriedly, he stripped off his clothes and had a quick shower, then brushed his
teeth and made a half-hearted attempt to run a comb through his hair. After
peering out into the hall to make sure the coast was clear, he made the five
yard dash from the bathroom to his room stark naked, carefully shutting the
door behind him. Throwing on some underwear and socks, he sat down on the edge
of his bed. By now, the Pepto-Bismol had started to kick in, and he was
beginning to feel a little bit better – even the pounding in his head was
starting to subside. Tossing on some jeans, a white T-shirt and a green fleece
jacket, he threw all his textbooks into his backpack, grabbed his wallet, and
crept down the stairs from his bedroom and outside into the bright morning
sunshine.
He headed downtown, slowly making his way towards Yugi's house. The glare from
the sun was intense, and seemed to be reflecting off of every window. Wincing
as the light sent an intense stab of pain running through his head, Jounouchi
lowered his gaze and continued to trudge along the nearly deserted streets. He
rounded a corner and felt himself bouncing off of something soft yet solid. Jou
stumbled backwards a few steps before the weight of the books caused him to
lose his balance and fall onto his rear end. Hearing a soft chuckle, he
realized it was a person he'd collided with, and while still sprawled on the
ground he looked up in anger and shouted, "Hey, why don't you look where the
fuck you're going? Ah, hell!" Jou's brain had registered the identity of the
person he'd hit, and it had been none other than Seto Kaiba. His heart gave a
little flutter as he looked up at the object of his affections.
"I could say the same to you, Mutt," he responded, looking down at the blond.
"And here you are, running around off your leash. Be careful you don't get
taken away to the pound – I hear they put down pathetic mongrels like you."
Normally, Jou would have leapt at the chance to bicker with the young CEO;
however, the throbbing in his head reminded him that now might not be the best
time for that. "Fuck you, Kaiba!" he shouted. "For the last time, I'm not a
damned dog!" With a groan that sounded more like a forlorn howl, the blond
brought his hands up to his head, cradling it gently as another wave of white-
hot pain ran its course, blurring his vision and causing his ears to ring.
The taller of the two recognized the symptoms of a hangover when he saw one,
and deep down he felt a slight pang of sympathy. "Come on, Pup, on your feet,"
Kaiba said, extending his hand to Jounouchi.
His vision returning to normal, Jou smacked away the offered hand, and said
hotly, "I don't need or want your help, Kaiba. I am perfectly capable of taking
care of –" He stopped mid-sentence and stared bewildered at the brunet. "Did
you just call me 'Pup'?"
Almost imperceptibly, blue eyes widened in shock, then quickly regained their
composure. "Don't be an idiot. Now get up."
Defiantly, Jou crossed his arms in front of him. "I don't take orders from
you."
Kaiba sighed and rolled his eyes in frustration. "Are you always this stubborn,
or are you just making a special effort today?" he asked, bending over,
grabbing the blond by his jacket and physically hauling him to his feet.
For a moment, Jounouchi was too stunned to move. He knew from past experience
that the brunet was stronger than he looked, but he hadn't expected to be
picked up off the ground without so much as a second thought. Regaining his
composure, he straightened his jacket and said, "What the hell is wrong with
you?"
"Look, Mutt," Kaiba replied. "There's nothing wrong with me, but I know what's
wrong with you – you look even more pathetic than usual. Come on, I think I may
be able to help you."
Jou eyed the brunet suspiciously. "Ok, Kaiba, I don't know what kind of game
you're playing today, but why are you offering to help me, and what's it gonna
cost me?"
"No games, no cost. Let's just say I sympathize with you."
Jou laughed. "With you, there's always a cost, it's just not always up front. I
don't need your pity, Kaiba. Why don't you go back to doing whatever the hell
you were on your way to do, and let me be?"
"Whatever, Mutt. I offered, take it or leave it. I'm not going to beg – that's
your job. See you around." He stepped around the shorter teen and began to walk
away.
As Kaiba made his way further down the block, a little voice in Jounouchi's
head said, 'Katsuya, you idiot! Go after him!' He tried to ignore the voice for
a while, but after a minute, he gave in. "Hey Kaiba!" he called. "Hang on!" He
saw the brunet stop and turn around, a triumphant smirk on his face. 'Shit,
he's toying with me,' Jou thought to himself as he trotted down the sidewalk
after the other. 'And now, here I am, running after him like a little lost
puppy.' He groaned inwardly, 'Oh, I did not just think that.'
When he had rejoined him, he said, "Alright, how can you help me?"
Kaiba beckoned with his finger. "Come with me," was all he said before
continuing down the sidewalk. For about two blocks, they walked in silence. Jou
had to practically jog to keep up with Kaiba's long strides, and when the
brunet finally stopped outside a shop with pink-mirrored windows, Jou found
himself bent over and panting for breath. Kaiba snorted in amusement. "Get in,"
he said, holding the door open for the blond.
Jou glared at him in irritation and stepped inside. While he waited for his
eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, he was hit by the pleasant aroma of coffee,
cinnamon and strawberries. He inhaled deeply, then looked around. He found
himself in a small café that had about ten small tables scattered around the
room and four large booths just in front of the window. Jou noticed that he
could see the street outside, but passers-by were unable to see in. A firm hand
was placed in the middle of his back and he felt himself being steered towards
one of the booths.
"Sit," Kaiba commanded.
Jounouchi folded his arms across his chest and said coolly, "You know, it's
considered polite to ask people to do something rather than ordering them all
the time. You don't have to be such a fucking ass- Ow!" Jou winced in pain as
Kaiba grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him down into the soft leather
seat. "Shit, that hurt, you bastard!" he grumbled, rubbing his arm.
Kaiba sat down opposite him and glared at him. "This isn't a date, Mutt. Get
over it."
Jounouchi felt a slight blush creeping up his cheeks, and quickly looked away.
He was just about to tell Kaiba that he should learn some manners when he was
interrupted by a plump older lady with greying hair and a friendly twinkle in
her eye. "What can I get you, Hon?"
Flustered, Jou stammered, "Uh…coffee, black please."
"No coffee," Kaiba interrupted.
"Kaiba, I want a fucking coffee."
"You don't need caffeine." He saw the waitress smiling kindly, albeit a little
confused at the exchange going on between the two. "Give us a minute," he said.
As soon as she was out of earshot, he leaned across the table and said sternly,
"You are a stubborn puppy. Do I have to put a tighter leash on you?" The brunet
folded his arms across his chest, staring intently at the blond.
Jou felt another blush stain his cheeks as he shifted uncomfortably in his
seat, wondering if he should continue to sit there or if he should just get up
and leave. As he was reaching for his backpack, the waitress returned.
"Do you still need another minute?"
"No, I think we're ready," Kaiba replied, still looking at the blond. "Tea for
me, and he'll have my Monday Morning Special – Version Two."
Jounouchi opened his mouth as if to protest, but before he could say a word, he
caught a withering glare from the brunet. He sat back in his seat, suddenly
very interested in the edge of the tabletop. Several minutes passed in silence
before Jounouchi asked, "So, what is it I'm getting?"
Kaiba smirked. "Something I invented after my first all-night business meeting.
It looks absolutely foul, but trust me, it works."
Before Jou could respond, the waitress returned. She set a small ceramic pot in
front of Kaiba, and a large milkshake glass containing a thick brownish-orange
liquid in front of the blond. She smiled kindly at him, and patted him on the
shoulder as she left.
Jou cautiously sniffed the drink in front of him, then eyed Kaiba suspiciously,
his head cocked to the side. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he asked, "How do I
know you aren't giving me something that's going to make me sick, just so you
can laugh at me?"
Kaiba rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly. "Quit being so paranoid. I
don't need to make you sick to laugh at you. You provide ample opportunities on
your own." He poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip, noticing the blond
was still looking at him. "What now?" he asked.
Jou looked at him a moment longer, then pushed the glass towards the brunet.
"You try it first."
"Honest to God, you're worse than a child!" he exclaimed in exasperation as he
took his spoon and impatiently scooped up a heaping blob and stuck it in his
mouth. Slamming the utensil back down on the table, he glared at the blond and
said irritably, "Satisfied that I'm not out to poison you?"
Jou pulled the glass back towards him and nodded. "Well, I wouldn't put it past
you. You can be a bit of a dickhead sometimes."
Kaiba snorted in amusement, "Don't flatter yourself. You're not that important
to me that I'd waste my time and energy trying to kill you."
Before he could stop himself, Jou blurted out, "Well then, why did you waste
your time and energy trying to help me?" He immediately felt a deep blush rush
over his face and he looked down at the table top, feeling a small lurch in his
stomach.
Kaiba felt his stomach flutter as a faint pink tinge coloured his cheeks. He
quickly took another sip of his tea. "I had an hour to kill and nothing better
to do," he said with a casual shrug. He saw the hurt look momentarily flash
across the blond's face, and he felt a stab of guilt. 'He'd never believe it
and think you were making fun of him if you told him the truth,' Kaiba reminded
himself, and turned to look out the window.
