Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/2124507.
  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, Honda_Hiroto/
      Otogi_Ryuuji_|_Duke_Devlin/Tristan_Taylor, Mazaki_Anzu/Mutou_Yuugi_|_Tea
      Gardner/Yugi_Moto
  Character:
      Kaiba_Seto, Kaiba_Mokuba, Jounouchi_Katsuya_|_Joey_Wheeler, Otogi_Ryuuji
      |_Duke_Devlin, Honda_Hiroto_|_Tristan_Taylor, Mutou_Yuugi, Mazaki_Anzu_|
      Tea_Gardner, Bakura_Ryou
  Additional Tags:
      Scheming, Secret_Crush, Unrequited_Crush, First_Kiss, Awkward_Flirting,
      First_Time, Beach_Sex, Boat_Sex, Declarations_Of_Love
  Stats:
      Published: 2007-07-29 Chapters: 7/7 Words: 25559
****** Dare to Dream (2007) ******
by JennyB
Summary
     Ever have a scheme so ridiculous that it just has to work?
***** Chapter One *****
Seto Kaiba sighed inwardly as he crossed the street, holding tightly to his
younger brother's hand. He and Mokuba were on their way to the music store to
pick up the newest release by Precocious – currently the hottest rock band in
the world. Seto himself didn't particularly care for their music, but Mokuba
was a huge fan, and the brunet had promised his younger sibling that if he
finished top in his class, he would buy him a copy of the CD. A stupid promise
to make, he thought in hindsight, considering there hadn't been much doubt as
to the kid being able to meet the requirement. And, as if it wasn't bad enough
that he'd be listening to the wailing of electric guitars and the half-shouted
lyrics of the lead singer at top volume for the entire summer, he'd told the
dark-haired boy that if his overall average was ninety-five per cent or
greater, he would also take him to meet the band when they played in Domino
next month – the Crown Jewel in KaibaCorp's 'Slammin' Summer Extravaganza'.
He snorted to himself as he repeated the words in his mind. He hated the name,
he hated the event, and most of all, he hated his PR department for coming up
with the entire asinine idea in the first place. In an attempt to boost sales
over the summer for their new products and to show the world that KaibaCorp
was, indeed, chaired by a young, hip CEO who listened to the wants of the
masses, these young executives had pitched the need for a summer festival of
sorts. The whole thing was going to start with a city-wide scavenger hunt.
Participants would have two weeks to collect as many of the items as they could
from the cryptic clues for a chance to win $10 000. More cash and prizes were
up for grabs, and all participants would receive a ticket to the Precocious
show at the waterfront amphitheatre – a doubly auspicious event considering
Domino would be the closing show for the group's 'Dare to Dream' tour. And, for
as much as he still disliked the idea, he had to admit that it had been a good
suggestion. Sales were up twenty per cent over the previous three years, and
the CEO's popularity (and, indirectly, that of the company) was up by twenty-
five per cent.
Seto's attention came back to the present, and he noted with wry amusement that
Mokuba was still babbling on excitedly about the new CD he was going to be
getting and the upcoming concert. He smiled softly when he saw the adoration
shining in that storm grey gaze. As soon as the younger Kaiba had learned that
his brother had managed to secure a concert date in their own town, the
brunet's worth had ratcheted up about a million times in the boy's eyes, and
he'd been extraordinarily well behaved of late, lest his brother take the
concert away as a supreme punishment. They had rounded the last corner and were
making their way toward the store when the all-too familiar voice of Duke
Devlin rang out. Seto tried to ignore it, but he rolled his eyes and let out a
heavy sigh when the other called to him again. As he stopped, the displeasure
was evident in his sapphire eyes when he heard the almost petulant whine at his
side. "I know, Mokuba," he murmured. "Shit..." He waited until he felt the
other's presence draw nearer and, not bothering to look at him, he said
tersely, "What do you want, Devlin? I'm busy."