Jou nodded again, and took a tentative sip of his drink. "Hey Kaiba, this isn't
bad at all. What's in it?"
Kaiba smirked, "Company secret."
"What? You've got to be joking!" he exclaimed incredulously
The brunet smiled, "I am."
If Jou had been surprised by the first response, he was utterly floored by the
second. He choked on the mouthful that he had been in the process of swallowing
and just stared open-mouthed at Kaiba. Finally finding his voice, he squeaked
out, "I've never known you to crack a joke! Did Hell just freeze over?"
"There are a lot of things about me that you don't know," he said coolly. An
uncomfortable silence descended upon them as Kaiba stared intently at the
blond, who averted his gaze as he sipped his drink. Clearing his throat he
finally said, "It contains vegetable juice, orange juice, honey, bananas,
strawberries, a few different crushed vitamins, some crushed aspirin, vanilla
ice cream, and a couple of other things. Normally, it's made with milk, but
given your love of desserts, I assumed you would prefer this version."
Jou was clearly touched by the gesture. "How'd you know I like desserts?" he
asked.
Kaiba snickered. "Given your daily antics in the cafeteria at lunch, only an
idiot would not know that." He looked down at his watch, then said, "Well Mutt,
it's been interesting. You will drink another one of these, then you should be
back to normal – well, at least to the way you were before. I'll have one
prepared for you to take with you."
The brunet stood up, looking out the window as he straightened his coat.
Suddenly, his eyes grew colder and a slight frown crept across his face. Jou
turned to see what he was looking at, and gasped slightly when he saw Xavier
walking down the sidewalk. He looked back at Kaiba, who was staring intently
out the window. "Son of a bitch!" the brunet growled under his breath, and
stormed out the door with a flutter of his trench coat. As Jounouchi watched
him walk off in a rage, he couldn't help but wonder how Kaiba had come to know
Xavier, and why he was so pissed off at him.
***** Chapter Three *****
Shortly after Kaiba left the café, the waitress returned with a large 'to-go'
cup and set it down in front of Jou. She patted him gently on the arm and said,
"I hope you're feeling better, Sweetie. Mr. Kaiba might have a gruff exterior,
but he is very good to his employees."
"Oh, I don't work for Kaiba. We know each other from school."
She raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, "Oh! I'm sorry – when I saw him
walk in here with you, I guess I just assumed… I mean, the only people he ever
brings in here are employees! You two must be good friends then?"
Jou's face broke into a wide grin, and he laughed. "Yeah, something like that,"
he said to the woman. He picked up the Styrofoam cup and slid out of the booth.
"Thanks!" he said, nodding his head and raising his drink in gratitude. She
beamed at him and waved as he walked out the door and into the sunshine.
By the time he reached Yugi's place, he had polished off his drink and was
feeling infinitely better. His headache was almost gone and his stomach had
quieted down considerably; in fact, he was even beginning to feel a little bit
hungry. He was still puzzled by Kaiba's unexpected act of kindness, but he was
grateful to the brunet for his assistance, and he had enjoyed spending a
portion of the morning in his company. For once, they had carried on a civil
conversation and as he thought back on it, Jou was filled with a warm,
contented feeling.
Jou raised his hand to knock on the door, but before he could it swung open.
Yugi stood there, his hands on his hips, his face wearing an expression of
worry mixed with relief. "Jou! Where have you been? You should have been here
over an hour ago!"
The blond grinned sheepishly and ran a hand haphazardly through his hair.
"Sorry, Yug. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Oh yeah? Try me." The smaller boy folded his arms across his chest, trying his
best to look annoyed.
Jou took a deep breath, "I ran into Kaiba…"
The irritated expression was replaced with one of genuine disbelief. "Kaiba?!"
Yugi cried, his violet eyes widening in surprise. "This I have to hear!" He
grabbed Jou by the arm and dragged him inside, closing the door behind him. He
ushered the blond up to his room, who called out a rushed, "Morning, Gramps!"
as he was forcibly shoved past the old man. Once they were safely inside, Yugi
sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up at the blond, his chin in his
hands. "Ok…spill it."
Jou rolled his eyes in amusement. "Man Yug, you have to stop hanging around
with Anzu so much. You're starting to act like a gossipy girl!" He laughed when
Yugi made a face at him, then he sat down on the desk chair and proceeded to
tell the story of his morning thus far. When he was done, he looked at his best
friend and asked, "So, are you still mad at me?"
Yugi smiled and said, "You know I wasn't really mad at you – more worried than
anything."
Jou grinned, "Great! So, how about some lunch?"
===============================================================================
By the time he arrived at school on Monday morning, Jou was in a good mood. He
and Yugi had finished all of their homework and had even managed to squeeze in
a movie in the evening. When he walked into his classroom, he saw that Kaiba
was already there, seated at his desk and reading a book. He walked over to the
brunet and stood in front of him.
"What do you want?" Kaiba asked coolly, not bothering to look up from his
reading.
"I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for helping me out yesterday." Jou
received an indifferent grunt in return. When the brunet said nothing else, he
took a deep breath and continued, "I was also wondering about that café we went
to – I've never noticed it before."
"That doesn't surprise me. Your powers of observation are less than stellar,"
he replied. "It's a small business for the exclusive use of Kaiba Corp
employees."
"Oh." Jou shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, then asked, "So,
um, how is it that you know Xavier?"
Kaiba closed his book and looked up at the blond. Narrowing his eyes slightly,
he said coldly, "That is really none of your concern." The brunet stared at Jou
for a few moments, his piercing cobalt eyes staring directly into the blond's
slightly flushed face. "How is it that you know him, Mutt?"
Jou blushed a deep red, and quickly lowered his eyes. "Uh, I met him the other
day when I was…out."
Kaiba smirked in amusement and said, "Bar or porn store?"
Jou looked up at him in surprise. "What?"
"Did you meet him in a bar or a porn store?"
"Kaiba, how would you –"
"I know his type, and I want to know if you met him in a bar or a porn store."
"Bar," Jou mumbled.
The brunet nodded. "That explains yesterday, then."
"But I never – " Jou began indignantly.
"Relax, Mutt. I didn't think you two were dating, although if you are it makes
no difference to me." Kaiba snorted disdainfully then said, "You may be an
idiot at times, but I would hope that even a pathetic disappointment like you
could do better than that loser. Now, unless you have something interesting or
important to say, quit wasting my time." He picked up his book and resumed his
reading, once again ignoring the blond.
Jou could feel his temper rising. "Really?" he snapped. "And just who would you
suggest I pursue? Who does a nothing like me deserve?" He glared at Kaiba, and
sneered, "Maybe an asshole like you?"
A faint pink blush momentarily spread across Kaiba's cheeks, then it was gone.
The brunet kept his head down and continued reading.
Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he said, "Screw you, Kaiba! You know, I just
don't understand you. Yesterday, you acted almost human and proved that you are
capable of carrying on a decent conversation. Today, you're back to your old,
arrogant asshole self!" He shook his head in aggravation. "Fuck, I think if
someone were to show you that you're not superior to the rest of us, you might
realize that being friends with someone actually has some benefit!"
The blond had struck a nerve. Slamming down his book, Kaiba stood up nose-to-
nose with the blond and whispered menacingly, "You don't know anything,
Jounouchi. Any time you think you are man enough to take me down, you are
welcome to try."
Jou felt a surge of adrenaline surge through his veins as well as a rush of
excitement to his groin. He caught the scent of Kaiba's cologne – spicy, with a
hint of citrus, and absolutely intoxicating. He fought back a moan of pleasure,
opting instead to continue his confrontation and stare directly into Kaiba's
icy sapphire eyes. He knew this was dangerous; sort of like trying to stare
down a wild animal, but he couldn't help himself. He was drawn into those
bottomless pools of frozen blue, and as he stared, he felt a small gasp catch
in the back of his throat. He had expected to see anger, hatred or contempt,
but what he saw truly surprised him. Deep beneath the brunet's steely exterior
burned a passion of infinite intensity. Jou had never noticed this before, but
then again, he had never been granted the unspoken permission to gaze directly
into Kaiba's eyes for any length of time before, either.
He was about to speak when the bell rang and a flood of students came pouring
into the room. At the head of the pack were Honda and Yugi. The two took one
look at the standoff in front of them, and they quickly rushed over. Honda
grabbed Jou by the arm and dragged him back over to his desk, all the while
saying, "Man, you've gotta quit challenging Kaiba like this. You know he's
going to kick your ass one of these days!"
The blond's gaze never once left Kaiba's, and he noted that Kaiba's never
wavered either. As he was dropped unceremoniously into his chair, he saw the
brunet blink and turn his gaze to the front of the room, a small smirk on his
lips. Jounouchi's mouth dropped open in surprise as he thought, 'Did Kaiba just
let me win?'
===============================================================================
As the week progressed, Jounouchi found himself becoming more and more excited.
By Friday, he was just about ready to jump out of his skin in anticipation. He
was looking forward to going out again on Saturday night, but he was nervous
about meeting up with Quinn. Granted the guy was gorgeous, but Jou knew very
little about the man, and deep in his heart, he was still pining for Kaiba. In
spite of that, he couldn't ignore the feelings he'd had when Quinn kissed him;
the contact had been very intense, almost electrifying. And though he didn't
want to believe it, he had wanted more.
Then there was the brunet. He'd been acting very strange over the past few
days. It had all started on Sunday when Jou had run into him. Since then, Kaiba
had seemed a little bit more personable, but his mood swings were even more
extreme and unpredictable than before – it seemed as though the slightest
misspoken word would set him off. And then there were his eyes – Jou could not
stop thinking about the intense emotion that he had seen there. What was it
that was fuelling this newly kindled spark? But perhaps the strangest thing of
all was that he had taken up staring at Jou for extended periods of time.
Whenever the blond would happen to catch him, Kaiba would quickly look away,
busying himself with his work or poking his nose into a book. Jounouchi found
the whole thing somewhat unsettling, and the harder he tried to figure out what
was going on, the more it made his head hurt.
He groaned in frustration, and turned his attention back to his homework. As
usual, he had managed to score himself a couple of hours of detention for not
paying attention in class. He scribbled the answers to a few math equations,
then sighed in relief when the bell rang releasing him from his imprisonment
and freeing him for the weekend. Tossing his books into his backpack, he jumped
up from his desk, gave a quick nod to the supervising teacher, and dashed out
of the room.
He shivered slightly in the late afternoon air, looking up at the grey and
overcast sky. He hoped it wouldn't start to rain before he got home. He started
to walk quickly so that he could get dinner prepared, then he remembered that
his father wouldn't be home until later tonight as this was poker night with
his drinking buddies. Jou shuddered knowing the condition the old man would be
in when he finally called it a night. And depending on how much he had won or
lost, that would dictate the type of weekend Jou would be having. Suddenly he
found he wasn't in such a hurry to get home, and he began to slowly trudge his
way along the sidewalk.
He walked slowly past the restaurants and stores lining the downtown street. A
lot of the shops were starting to close up for the night, while the cafés and
clubs were starting to prepare for the evening rush. He had stopped to read the
postings outside the theatre when he suddenly became aware of a presence behind
him. He spun around to find himself face-to-face with Xavier. 'Shit,' he
thought to himself.
"Hello, my golden angel," Xavier said, running his tongue grotesquely along his
fangs. "I've been thinking about you all week." He moved closer to Jounouchi,
backing the blond into the theatre alcove and blocking his escape.
Jou narrowed his eyes and stared at the dark-haired man. "I told you I wasn't
interested."
Xavier laughed, "And I don't take no for an answer. In fact, I can be quite…
relentless when it comes to something I want."
"Fuck you!" Jou snarled.
Xavier quirked an eyebrow and smirked, "Is that an offer?"
"You wish!" Jou shouted, and in one quick motion caught the other in the jaw
with his fist.
The dark-haired one reeled slightly, and Jou took Xavier's distraction as an
opportunity to escape. The blond moved quickly, but unfortunately, Xavier was
quicker. He snagged Jou by the back of the collar and slammed him into the
brick wall. The impact was hard enough for Jou to momentarily see stars. Xavier
spat a mouthful of blood on the ground, then licked his lip, inching ever
closer to the blond. Grey eyes stared at him maliciously as he said, "I've
tasted mine before. I'd much rather taste yours." Xavier reached up and
tenderly trailed his index finger down Jou's cheek to his neck. "I'll be
gentle, I promise."
Jou shuddered at the touch and said, "Go to hell!" He drew back for another
punch, but the raven-haired man easily dodged the attack causing Jou to lose
his balance and stumble to the ground, his backpack skidding across the
sidewalk and coming to rest at the feet of Seto Kaiba. Jou looked up at the
brunet and demanded angrily, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Kaiba ignored him, saying nothing. He stood perfectly still, his hands in loose
fists by his side, his black wool trench coat billowing out behind him in the
approaching twilight. His gaze was unlike anything Jou had ever seen before.
His cobalt blue eyes were colder and darker than normal, and he looked like he
could freeze water with a single glance. Seto Kaiba was pissed off beyond
anything Jou had ever seen before, and his anger was currently directed towards
Xavier. "Stay," he growled at Jounouchi as he stepped around the blond's
backpack, advancing towards his adversary.
Jounouchi thought about voicing his protest, but given Kaiba's current mood, he
thought better of it, opting instead to let the dog comment slide and obey – at
least for the time being.
Xavier saw Kaiba approaching and smirked evilly. "This doesn't concern you," he
spat.
"On the contrary, it most certainly does," Kaiba replied coldly, stopping about
a foot from the shorter man.
The two glared at each other for a moment before Xavier narrowed his eyes said,
"Suit yourself." He tried to shove Kaiba out of his way, but the brunet blocked
him and retaliated with a punch of his own. Xavier ducked, then grabbed Kaiba's
arm and twisted it around behind his back. Using his own forward momentum, he
grabbed the brunet by the back of his coat and ran him into the wall. At the
last moment, Kaiba was able to get his other arm up to prevent himself from
having his face slammed into the bricks. "You've gotten yourself into more
trouble than you bargained for," Xavier hissed at Kaiba.
Jou raised an eyebrow in surprise. He knew from personal experience that Kaiba
was a good fighter, but Xavier was proving to be surprisingly quick and agile
for a bigger guy. Kaiba managed to free himself from the other's grip, and
quickly spun around, delivering a well-placed fist to the bridge of the nose.
Xavier cried out in pain as his vision blurred from the blow and blood began
flowing from his nose in a steady stream. Kaiba grabbed him by the collar and
threw him against the wall. As blood began to drip onto the sleeve of his
jacket, he looked down at it distastefully then leaning forward, he whispered
threateningly in Xavier's ear, "No, you've gotten yourself into more trouble
than you bargained for. Stay the hell away from what belongs to me, or the next
time, I won't be so…generous." He released his hold on the dark-haired man and
watched as he scurried away, his hand clutching his bleeding nose.
As soon as he was gone, Jou stood up and angrily shouted at the brunet, "What
the fuck do you think you're doing?"
"I think I'm saving your pathetic ass from that piece of trash," Kaiba said
coolly.
"Yeah, well, I didn't ask for your help. I can take care of myself, and don't
need you sticking your nose where it's not wanted or welcome."
Kaiba snorted, "Yes, and you were doing such an admirable job of it, too. Was
the tripping a part of your 'routine'?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes and said
cruelly, "Don't tell me you actually give a damn about that – insignificance."
Jou snarled, "Go to hell, Kaiba. Now I owe you two favours, and I hate the idea
of owing you anything."
The brunet stared at him coldly, "I didn't ask for repayment. Like I need or
want the doting gratitude of a worthless nothing like you, Jounouchi. Besides,
there's nothing you have that I could possibly want."
With a growl of rage, Jou hurled himself at the brunet, his fists raised. Kaiba
caught both his hands and held his arms down by his side. Jou struggled, but
Kaiba was much stronger than him.
The brunet turned them around so Jou was now the one with his back pinned to
the wall. The blond could feel his heart thumping in his chest, wondering if
Kaiba was going to hit him. He shied away slightly as Kaiba drew closer to Jou.
When he was about an inch from Jou's face, he asked angrily, "Do you?"
The blond looked at him in confusion. "Do I what?" he growled.
"Do you love him?" Kaiba asked, bringing both of Jou's arms over his head and
holding them fast against the bricks.
Jou's eyes widened in surprise. "Xavier? Hell, no!" Kaiba nodded. Jou looked at
him and continued, "But you still had no right to –" He was cut off mid-
sentence by the feeling of lips being pressed to his own. For a moment, he
struggled against Kaiba, then relaxed, allowing the brunet complete access to
his mouth. He felt the warm tongue entwining with his, and as he tasted the
brunet for the first time, he felt himself becoming dizzy with pleasure. Once
again the delicious aroma of Kaiba's cologne permeated his senses as he felt
the other pressing against him, thrusting one of his thighs between the blond's
legs, rubbing against his cock. He could feel the pressure of Kaiba's own
erection against his hip, and he became vaguely aware that the brunet now held
both of his wrists with one hand, having snaked the other around Jou's neck to
pull them closer together. Jou let out a small moan of pleasure, and just as he
was trying to press himself closer to the brunet, Kaiba ended the kiss.
Releasing the blond, Kaiba straightened his coat, and strode off to his waiting
limo, climbed inside and drove away.
Jou stood there dumbfounded, his fingers pressed to his lips as he watched the
car disappear down the darkening street into the crowd of commuter traffic.
Aloud, and to no one in particular, he asked incredulously, "What the fuck just
happened?"
***** Chapter Four *****
Jounouchi couldn't believe his luck. It turned out that his father had done
exceptionally well at the poker table, and he was in the mood to celebrate.