"Yeah, you look it," the green-eyed teen drawled as he absently twirled a lock
of hair around his index finger. "I'm swamped, too." He smirked up at the
brunet.
Seto let out a warning growl. He hated the overly-familiar mannerisms of the
other CEO, and he found his flamboyant ostentatiousness extremely off-putting.
"If you have a point to make, Devlin, then make it. Otherwise, quit wasting my
time. I feel like I'm getting stupider by the second standing here with you."
"Ouch. No need to be a bitch, Seto," Duke replied, his smirk widening when he
saw the other's flinch at his use of the brunet's first name. "Especially
considering how I went out of my way to do you a favour."
"As if." The taller teen snorted at that. "Like I need or want a favour from an
effeminate hack like you."
"Ok, now you're just being mean," the green-eyed male said. "And here I come
bearing news about your little pet. I mean, it's no real coincidence that he's
not here, nipping at your ankles and looking up at you with those dumb,
clueless brown eyes."
A brief flash of panic flickered across Seto's gaze, and he caught the confused
look his brother was giving him. His lips curved down in a scowl when the
younger Kaiba asked him if they were getting a dog, and then proceeded to list
off the kinds he'd like and the reasons why. "No, we aren't, so drop it," he
snapped, effectively ending the boy's diatribe. "I'm sure your sources are
beyond reliable, too, Devlin," he replied sarcastically as he reached into his
pocket for his wallet. "Just like your timing and your tact." His scowl
deepening, he pulled out his gold card and handed it to Mokuba. "This could
take a while. Why don't you go buy your CD, then go to the café next door and
have a drink? I'll meet you there, ne?"
Any hurt the small boy might have felt at being summarily interrupted vanished
at the sight of the shimmering, plastic card, along with any need he might have
had to further press his brother for more information. "Really, Seto?" At
seeing the curt nod, he took it carefully, a thrill of devilish delight running
through him once it was in his possession. Practically salivating, he thought
of the live concert DVDs, the posters, the previously unreleased limited
edition collector's set – and wondered just how much he could realistically buy
and not be killed by his brother. That thought foremost in his mind, he tore
off down the street, eyes locked on the storefront, not giving the other two
males a second thought as he drew closer to the cornucopia of swag contained
therein.
"Damn it," Seto muttered half to himself as he watched the retreating form
disappear into the crowd. He knew that Mokuba with a credit card was like a
mental patient with a semi-automatic – it could only spell disaster. He
couldn't help but wonder how much splurging his brother was going to do and,
turning back to the other CEO, he bit out a terse, "You're such an asshole, you
know. I see now that you can't be trusted to keep your trap shut about
anything."
"Well, you never told me it was a secret."
The brunet glowered. "Fair enough. So then you won't mind if I mention your
infatuation with a certain fin-haired monkey at the next association meeting,
will you?"
"Tristan is not a monkey!" Duke shouted angrily, only to turn a brilliant shade
of red when a few passers-by stopped to look curiously at him. Now mortified,
he muttered somewhat sheepishly, "Point taken." He cleared his throat and
managed to recompose himself, the smarmy smile once again settling on his face
as he returned to his previous topic. "Anyway, our misunderstandings aside, I
thought you might like to know why your attempts to give your poor dog a bone
aren't exactly working."
"Jesus, you're uncouth," the brunet retorted.
"And you're a prude with a stick up his ass," came the quick reply. "Your
social issues aside, it's not just your winning personality that's keeping you
single and dancing to the four-knuckle shuffle. It seems, according to Yugi,
that Blondie and my Tris' are getting really close to becoming friends with
benefits, if you catch my drift."
"Bullshit. I don't believe that for a minute."
"Believe it. Now, normally, I really wouldn't give a shit about you and your
pathetic love life, but since my potential happiness is at stake, I thought I'd
let you know." Duke grinned up at him. "I figured that maybe we might work
together, since it would be mutually beneficial and all."