When the older man had arrived home shortly after 1:00 in the morning, he had
grabbed Jou by the hands and waltzed him around the room, all the while humming
'We Are the Champions' by Queen. To say that Jou had been stunned would be an
understatement. Completely and utterly shocked was more like it. When Jou had
finally been able to calm the old man down enough to ask what had happened, his
father explained to him how he had won enough money in his last hand of poker
to sustain them for the next six months. Jou had congratulated his father on
his victory while at the same time breathing a sigh of relief – he could only
imagine what his dad would have been like had he lost that hand. The old man
had gone off to bed, smiling and singing, forgetting for once his customary
'good night beers'.
On Saturday morning, Jou had woken up to find his father dressed and sober,
standing in the kitchen and still smiling. "I feel like celebrating, Boy!" he
had announced cheerfully, and Jou had shrugged and smiled back. It was a rare
occasion that his father was in a good mood, and he wasn't going to knock it.
The two had spent most of the day together. They had gone to see a baseball
game because, as his father had put it, they didn't do enough together as
father and son, and then they had gone to the mall for a little bit of
shopping. Finally, Jou's father had treated him to a huge steak dinner, then
handed him some spending money – more than he had received combined in the last
six months. When they had finally arrived home, Jou's father told him to have a
good time tonight, and to not wait up for him – he was going to try his luck at
cards once more.
Now, as he stood in front of the mirror in his room, Jounouchi grinned. He
pulled on a pair of snug black leather pants, a white muscle shirt and a
lightweight black leather jacket, then deftly fastened the buckles on his
combat boots. He reached for his studded leather collar, then stopped and
frowned. Kaiba. Kaiba had kissed him, but then he'd walked away as if nothing
extraordinary had occurred, despite the fact that he had obviously enjoyed it.
Jou shook his head dismissively, trying not to over-analyse the situation.
Kaiba was a master of mind games, and he figured this was just another one of
them. But, what if it wasn't? He looked over once again at the collar, then
without a second thought he grabbed it and fastened it around his neck. He
stole another quick glance at himself in the mirror, and satisfied with his
appearance ran outside to hail a cab.
===============================================================================
When he arrived at the club shortly after 9:30, he looked around for Quinn.
Although he had agreed to meet him tonight, they had never discussed a time or
a place. After a few minutes of searching, he decided that he'd have a better
time inside the club, and made his way to the subterranean alcove. Once inside,
he saw that there was a much larger crowd on hand, and he tried pushing his way
through the throng of people to see if he could find Quinn. Unable to make his
way through the masses, he resigned himself to standing near the stairs in case
the other showed up. While he waited to be called inside, he saw the bouncer
from the previous week. Jou didn't know how it was possible, but the man looked
even more massive this week, and he didn't appear to be in a very good mood.
Scowling, he pointed at a group of giggling women dressed in very short skirts
and thigh-high boots, patting one of them on the behind as they passed. Jou
shuddered as he thought back to last Saturday, and wondered what he was in
store for this week.
After about ten minutes, the bouncer finally noticed Jou standing off to the
side. A wide grin broke across his face, and he beckoned the blond over with a
crook of his beefy finger. He draped his arm casually over Jou's shoulder,
causing the blond to slump slightly under the weight. "I was hoping you'd be
here tonight," the bouncer grunted. "I missed seeing you last week. I'll be
sure to look for you tonight." As he moved his arm off of Jou, he let his hand
trail down Jou's lower back, and the blond yelped in surprise as the bouncer
gave him a hearty pinch on the ass.
"For Christ's sake, Erik, leave him alone. He's with me tonight."
Jou turned to see Quinn standing in the alcove, his green eyes cold, a slight
smirk on his face. A wave of relief washed over him as he heard Erik whimper
slightly and say, "I'm sorry, Quinn. I had no idea! I just- "
"Save it," Quinn interrupted him, raising a hand and crossing the floor to
where Jou stood. "See that it doesn't happen again," he said coolly, glaring at
the bouncer, who bowed his head submissively. Turning to Jou, he smiled warmly,
then grabbed him by the hand and dragged him into the club. Steering him
towards one of the violet loveseats, Quinn pushed Jou onto one of the soft
velvet cushions before taking over the other. Propping his elbow up on the back
of the loveseat, he turned to look at Jou, a soft smile on his lips.
"What?" Jou asked, fidgeting uncomfortably as he felt Quinn's eyes roaming over
his body.
"I'm glad you came tonight. I've been looking forward to seeing you all week,
you know."
Jou raised a tentative eyebrow. "Yeah?" he asked.
Quinn nodded, "Oh yes." He leaned forward and said softly, "You have to have
figured out by now that I want you. Even more so when you come dressed as you
are tonight."
Jou gulped and looked at the other man. Tonight he was wearing tight fitting
black slacks and a plum-coloured suede blazer with a black silk dress shirt
underneath. The dark colours and sensual fabrics hugged his toned physique, and
his pale hair accented his lined eyes, making the deep green sparkle. Jou
became vaguely aware that his pants were beginning to feel a little bit too
tight, and he moaned softly, wantonly. He had to admit that Quinn was damned
sexy and fun to be around, and he could see himself with the pale haired man.
But that was just pure lust. In his heart, he couldn't stop thinking about
Kaiba, even if nothing was ever to become of them. "Quinn, I…I can't…" Jou
stammered.
Quinn raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "You can't tell me that you don't
want me, otherwise you wouldn't have agreed to meet me tonight. Besides," he
said, straddling Jou's lap and wrapping his arms around the blond's neck, "You
don't hide your feelings very well." Quinn smirked as he ground his hips
against Jou's groin, rubbing against his aching erection.
Jou groaned as he felt a surge of pleasure shoot through his body, and he
breathed, "It's not that. It's just that there's this…I mean, I'm in love with…
uh, you see-"
Quinn interrupted him with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Yes, yes, I forgot
about your mystery man who can't be bothered to appear." He ran his fingers
through Jou's hair and stared intently into the blond's liquid amber eyes. "So
I won't get to fuck you tonight, I can live with that." He watched Jou's eyes
widen in surprise. "We'll just play for a little while."
Jou sat there thunderstruck, his mouth open, wondering how to reply to a
proposition such as that. He knew it was a crazy idea, that he should simply
walk away; but a small part of him remembered what it had felt like to kiss the
pale-haired man, how it had momentarily relieved the heartache of wanting
Kaiba, and before he realized what he was doing, he gave the tiniest nod of his
head. He saw Quinn smile and lean forward, his lips hovering over Jounouchi's
for a moment, before capturing them hungrily. Jou let out a low moan as he felt
Quinn's tongue probing his mouth, the tip deftly flicking over his own lips and
tongue. He reached his hands into Quinn's blazer and under his shirt, wrapping
his arms around his back and pulling him closer into his body.
Quinn broke the kiss and nuzzled his face into Jounouchi's neck, suckling on
the tender flesh and nipping along his collarbone. The sensation caused the
blond to swoon with pleasure, and he laid his head along the back of the
loveseat. As Quinn sent yet another shockwave of excitement rippling through
Jou's body, the blond grabbed the other man and with a lustful growl, he
dragged his nails across Quinn's back. With a hiss of pleasure, Quinn stared
into Jou's eyes and said sensuously, "Mmm, desperate and needy. I like that…"
He shook his long, pale mane out of his eyes and smiled playfully, then said,
"I could get used to someone like you." Suddenly, Quinn's face grew serious and
his eyes turned cold and deadly.
Before Jou could ask what was wrong, he heard a familiar and unwelcome voice
behind him say, "Well, well, well. If it isn't my golden angel, and here with
his 'treat of the week'." Jou turned his head to the side and saw Xavier
standing there, a cigarette hanging limply from his mouth, a malicious smirk on
his face. He was sporting two black eyes, courtesy of Kaiba, and Jou could see
the jealousy smouldering deep within them.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Jou exclaimed.
"I've told you before, I can be relentless when it comes to something I want.
And, what I want is you." He took a step towards Jou.
With catlike grace, Quinn slid off of Jou's lap, then pulled the blond to his
feet, his arms wrapped protectively around his body, his eyes never leaving
Xavier. "Stay the hell away from what belongs to me," he said coldly.
Xavier laughed cruelly, "Oh, you think he's yours, do you? Are you aware that
there's another who claims the same thing?" He took a long drag off his
cigarette, then continued, "It looks to me like your little blond plaything
hasn't been completely honest with you. Me personally, I don't really give a
shit – I just want a one-time taste, then you can have him." He took another
step towards the pair, closing the distance between them to about a foot.
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Quinn responded, his voice
dripping with contempt.
"I'm going to kick your ass myself!" Jou shouted, lunging towards Xavier and
feeling Quinn grab him by the wrist to stop him. "Quinn, I can fight my own
battles," Jou began irately. "I'm not a fucking baby who needs protection!"
"Stay out of this, Jounouchi. He and I have some unfinished business," Quinn
replied sharply. "I like you, so don't make me tell you twice." He gently
pushed Jou off to the side, maintaining his stare-down with the shorter man.
"To hell with this," Jou said in frustration, and jamming his hands in his
pockets, he made his way towards the exit. Once he was outside, he could feel
the cold drizzle on the back of his neck, and he looked skyward and muttered
angrily, "Perfect. Just fucking perfect." He pulled up the collar of his jacket
around his neck and continued walking. To say he was annoyed was an
understatement. He had always prided himself on being able to handle any
situation he found himself in, but lately he found himself being defended far
too often for his tastes.
He kicked a stray pebble and watched as it skipped erratically down the
sidewalk before veering off into the gutter. He sighed. He knew that Kaiba
thought he was incompetent. Why else would he have stepped in yesterday during
his confrontation with Xavier? Jou frowned. Why indeed? Kaiba seemed to enjoy
watching Jou suffer, so why would he help him? He remembered the look of fury
he had seen on Kaiba's face, and figured that perhaps his hatred for Xavier was
greater than it was for him. That was really the only logical explanation Jou
could come up with.
Then there was Quinn. He sighed in frustration, this time kicking an empty soda
can and condemning it to the same fate as the rogue pebble. Quinn seemed to
genuinely like Jou; however, Quinn's cold, precise way of speaking when
confronted was somewhat unsettling to him – in fact, it seemed very
condescending and almost cruel. He was flattered that Quinn thought enough of
him to want to help him, but Jou was upset that he'd been dismissed like a
child and never even been given the opportunity to defend himself.
He walked slowly for another ten minutes, trying to silence the random thoughts
passing through his head. The drizzle had turned to rain, and Jou could feel
his hair becoming heavy with water, his bangs now hanging even further into his
eyes. He looked up and saw a large awning spanning across an empty storefront,
and he quickly walked over to gain some shelter from the rain. He figured he
would wait out the weather, then resume his walk home. As he stood there
listening to the rhythm of the rain on the canvas, he realized that his ego was
still a little bruised, but he was no longer angry. He watched as a small,
black sports car went flying by him, only to slam on its brakes, do a reverse-
180 turn and pull up alongside him on the curb. He saw the mane of white-blond
hair emerge from the driver's side, and the next thing he knew,
Quinn was standing beside him, a look of worry mixed with relief on his face.
"Jou! Oh thank God!" He went to put his arms around the blond, but Jou
stiffened and backed away. Concerned, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"I don't need someone to fight my battles for me, I can take care of myself.
Besides, the way you dismissed me, as if you were so much better than me, it
almost reminded me of…" Jou paused. "Look, never mind. It's not important. I
have enough people screwing with me these days, and I really don't need to add
another one to the list. Sorry." He turned to walk away, but felt Quinn grab
his wrist.
"Don't go."
"Why should I stay?"
Quinn pulled Jou close and cupping his cheeks in his hands, leaned down and
kissed him tenderly on the lips. "Does that answer your question?"
Jou raised an eyebrow, "I'm something for you to play with?"
Quinn was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. "Well, there is more to it than
that," he said, taking Jou's hands in his own. "I – God, you're freezing! Will
you let me take you for coffee?"
Jou hesitated, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. "Can I have dessert,
too?" he asked.
Quinn laughed, "Whatever you want. Come on." He led Jou over to the Mazda
Miata, and held open the passenger door for him.
===============================================================================
As they sat in the small, unassuming café, Quinn sipped his tea and watched
patiently as Jounouchi devoured his third slice of cake and second glass of
chocolate milk. As he finished the last bite and licked his fork, Quinn asked
him if he'd like another.
Jou patted his belly and said, "Love to, but I think I'm at my limit for now."
The blond sat back against the booth and looked at Quinn. "Can I ask you
something?"
Quinn smirked, "I think you just did."
Jounouchi tossed his napkin at him and said, "You know what I mean, smartass."
The other just snickered and nodded. Jou took a deep breath, "What happened
tonight? I mean, between you and Xavier."
Quinn looked at the blond and with a small smirk said, "Why? Are you worried
about him? Let's just say he won't be bothering you ever again."
"Oh shit!" Jou said, "You didn't kill him, did you?" He felt a flash of panic
surge through his body as a vision of Bakura flashed through his mind.
Quinn laughed, "No, nothing that serious. We just came to an 'understanding'
about his role in this world." He pushed up his sleeve to reveal a fairly large
burn on the underside of his left forearm. Snorting in disgust, he said,
"Smokers. The bastard got me good with that cigarette of his. Still, I don't
think he'll be doing much of anything for a while. In a way, I kind of feel bad
for him – nothing I would have done can compare with what happened to him after
Erik got his hands on him." Quinn shrugged, "It's nothing more than that
pathetic piece of trash deserved anyway."
Jou nodded, once more chewing on his bottom lip as if contemplating the fate of
the universe. He looked into Quinn's emerald eyes and opened his mouth as if to
speak, but no sound came out.
Quinn noticed and asked, "Is there something else you wanted to ask?"
Jou steeled his insides, then in a rush of words asked, "If I'm just something
for you to play with, why do you care so much what happens to me?"
Quinn slid over to Jou's side of the booth, staring directly into his liquid
amber eyes. Without saying a word, he pulled the blond close to him and kissed
him softly, tenderly on the lips. Within moments, tongues were swirling,
tasting while hands were roaming, exploring. Quinn pulled away and said softly,
"It sounds crazy, but I want to be with you. I don't know whether you'll
believe me or not, but I think I love you. You're the only person I know who
makes me feel this way, makes me want to share myself with another." He took
Jou's hands, cradling them in his own, and said, "I know that our relationship
was supposed to be solely for
a good time and I didn't plan for things to happen like this, but they did." He
kissed the tops of Jou's hands before releasing them and continuing, "There's
more about me that you should know, but I think it's best if I give you some
time to think. I'll take you home, and if you want to continue this, then meet
me here tomorrow night at 7:00. If you don't show, it wasn't meant to be."
"Quinn, I-" Jou began.
"Shh," Quinn interrupted him. "I don't want to hear it now. You need time to
think, and so do I." He took Jou's hand and led him out to the car. The drive
to Jounouchi's passed in relative silence, the only conversation being Jou's
directions. When they finally arrived at Jou's apartment, they shared one last
kiss before Jou climbed out of the car and waved good night.
===============================================================================
It was just before midnight when Jou crept into his apartment, one ear tuned
for any signs his father might be home. Finding everything in darkness and not
hearing the characteristic snoring of the older man, he breathed a sigh of
relief and hurried up to his room to change. He pulled on his pyjamas then
carefully folded his clothes and hid them away under his bed. He climbed under
the blankets and lay there for a while staring at the ceiling.
Overall, it had been a good night. He had to admit that he did enjoy hanging
around with Quinn. He closed his eyes and thought about the past few hours. The
club had been fun, but by far, he had enjoyed sitting and talking with the
other man in the café most of all. Quinn's words played over and over in his
mind, and he was curious as to what the pale-haired man had meant by there
being more about him that Jou should know. He smiled to himself as he inhaled
the lingering scent of Quinn's cologne. It had permeated his clothing and his
skin, and he could almost feel as if the other was in the room next to him. It
was an intoxicating scent, very familiar and comforting to him somehow.
Jou also liked the way Quinn's touch made him feel. It was like being shocked
with a million little lightning bolts, and it made him tingle inside. And God,
the man could kiss! His lips were so warm, so comforting, and he tasted
incredible. There was something about those lips, so much like…
He sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide in amazement, and said aloud to the room,
"Holy shit! Kaiba?!"
***** Chapter Five *****
It was shortly after midnight when the sleek, black Mazda Miata turned into the
long, deserted driveway. Running only on parking lights, the small sports car
was piloted to the back of the property and carefully parked in the large
garage. After shutting off the engine, the lone figure carefully stole across
the lawn, deftly avoiding detection from the numerous security cameras,
stopping at one of the poorly lit and well-hidden staff entrances. Quickly
inputting a security override code, the door swung open and the figure stepped
inside. From the back foyer, he crept through the great hall and down a dark
side corridor. Running his fingers along the right side of the wall, he counted
to the fourth door, then removed a key from around his neck and opened the lock
with a faint click. Only when the door was closed and locked behind him did he
dare to flick on the lights.
He looked around at the large mahogany desk, the sleek leather executive chair,
and the contemporary design of the tan microfibre sofa and armchair. He kicked
off his shoes and felt his toes sink into the luxurious cream-coloured carpet.
Hearing a noise from outside, he froze, straining his ears for the sound.
Realizing it was no more than a passing car, he padded off towards the
adjoining ensuite. He flicked on the lights, momentarily shielding his eyes
from their intensity. Once he had become accustomed to the bright gleam, he
looked into the mirror. Staring back at him were a pair of bright emerald green
eyes, a mane of pale white-blond hair, and an impish smirk. He pulled an
innocuous looking leather case out from under the sink and flipped open the
brass latches.
After rummaging around for a few moments, he pulled out a small plastic case,
then carefully removed a pair of tinted contact lenses and placed them
carefully into their lens case. When he was finished, he reached up and gently
pulled the blond wig off his head followed by the restrictive fishnet wig cap.