"I'm deeply moved," Seto replied dryly. "But I don't need your help. I just
need to find some time to-"
The green-eyed teen interrupted him. "See? That's your problem. You don't have
the time right now. This is going to take some real effort, and so long as you
stay in Domino, you're going to have work commitments and issues with your kid
brother and whatever the hell else to deal with. I'm thinking if you can get
away from all this, say to a private resort somewhere with sun, sand and
surf... Like they say, Seto, happiness is a warm puppy."
The brunet's eyes narrowed in irritation once more. "You sound like you have a
plan all worked out and are just looking for me to implement it. And pay for
it."
"Am I that transparent?" Duke asked, only to scowl when he saw the smirk cross
the other's face. "Fine...yes, I need your help. Your little festival is the
perfect opportunity for us. I know that one of your prizes in that treasure
hunt is a weekend at that posh resort of yours up the coast. I also know that
Yugi and company are planning on entering. If you could make arrangements for
them to win that prize, it would be the perfect setting. Away from Domino, away
from all distractions..."
"That's not possible...I'm not the one scoring the contest." Seto's brow
furrowed in contemplation. It wasn't a bad idea that the other was proposing...
"That's alright," the green-eyed CEO pressed, obviously undeterred. "I'm on
their team, you know. You could give us a bit of 'help'."
"I suppose I could give you the answers, and while I don't think Wheeler or the
primate would suspect anything out of the ordinary, that girl...Tina, or Téa,
would start asking questions. And no offence, but you're neither an Academy
actor nor are you that brilliant."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Duke pouted, not catching the monkey comment in light of his
wounded ego. "Give me some credit here! After all, for the last two years, I
had the entire school convinced that I was straight." He ignored the dubious
arch of a brow. "Look, I'll handle it."
Sapphire eyes gazed at him assessingly for a long time in silence. Finally, he
sighed in resignation and nodded. "Alright. I'll leave it up to you, then. You
have to make sure you miss at least one, though – you want to win second place,
not the grand prize, ne? And don't be an idiot and submit your answers in a day
or two...at least make it plausible and wait until the last day."
The raven-haired male looked offended at that. "I told you, I'll handle it.
Text me everything sometime over the next few days. Trust me." Giving the
brunet a wink and a wave, he sauntered off one way while the taller teen went
the other.
Stepping into the music shop and seeing the pile of merchandise Mokuba had on
the counter, Seto mentally facepalmed, Duke's last words coming back to haunt
him. The two of them working together could only mean disaster, and the brunet
had a feeling he'd live to regret this. Snagging his credit card back from his
grinning brother and signing the substantial charge slip the clerk set in front
of him, he slowly shook his head and thought, 'Trust you, eh? That'll be the
day.'
***** Chapter Two *****
A few days into the scavenger hunt, Seto had texted the clue solutions to the
raven-haired teen. He really hadn't put much stock in his business rival, and
he had figured it was only a matter of time before something happened and the
whole stupid plan blew up in his face. As each day passed, he would check on
the contest status with some trepidation, half expecting to find angry letters
or telephone calls accusing him of impropriety thanks to Duke's sub-par acting
skills and blatant inability to keep a secret for more than five seconds. To
his surprise, no such claims were ever made, and as the last day of the contest
drew to a close, he breathed a sigh of relief that, if nothing else, he had at
least gotten away with the ruse.
Unfortunately, there had been one flaw in the plan which neither Seto nor Duke
had considered, and that was what to do in the event of a tie. Just before the
winners were to be announced, Jackson Sylvia, the organizer and chief judge of
the event, came to the brunet and informed him that while the grand prize
winner had been unequivocally decided, there was a three-way tie for second
prize. For a moment, Seto considered simply cutting his losses, biting the
bullet, and just inviting Yugi and his group to the resort anyway as a gesture
of friendship. Just as quickly, his mind supplied him with images of the
diminutive teen hugging him, the thought of which immediately made the bile
rise in his throat. He grew even queasier as he imagined spending the entire
weekend doing ridiculously kitschy group things. Despite having no hard
evidence to support his theory, he believed them to be a group of dorks who
wasted their time on nauseatingly wholesome activities like making s'mores
while singing campfire songs and having splash fights in the pool.