After returning the wig to its Styrofoam stand in the case, he closed it and
returned it to its hiding place under the sink. Absently, he ruffled his hands
through his hair, then looked back in the mirror. What had once been green was
now a cold, cobalt blue and his hair was once again restored to the original
auburn, albeit somewhat messy and out of place. He smirked again – a shower
would easily take care of that, as well as the heavy eyeliner.
He shrugged out of his blazer and dress shirt, wincing slightly as the fabric
grazed lightly across his wounded forearm, then carefully hung them up in the
small closet. He made a mental note that he would have them sent out for
cleaning on Monday. He finished undressing, neatly folded his remaining
clothing, and placed everything on an empty shelf in the closet. He took a
quick shower, then dried off and slipped on a pair of black silk lounge pants
and a royal blue silk bathrobe. He found some antiseptic ointment in a drawer
and smeared a liberal amount on his burn, then carefully wound some gauze over
his injury and secured it with some medical tape. This time when he looked in
the mirror, it was the reflection of Seto Kaiba staring back at him.
===============================================================================
It was close to 1:00 in the morning, and Kaiba was sitting on the sofa in his
living room, sipping a cup of tea and absently flipping through the television
channels. Although it was on, his mind was elsewhere. Reflecting on the events
of the past few weeks, he was dumbfounded as to how he became attracted to
Jounouchi in the first place. It was a given that the blond was gorgeous, but
Kaiba had been around a lot of such people in his lifetime and had never given
any of them a second glance. As he took another sip of his tea, he supposed
that it could be Jou's unwavering, almost blind, devotion to those he cared
about that was what he found most attractive. He would defend those he loved to
the death if need be, and that was a quality Kaiba truly admired. Loyal,
honest, a sense of integrity – those were very redeeming qualities indeed.
Still, given their history together, there was no way the blond would ever be
interested in a friendship with him, let alone a relationship. When he had
first come up with this plan, he had been doubtful that it would work; but
masquerading as another person had allowed him to get close to Jou, and even
get to know him better. The brunet grinned around his cup as he thought about
his run-in with the blond a week ago. That morning he had gone out, hoping to
run into the blond, and fortunately for him, Jou had chalked it up to a chance
meeting. He had felt so guilty seeing Jou hung over, considering he was the one
who had gotten him to that state in the first place. At least he'd been able to
take him somewhere relatively private where their meeting would go unnoticed.
He sighed to himself. He hated having to pretend he harboured no feelings for
the blond, especially when Jou tried so hard with him. And this, he realized,
made him even more short-tempered than usual. Here he was, the richest man in
town, and he couldn't have the one thing he truly wanted. He really hadn't
meant to kiss Jounouchi on Friday, but after his run-in with that letch Xavier,
and the raw passion that was the blond's rage, he'd found he was unable to stop
himself. And now, having gotten to know Jou on a more personal level, he found
his attraction to the blond more than just simple lust – he was truly in love
with him. And, like an idiot, he had told this to the blond under the guise of
his alter ego. Now, for the next few hours, he would have to wait and see what
Jou decided he wanted to do, and if he did want to pursue things, how the hell
was he going to break the news that Quinn was really Seto Kaiba in disguise? He
groaned to himself and realized that if things didn't go as planned, his
miserable mood would become downright ornery.
He was started from his musings by the ringing of his doorbell. Frowning, he
looked at his watch. It was almost a quarter past one – who the hell would be
calling at this time of night, and why hadn't security contacted him? Warily,
he peered through the peephole and saw Jounouchi standing on the porch.
Confused, he opened the door, but before he could say anything, the blond
lunged at him with a sucker-punch. Kaiba was quick, but not quick enough to
completely dodge Jou's attack. As he raised his hands to defend himself, the
blow glanced off his injured forearm and he growled in pain.
"You son-of-a-bitch!" Jou shouted. "What's the matter, Kaiba? Has your life
become that pathetic that you've had to stoop to a new level of mind games? You
can insult me, you can torment me, but a mind-fuck where you mess with my
feelings just isn't funny. I always thought you were an arrogant, self-centred
prick, but I didn't realize you were such a cruel, cold-hearted bastard!" Jou
pounced again, but this time Kaiba was ready, and he caught the blond by his
arms and held them rigidly against his side.
The brunet stared at Jou for a moment, then said, "I have no idea what you're
talking about, Mutt."
"Fuck you, Kaiba, you're such a God damned liar!" Jou yelled, struggling in
vain against the vice-like grip holding him still. "Let me go, you asshole!"
"Keep your voice down," Kaiba said icily. "Mokuba is sleeping and I would
prefer he stay that way. Settle down, or I'll have to muzzle you."
Jou growled angrily and squirmed in Kaiba's grasp, then realizing escape was
futile he stood still, glaring daggers at the brunet.
"That's better," Kaiba said condescendingly as he released his hold on Jou and
arrogantly crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Now if you don't mind,
would you please tell me what you're doing on my front porch in the middle of
the night?"
Jou narrowed his eyes and said spitefully, "I know all about you, Kaiba. I know
about your secret life as Quinn."
Kaiba's eyes widened slightly in shock, and again he said, "Whatever you're on
Jounouchi, cut the dose. It's making you tell fairy tales like your freak
friend Yugi."
"Oh yeah, Kaiba? Then tell me, how come you have the same injury in the same
place as Quinn?" Before Kaiba could react, Jou grabbed his arm and pushed up
the sleeve of his robe to reveal a heavily bandaged forearm. "What'd you do?
Cut yourself shaving? Did you think I was really that stupid that I'd never
figure it out? Tell me, did it give you a good laugh? Does it make you feel
superior to know that you pulled a good one over on ol' Jounouchi?"
Kaiba looked at the blond standing in front of him, still wearing his
sleepwear, tears of anger running down his cheeks. The sight was heart
wrenching as he realized how deeply his actions had hurt Jou. He had not meant
for Jou to find out this way, and it pained him deeply to learn that the blond
thought it was all part of a cruel prank. He sighed. 'Time to confess,' he
thought to himself, then said, "Come inside and I'll explain." He offered his
hand to Jou, who pulled away and scowled at the brunet. "Please?" he added.
Reluctantly, Jou stepped across the threshold of the door and allowed himself
to be led to Kaiba's office. Once inside, the brunet gestured to the sofa,
inviting the blond to sit. Hesitantly, Jou sat on the soft tan sofa and folded
his arms in front of him defensively. "Well? I'm listening."
Kaiba tentatively sat down beside Jou on the sofa, watching with some
disappointment as Jou pushed himself into the corner of the cushions, as far
away as possible from the brunet. "This is my private office. No one is
permitted in here, not even the cleaning staff. You are the first visitor that
has ever seen inside."
"Wow, I'm honoured," Jou responded sarcastically. "If you're going to talk home
décor, I'm outta here." He stood up and looked down at the brunet.
"Don't go," Kaiba said simply, looking down at the floor dejectedly.
Jou's eyes widened slightly, then he snorted contemptuously, "That's the second
time I've heard that tonight. Ok, now let's see…oh yes, now I say 'why should I
stay', right?"
Kaiba smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, but this part is new." He paused and took
a deep breath, carefully considering his words. "Do you remember the last thing
I said to you in the café before I took you home? The part about wanting to be
with you, about loving you?"
Jou stared at Kaiba incredulously, his mouth open. He felt all the colour
draining from his face and he sat back down heavily on the sofa. He shook his
head, "No way, there's no way! That's crazy! Besides, what rational person
would do what you did?"
Kaiba sighed. "You and I never started off on the right foot. Given our past, I
was doubtful that you would even want a future with me. I guess I figured that
having you while pretending to be someone else was better than never having you
at all. Besides, going out as Quinn allowed me the freedom to act as I wanted
without having to worry about what my actions would mean for my company, or
what the press would say about me."
Jou shook his head in disgust. "Great, so being seen in public with me could
potentially embarrass you or your corporation. Well, doesn't that just make me
feel like a complete piece of shit. Fuck Kaiba, after all that's gone on over
the past week, why the hell should I believe anything you say to me? Your lies
are so interconnected with the truth, I don't know what to believe."
"I am not ashamed to be seen with you, Jounouchi – I just like to proceed with
caution. Everything I said to you tonight was the truth. I wanted to tell you
everything tonight, really I did. I just couldn't find the words. If you came
back to me tomorrow, I was going to tell you everything."
"That's convenient. You're a fucking piece of work, you know that? You get
caught, so suddenly you were going to magically 'confess' everything. Not
fucking likely." Jou stood up and headed for the front foyer. He opened the
door, and felt the brunet grab his wrist. "Let go of me, Kaiba," he growled
spitefully. "I want nothing to do with you."
"I love you, Jounouchi," Kaiba said, his voice cracking slightly as his eyes
grew glassy.
The blond wrenched his hand out of Kaiba's grip, and without looking back said
bitterly, "Yeah, well, I don't love you." Blinking back tears, he stormed down
the laneway.
Watching his retreating form, a single silent tear defied the will of its
master and fell purposefully in the cool night air.