Giving his head a mental shake and barely repressing a shudder, he dismissed
that idea. His goal was to get the blond alone, and he could hardly be expected
to do that with Yugi and the tag-along gang right beside him during his every
waking moment. Leaning back in his chair, the brunet drummed his fingertips
along the edge of his desk in thought. Whether he did a draw, or had a single-
clue play-off, there was no way he could guarantee that Joey's group would win.
Quickly, he calculated the respective odds, and determined that with Yugi's
puzzle solving prowess and Joey's dumb luck, they'd have a slightly better
chance with the play-off. Turning to the waiting man, he said, "The
participants are expected to be there when the winners are announced, right?"
At seeing the confirming nod, he instructed, "Well then, give the three teams a
single clue play-off. Whichever one solves it first and gets a digital photo to
you wins. The remaining two teams will get third and fourth prize as they solve
the puzzle." Jackson beamed at the brilliant idea' and scurried out of the
office, and Seto, in an uncharacteristic show of nervousness, took to pacing.
An hour later, the results were in.
To the brunet's complete surprise and unexpected pleasure, it had been Joey,
and not Yugi, who had solved the clue. Somehow, the blond's brain had pieced
together that the item in question was a photo of Clem the Clam, the mascot for
Fishy Joe's Barnacle Barn – which was quite possibly the greasiest, most
unappetizing fast food restaurant in the city. It was located in one of the
most run-down neighbourhoods in Domino, and had two claims to fame. One was for
still remaining open despite having the most health code violations of any
establishment in the last twenty years. The other was the three-foot diameter,
wise-cracking, pea-green animatronic clam that spouted various derogatory
insults to patrons as they walked in the door. Seto suspected that it was
because Joey had had the dubious honour of dining on Fishy Joe's 'World Famous
Barnacle Bits' – allegedly small, deep-fried fish nuggets, but more than likely
the overcooked pieces collected from the bottom of the fryers – on more than
one occasion, hence the blond's familiarity with the establishment.
As he stepped out into the afternoon sunshine to present the prizes and pose
for the media, his suspicions were confirmed. As Yugi's group had come up on
the dais to receive personal congratulations from the CEO, he heard Duke
muttering about how he felt like he should go get a tetanus shot for having
been in there, while Joey was crowing about his 'super awesome mental powers'
and prattling on about how fish really is brain food, whether swimming in
grease or not. He shook the other's hands silently, and when he took Joey's, he
smiled at him, and said quietly, "It's a myth."
"Eh?" Joey looked at him as though he had three heads.
"About eating fish. It doesn't make you any smarter. It's a myth." He noticed
the blond hadn't let go of his hand yet, and he certainly wasn't calling
attention to that fact.
"Then why do they say that shit? My mom was always on my ass about it, too."
Seto smirked. "In the nineteenth century, a professor erroneously published a
paper linking the consumption of fish to improved IQ. The urban legend sort of
stuck." He really couldn't believe that this was one of the first civilized
conversations he'd had with the blond, and it was about something so
ridiculously stupid.
"Huh." The fair-haired male finally pulled his hand away, watching him
curiously as he stood with the others down at the far end of the podium.
The brunet finished the presentations, and then all of the prize winners met
with him and the PR department in the lobby for publicity photos. When it was
time for Yugi's group and they gathered to take the shot, Seto stationed
himself on one side of Joey, while Tristan glued himself to the other, Duke
following suit beside him. A brow arched slightly in surprise and then sapphire
eyes narrowed imperceptibly in assessment when he felt the blond shift slightly
away from the fin-haired brunet and closer to him. It didn't take a rocket
scientist to see that the nature of events as laid out by the ebony-haired CEO
wasn't entirely accurate, and Seto smirked slightly. He'd been played; Devlin
had used the blue-eyed teen's own insecurity against him in order to gain an
ally to pursue his endeavours. He was grudgingly impressed. He was also
slightly pissed off. The other would pay for his brazenness; in the end, it was
never wise to cross Seto Kaiba.