===============================================================================
The next evening, the small café was nearly deserted when Seto Kaiba came in
just before 7:00. A young couple was chatting seriously in a corner booth and
an elderly foursome was seated at one of the tables. A man in a long trench
coat and wide-brimmed hat was hunched over at the counter drinking coffee, and
another man, most likely a business executive, was at the opposite end of the
counter, furiously typing on a laptop and mumbling into a cell phone. He looked
around and sighed. No sign of Jounouchi. He had figured as much. After the
previous night, what did he expect? To come in and find Jou sitting there
eagerly awaiting his arrival like some servile lap-dog? Honestly, part of him
had hoped that the blond might have forgiven him or at least come to hear him
out. Realistically, he knew that Jou would not be coming. He sat down in a
booth facing the doorway and decided to wait for fifteen minutes.
A waitress came over to him to take his order, and upon recognizing him she
cooed, "Oh! Good evening, Mr. Kaiba! It's a pleasure to see you tonight. What
can I get for you?"
"Tea," he said, looking sadly at the empty place across from him. "And a glass
of chocolate milk and a slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with a
side of raspberry coulis."
The waitress nodded, and left to place his order. He sat there, his arms folded
across his chest, staring wistfully out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse
of that familiar golden mop. After a few minutes, his order arrived and he
gently pushed the milk and the cake over towards the other side of the table.
He sipped his tea, acknowledging the businessman with a curt nod as he hurried
out into the waning evening. The waitress returned about ten minutes later
asking if he'd like another tea. He nodded.
When she returned, she looked strangely at the untouched dessert and asked him,
"Is there something wrong with the dessert, Mr. Kaiba?"
"No, it's fine," he replied, watching as she walked away muttering something
about eccentric billionaires. He looked down at his watch. It was 7:22. "I
guess it wasn't meant to be," he said aloud, a trace of sadness in his voice.
He was reaching for his wallet to pay for his order when the man in the trench
coat and hat slid into the seat opposite him.
"Got a business proposition for you, Kaiba," the voice rasped.
"Not interested," Kaiba responded coldly.
"Oh, I think you are," the voice said, giggling softly. "It concerns one
Katsuya Jounouchi."
Blue eyes widened in surprise. "What of him?" he asked.
The voice laughed. "First, you have to give me that cake."
"What?" Kaiba exclaimed in genuine surprise. "I don't know who the hell you are
but –" He watched as the stranger pulled off his hat to reveal a shaggy mop of
tousled blond hair and a wide grin. "Jou!" he said in astonishment.
Jounouchi winked at the brunet and said, "Yeah, it's me; I figured if you could
play dress up, so could I. Last night when I got home and started thinking
about it, I understood why you did what you did. I wanted to see if you were
serious about what you said, so I got here early and waited for you. Besides, I
wondered if you'd come as yourself, or if you'd continue with the masquerade
and lose me forever. That, and I sort of wanted to hear what you had to say,
thus my business proposition. You keep giving me cake, and I'll stay and
listen. Deal?"
Kaiba smirked. "Deal, although now that you know my secret, there's really not
a whole lot left to say. I don't know how it happened, but I've fallen for you.
You're the first person, other than Mokuba, I really want to be around. I'm
sorry that things got all screwed up yesterday, but I didn't expect you to
discover my secret so soon. What gave me away?"
Jou giggled as he polished off the cake, dipping the final bite into the cup of
raspberry sauce. "Honestly? When you kissed me; both you and Quinn had the same
effect on me, and the kisses were identical. If you hadn't kissed me on Friday,
I probably wouldn't have guessed so soon."
"Damn it!" Kaiba swore, frowning slightly. "I knew that my lack of self-control
would come back to bite me in the end."
Jou shrugged, "Deep down, I think I suspected on a subconscious level, I just
didn't put two and two together."
Kaiba nodded, "I do have one more question for you." He took a deep breath,
steeling himself for the worst and asked, "Do you…love me?"
Jou smiled and pulled back the collar of his trench coat. Around his neck was
the silver studded black leather dog collar, with one new addition. Clipped
firmly to the front was a tiny silver charm shaped like a small dog bone.
Engraved on the front was 'Property of Seto Kaiba'. He stood up and pulled the
brunet to his feet. Grabbing Kaiba by the collar, he pulled him down and kissed
him softly on the lips. Smiling, he said, "Does that answer your question?"
===============================================================================
Within minutes, they had paid the bill and were riding in the back of Kaiba's
limo. Jou had ditched the dirty trench coat and was currently cuddled up on
Kaiba's lap. As the brunet took a break from ravaging Jou's lips, he tenderly
fingered the silver charm and said, "My beautiful, beautiful puppy."
Jou smiled and wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck. Grinning, he said, "I
thought I heard your voice the first night I was at the club, and I vaguely
remember you calling me that then."
"Do you not like it?" Kaiba asked.
The blond smirked, "It's a lot better than 'mutt'."
Kaiba smiled and kissed Jou on the tip of his nose. "It suits you. You're
loyal, yet your yapping can sometimes be tiresome." He saw the small pout cross
the blond's lips. "And, I'm looking forward to 'housebreaking' you." He once
more attacked Jou's mouth, lovingly nipping his lips and trying to capture his
tongue with his own.
Jou grinned as he reached down and softly rubbed his palm across Kaiba's groin.
"Fine, but I think your puppy has found a bone and needs somewhere to bury it."
With considerable effort, Kaiba ordered his driver to step on it.
***** Chapter Six - Epilogue *****
After what seemed like an excruciatingly long drive, they finally pulled
through the wrought-iron gates to arrive at the front door of Kaiba's home. The
brunet flung open the car door himself, grabbed Jou by the hand, and eagerly
dragged the blond up the front steps. While he fumbled with his keys,
frantically searching for the correct one, Jou took it upon himself to lightly
run his tongue along the edge of Kaiba's ear and gently nibble on the earlobe.
Kaiba shivered at the sensation, and cursed to himself when he inadvertently
dropped his keys. "Patience, Puppy," he said softly as he bent over to retrieve
them. "I'll give you your treat soon enough; we have to get inside first."
"No, now," Jou grumbled, capturing Kaiba's lips in a searing kiss as the brunet
stood up.
Kaiba moaned softly as he tasted the remnants of chocolate and raspberries, and
calling upon all his willpower, he pulled himself away from Jou and turned his
attention back to his keys. Undeterred, the blond turned his attention to
Kaiba's other earlobe and continued with his ministrations. Kaiba let out a
soft growl and cast a sidelong wanton glance at Jou. Finding the correct key,
he triumphantly inserted it into the lock and threw open the front door. He
pulled the blond into his arms and resting his forehead on Jou's, he smirked
and said, "You are a stubborn, naughty puppy. Don't ever change." He bent down
and kissed him softly, gradually deepening the kiss, noting the impatient
whimper he heard from Jounouchi. Pressing Jou tightly to his body, he walked
him backwards the two steps into the front foyer and kicked the door shut
behind him with his foot.
The brunet broke the kiss and stared hungrily at Jou. His eyes dark, he said
huskily, "Now, what should I do with you?" Before the blond could respond,
Kaiba pulled him roughly into his chest and turned them around so Jou's back
was pressed against the door. Cupping Jounouchi's cheeks in his hands, Kaiba
kissed him forcibly, then trailed down his throat with his tongue to the tender
flesh of his neck. He started gently; softly licking the supple skin as his
hands moved down to once again wrap themselves around his waist. As he breathed
in the heady scent of the blond's cologne he groaned with pleasure, becoming
more forceful with his caresses as his arousal grew stronger.
Jounouchi threw his head back, allowing the brunet greater access to his
throat, the tiny charm of his collar jingling with every movement. Licking
quickly turned to sucking and light nips, and eventually, Kaiba became lost in
his own carnal desire as he ravaged the area, leaving a visible mark just above
Jou's collarbone.
Kaiba was reaching for the next button on Jou's shirt when he heard a small
cough from behind him. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he turned to look over his
shoulder and saw Mokuba standing there, his eyes wide, an expression of shock
on his face.
"Big brother, I thought you were at a meeting tonight?" he asked quietly. Jou's
head poked out from around Kaiba's elbow, and when the raven-haired boy saw
him, his face broke into a wide grin. "I get it! Your 'meeting' was a 'date'!"
Kaiba did not look amused. "What are you doing up?" he asked sternly.
"I'm sorry, Seto. I was hungry, and I got up to get a snack."
As if on cue, Jou's stomach made its presence known with a loud rumble. In
disbelief, Kaiba turned back to the blond who simply stood there and shrugged,
"Don't look at me. It's got a mind of its own."
"Now?" he asked incredulously.
Jou shrugged again, "You guys were the ones talking about food."
Kaiba rolled his eyes and shook his head in amazement. "Figures," he snorted.
"Fine. Mokuba, go to bed. Now. I'll deal with you shortly." Terror-stricken,
the young boy scrambled up the stairs and a door was heard slamming a few
seconds later. "As for you," he said sternly, noting the worried look on Jou's
face, "The kitchen is that way. I'll be right back." He smiled, and kissed the
blond on the tip of the nose. As he was climbing the stairs to check on his
little brother, he called over his shoulder, "Choose carefully; I have a
feeling you'll be needing a lot of energy. I'm going to make sure that this is
a night to remember."
===============================================================================
When Kaiba found Jou about ten minutes later, the blond was just finishing up a
very large chocolate sundae - with extra chocolate syrup. Jou saw the brunet
watching him, and he seductively licked the chocolate off the end of his spoon.
Setting down the utensil, the grabbed the stem of the maraschino cherry and
swirled it around in the leftover chocolate in his bowl. Winking at Kaiba, he
asked, "Would you like my cherry?" When the brunet didn't respond, Jou smirked
and said, "No? That's too bad because this one is really, really good." He
tipped his head back and flicked his tongue over the end of the fruit, the
chocolate running in small rivulets down his tongue. He set the fruit between
his lips and sucked on it suggestively. When he was sure Kaiba was watching
him, he popped the cherry in his mouth, chewing it languorously, slowly licking
his lips. "Mmm, it's so good," he moaned, a smile tugging at the corner of his
mouth. "So juicy..."
He smirked as he saw Kaiba squirm, and a moment later, he pulled the cherry
stem from his mouth, having tied it in a neat little knot with his tongue. He
saw the brunet's eyes widen in surprise and he said, "If you think that's
impressive, you should see what else I can do with my tongue."
Kaiba stared at Jou, his mouth half open. In his mind, he conjured up a myriad
of images, and he let out a soft moan in spite of himself. Clearing his throat
and finding his voice, he said, "So, um, if you're finished eating…"
Jou stared at him lecherously and grinned slyly. "There is one more thing I'd
like to have tonight." The brunet quirked an eyebrow questioningly as the blond
sidled up to him. Whispering in Kaiba's ear, Jou murmured, "I've had dessert,
but I crave something sweeter." He reached over to the counter and grabbed the
bottle of chocolate syrup. Before Kaiba could react, he squirted a generous
portion over the brunet's head.
"Hey!" Kaiba exclaimed in surprise as chocolate syrup dripped down his bangs
and over his cheeks and chin. "What are you doing, Pup?"
Jou reached up and kissed Kaiba on his chocolate-covered lips. "I told you I
wanted something sweeter, and I think I've found it." When he pulled away, he
looked down at his fingers and said, "Oh dear…I seem to have gotten all messy
with chocolate." He erotically ran his tongue over each digit from palm to tip,
looking through half-lidded eyes at Kaiba.
Kaiba smirked. "Hn. My naughty puppy has gotten himself all dirty; looks like
he's going to have to have a bath before bed." He looked down at himself,
seeing the chocolate collecting in large puddles on his shirt. "And thanks to
you, so will I."
Without another word, Kaiba took Jou by the hand and led him upstairs to his
suite. He smirked as he saw the blond staring in awe at the large canopy bed,
and he said softly, "Soon, Puppy. Soon." He led him through a door which led to
a large bathroom. He turned on the water for the shower and adjusted the
temperature to a comfortable level. He looked at Jou and said, "Get in."
Jou smirked wolfishly and said, "You first."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow as he reached up and undid the top button on his shirt.
Before he could get to the second, Jou pounced on him, pressing him up against
the bathroom wall. The blond leaned in hungrily, rubbing his thigh against
Kaiba's groin, eliciting a small moan from the brunet.
"Chocolate stains, you know," Jou said matter-of-factly as he grinned at Kaiba.
"This shirt's ruined anyway, so…" In one quick motion, he ripped open the
brunet's shirt, showering chocolate syrup all over the floor and Kaiba's bare
chest. He bent down and began to slowly lick the traces of the syrup off the
supple skin, then gently blew on the area sending a shiver down Kaiba's spine.
He then turned his attention to Kaiba's pert nipple, gently tweaking it with
his finger before putting the hardened bud in his mouth and softly nipping at
it.
Kaiba growled with pleasure as he wrapped his arms around Jou's back, roughly
dragging his fingernails across his shoulders. His fingers worked their way
down to the hem of his shirt, and he quickly pulled the clothing over the
blond's head. He pulled the blond up to him and ravaged his mouth with a
chocolate-flavoured kiss, his tongue fighting for dominance with the other.
When he finally pulled away, he reached down and gently massaged Jou's cock
through his pants with his palm, feeling the growing bulge in his hand. He
trailed his fingers up to deftly undo the button to the blond's pants, then he
slid them down over Jou's slim hips to the floor. Breathless, he broke the kiss
and said, "Get in, Puppy." Quickly stripping off the rest of his clothes, Kaiba
climbed into the shower, joined moments later by Jounouchi.
After he had soaped himself up, Kaiba pulled Jounouchi to him, rubbing his body
against the blond's, shivering with pleasure when the tips of their erections
brushed. He inhaled sharply and said lustily, "If we keep this up, I don't
think we're going to make it back to the bedroom." He pulled Jou to him and
crushed his lips to the blond's in a passionate kiss.
Jou smiled and said, "Then let's keep it up." He knelt down on the floor of the
shower, gently stroking Kaiba's erection in his hand. Once he was sure Kaiba
was looking at him, he grinned and took the brunet's entire length into his
mouth. He heard the gasp of pleasure, and he sucked harder, his cheeks
puckering from the effort. Slowly, he released him, his teeth gently scraping
along the shaft. He tenderly kissed the tip before repeating the entire
process.
Kaiba swooned in pleasure, backing himself into the corner for support, his
legs weakening under Jou's ministrations. He felt the blond's hands slide
around behind him, and the next thing he knew, he felt one of Jou's soapy
fingers probing gently at his opening. As Jou took him into his mouth once
more, he felt the finger slide inside him, joined soon after by a second, then
a third. He moaned loudly as Jou's fingers brushed across his prostate, and he
began to gently thrust into the hot, moist mouth that engulfed him. His
thrusting became faster, needier, until with a feral roar, Kaiba came in Jou's
mouth.
The blond greedily swallowed every pulse, then slowly stood up, eyeing the
brunet with animalistic lust. He stood there, slowly pumping his own erection
in his hand, watching while Kaiba hurriedly washed and rinsed his hair. After
quickly towelling dry, Kaiba grabbed Jou by the hand and led him out to the
bedroom. Pushing the blond down onto the mattress, Kaiba straddled his hips
then bent down for yet another kiss. Jou smirked darkly, and in one quick move
had managed to flip them both over so that he now sat on Kaiba's lower abdomen.
"Do you have any lotion or lube that we can use?" the blond asked huskily.
"Nightstand," Kaiba replied.
Jou leaned over and retrieved the small bottle from the top drawer. He squirted
a generous portion on his palm, then crept backwards, kissing the tip of
Kaiba's penis as he passed it. He positioned himself between Kaiba's legs, and
carefully rubbed some of the lotion around Kaiba's opening.
"Puppy, what are you…"
"Shh!" Jou interrupted. "Trust me." He continued to prepare the area, then he
applied the rest to his own penis and gently pushed the tip inside the brunet.
Kaiba grunted at the intrusion, but after a moment, he nodded to the blond to
proceed.
Slowly, Jou continued until he was inside all the way. When he felt Kaiba
relax, he began to thrust, very slowly and gently at first. As he felt his
desire building, he began to move faster, pumping harder. He reached down with
his hand and began to stroke the brunet's half-erect penis, bringing it back to
life with his actions. As he felt himself reaching his climax, he slammed into
the brunet, crying out his name as he exploded deep within him. When he had
finished, he pulled out and looked at the brunet, wiping his damp bangs out of
his eyes and smiling.
"Puppy, you can't leave me like this," Kaiba moaned, his cock begging for
release.
Jou smiled softly and said, "I won't. I'll take care of you, I promise." He
squirted another blob of lotion onto his hand, carefully coating Kaiba's shaft
as he did so. He felt the brunet squirm at the cool sensation, and he gently
spread the creamy liquid around. Sitting once more on Kaiba's stomach, he
raised himself up and carefully impaled himself around the brunet. Once he had
adjusted to the sensation, he began to move up and down, slowly lifting up then
slamming Kaiba's cock deep within him.
Kaiba moaned loudly, feeling the hot tightness engulfing him, and he began to
raise his hips, thrusting in time with Jounouchi. As he neared his release, he
grabbed the blond's waist, pulling him tightly against him as he came, calling
Jou's name as he did.
Jou wrapped his fist around his cock, pumping furiously. With a loud groan he
came, spilling his release on Kaiba's chest. When he was spent, he rolled off
the brunet and lay beside him.
Kaiba got up and padded off to the bathroom, returning a moment later with a
damp facecloth and a towel. He cleaned himself off, then tenderly wiped the
blond and dried him. When he had finished, he nestled close to Jou, his head
resting on the blond's chest.
As they lay there, Jou chuckled softly to himself.
"What is it?" Kaiba asked, raising his head.
"I was just thinking; this really is a night to remember. It's going to be hard
to top it."
Kaiba smirked and said, "Oh, I don't know about that. You see, there's this
little club I know downtown…"
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