===============================================================================
It could never be said that a prize sponsored by KaibaCorp was done half-assed.
A week and a half later, Yugi, Joey, Téa, Tristan and Duke were riding
comfortably in the back of a white stretch limo on their way to Seto's private
retreat. The four males, in typical guy fashion, had spent the first half hour
of the drive playing with every conceivable button, switch and dial that was
located in the passenger compartment. After checking all the channels the
television's satellite picked up, they had scanned the radio dial, and rock
music was now blaring out of the custom speakers at considerable volume. The
moon roof had been opened on several different occasions, and the teens had
taken turns standing up and sticking their heads out the top to wave to passing
motorists – until Tristan had had the misfortune of catching a June bug in the
side of the face and had nearly knocked himself out in the process. That had
ended that game and, while the fin-haired male had let Duke fuss over him by
tending to the small cut and resulting shiner, hazel eyes had continued to look
hopefully to the blond for his assistance. Joey, however, had become otherwise
distracted by the mini-fridge, marvelling over the tiny bottles of water and
cans of pop, and the fancy cold hors d'oeuvres that had been put in there.
After checking with the chauffeur for the third time that yes, it really was ok
to eat them, he'd pulled the plate out, munching on devilled eggs and revelling
in cucumber sandwich heaven all while seemingly oblivious to his friend's
plight.
Eventually, Téa had pulled out the information booklet on the resort. Seto was
the legal owner of the place, but he deliberately stayed out of the day-to-day
operations, preferring to remain in the shadows as a semi-secret financer and
let it administrate itself. After she had flipped through the glossy pages, she
had pulled the boys' attention from the video games they were playing and had
suggested that they plan some activities. That had led to numerous arguments,
and finally, they had all decided that rather than have a complete plan, they
would spend some time together, and some time doing their own thing.
The one thing that they all were in agreement on was that the grounds were
nothing short of spectacular. The resort was located about three hours up the
coast from Domino, built at the base of a gently rolling mountain ridge. The
lodge itself was an all-suites hotel, every room having a cosy fireplace to sit
in front of during the winter and a small balcony for use in the summer. The
mountains provided a perfect backdrop for skiing, although there was also a
pristine sandy beach that backed onto an ocean sandbar. There was a manmade
lake that could be used for swimming or ice-skating as the season dictated, as
well as vast, grassy meadows, lush forests, and exquisite flower gardens for
the nature lovers. It was the perfect getaway, boasting something for everyone
– including a state of the art fitness facility, a world-class beauty spa, and
an enormous gaming and recreation complex. There were two five-star
restaurants, and a smaller cafeteria-style diner that was open twenty-four
hours for snacks and light meals. It was an invitation-only resort, built to
cater to the rich and famous – and those scant few lucky enough to be admitted.
And, the brochure didn't do it justice.
As they pulled into the grounds, five pairs of hands were pressed against the
glass as five sets of eyes peered excitedly around, trying to drink in
everything they could all at once considering their stay would be of limited
duration. Even though the blue-eyed CEO wasn't an active member in the running
of the place, it was readily apparent that those who were shared his exacting
taste and meticulous attention to detail. It was Joey who broke the silence
first.
"Fuck me," he breathed. "I bet one night here costs more than I pay for rent
for a whole year!"
"That's not saying much, considering the shithole you live in," Duke retorted,
unable to resist getting a dig in on the blond. "The Holiday Inn probably costs
more."
The fair-haired teen looked first shocked and then hurt, and he was quiet for a
moment before he asked, "Hey, Duke…you're supposed to be some hot-shit CEO. How
come you don't have a standing reservation here?" From the shade of purple the
green-eyed male turned, he knew he'd struck a nerve. With an amused snort, Joey
smirked. "Yeah, thought so." Feeling a sense of triumph, he turned back to his
window, resting his chin on his forearms as he watched the lodge grow ever
closer.
When they pulled up in front, they all scrambled out of the back of the limo,
forgetting to wait for the chauffeur in their zeal. The driver had barely set
their baggage down on the pavement when they were grabbing for it. Tristan and
Joey fought over which one of them would get to push the luggage cart, only to
sigh in disappointment when one of the bellhops swooped in and spirited it off
to the lobby. This earned both of them a swat from Téa, and a hissed warning to
'act like they had some freaking manners'.
Following after their vanishing kit, the group entered the lodge, all five of
them awed by the decadent surroundings. Still gaping, they approached the front
desk, smiling nervously when the concierge arched an impeccably groomed eyebrow
at them. "Good afternoon, and welcome to The Briars," he said as he cast an
appraising eye over them. The corners of his lips turned down in distaste as he
took in their clothing, the scowl deepening when he caught sight of first
Joey's, and then Yugi's, hair. "Is there…something I can do for you?"
Duke was the one who spoke up. Resting against the counter, he inched forward a
little to read the man's nametag, and he grinned. "Yeah, uh…Dennis. Name's
Devlin…as in Duke Devlin, chairman and CEO of Black Crown Incorporated. We have
reservations here for the weekend, and if you don't mind, we'd like to check
into our rooms." He gave the man a wink and slid a twenty-dollar bill across
the counter toward him.
The concierge gave him a dubious look, and then snorted at the money, which he
pointedly ignored after that. Wordlessly, he typed the name into the computer,
a frown crossing his face. "I'm sorry…Sir…but I have no record of your name in
the system."
"What about Gardner?" Téa asked. "Or Taylor or Wheeler or Moto? We're the
KaibaCorp contest winners!"
Dennis dutifully searched for every name, a small, smug smile crossing his face
when all queries came up negative. "I'm terribly sorry," he said, looking
anything but apologetic. "Perhaps you're at the wrong hotel. The uh…weekend
kegger blast is back about twenty miles. I'd suggest you try there. Good day."
"That's it?" Joey said, his voice raising a few decibels when he realized that
their dream weekend was about to go up in flames. "That's fucking bullshit!" he
shouted, oofing a moment later when Téa elbowed him hard in the gut and gave
him a death glare.
"Isn't there someone you can call?" the girl asked, attempting to plead with
the concierge. "Maybe your supervisor knows about this. Or Seto Kaiba! If you
could just call him and–"
Dennis snorted. "I'm sorry, Miss, but my hands are completely tied." From the
look on his face, it was obvious he had no intention of trying further to
resolve their issue. "Now, if you don't leave the premises immediately, I'm
going to be forced to call security and have you removed." His gaze travelled
over to Joey. "Or arrested."
"But–"
"Security!"
From out of nowhere, five large men in suits appeared, all of them brandishing
G29s, the standard issue police service revolver for the area. "Hands up!" a
large, burly blond man said as he drew back the hammer.
"Do you think Kaiba did this just to make us look stupid?" Tristan murmured to
the group, his hands trembling slightly as he held them up in front of him.
He'd never been on the business end of a gun before, and he wasn't finding the
experience all that pleasant.
"I don't think so, Tristan," Yugi replied, his own violet eyes wide. "It seems
a little over the top to be some kind of trick."
"Right," Dennis sneered. "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Take your
things and–"
"What the hell is going on here?" a familiar tenor interrupted, the voice
deathly calm.
The concierge and the five teens all turned to see Seto standing about ten feet
away, his arms folded across his chest, and a rather displeased expression on
his face. Dennis gave him an ingratiating smile and said, "It's nothing, Sir.
Just a minor disturbance. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience, and we'll
have these...people...out of here in a minute."
Duke stepped forward a pace and blurted out, "We were trying to check in, but
Mr. Personality here–"
"Shut up, Devlin," the brunet said icily, cutting him off and holding up a
finger in warning to the other members of the group to stay quiet. Only when
the raven-haired CEO had fallen silent, even if somewhat petulantly, did Seto
wave off the security team. He saw the curious expression on the concierge's
face, and his scowl deepened. "These five are the winners of the KaibaCorp
summer promotion. I trust there's no problem with getting them checked in,
Dennis?" he demanded with a glare.
"N-no, Sir...not at all..." Nervously, he typed on his computer, a faint sheen
of sweat breaking out on his forehead. "I-I just...can't seem to f-find their
reservations."
Slowly, the blue-eyed teen made his way over to the check-in counter, resting
his hands on the marble surface and leaning forward slightly. In a low voice,
he murmured menacingly, "Did you search under 'KaibaCorp' for their names? I
know that it was mentioned in this morning's operations meeting, and it's
certainly been in the operating memos – the ones you're expected to read prior
to the start of every shift – for the last week, at least."
Dennis's face paled considerably at that and, as he brought a trembling hand up
to wipe his brow, he made the suggested enquiry. His eyes widened slightly, and
he paled further before letting out a nervous laugh. "Ha ha...look at that," he
squeaked. "Reservations for Devlin, Gardner, Moto, Taylor and
Wheeler...executive suites." The man shrank slightly under the frigid stare he
could still feel on him, and he looked as though he might burst into tears at
any moment. Swallowing harshly, he turned to the group of five. "I-I can't even
begin to tell you how...terribly embarrassed I am. I-I beg your forgiveness,
and please, if there's anything I can do for you during your stay, let me
know." Hurriedly, he prepped their key cards and set them on the counter. "W-
welcome, and enjoy your stay."
The brunet snorted as he straightened up. "I assure you, Mr. Anderson will be
hearing of my…unhappiness about this." A cruel smirk crossed his face at the
look of panic on the concierge's face.
"Judgemental asshole," Joey muttered under his breath as he snatched up his
card. He slung his gym bag – which was serving as his 'luggage' – over his
shoulder, and then stopped in front of the brunet. "Thanks, Kaiba," he said
sincerely. "I don't know what we'd have done if you hadn't shown up." He cocked
his head to the side. "By the way, what the hell are you doing here anyway?"
"I own this place, Wheeler. Why wouldn't I be here?" he asked with an enigmatic
smile.
"Y-yeah, I guess..." he said after a minute. "Hey, Kaiba? I was wondering–"
"Hey Joey! Move your ass, man! We're not holding this thing forever!" Tristan
called out across the lobby, effectively interrupting him.
"Oh for fuck's sake, don't get your panties in a wad! I'm coming!" he shouted
back irritably, only to grin sheepishly and run a hand through his bangs when
he heard one lady's surprised gasp, and saw the disapproving stares a couple of
other patrons gave him. "Uh, sorry about that, Kaiba. Guess I gotta make sure I
remember my manners, huh?" His face heating in humiliation, he briefly scuffed
the ground with the toe of his sneaker, and then he said, "I'd better go before
they do something really embarrassing." Without another word, he scurried off
to join his friends.
"Hey, Wheeler," Seto called out, smirking when he saw the still-pinked cheeks
peek out the door at him. "See you around," he said as he gave him a small
wave, the smirk widening when he saw the surprised expression vanish behind the
closing elevator doors.
Seeing the brunet was no longer occupied, Gavin Smith, the large blond who
served as the head of the security detail, approached. From the expression on
his face, it was apparent he was trying to find a delicate way to phrase the
question that was foremost on his mind. He needn't have worried.
A moment later, Seto murmured, "They're harmless. Anything they do will be
juvenile, but not destructive." Suddenly, a slow smile spread across his
features. "Although, if you're up for a bit of fun, there is something you can
do for me." At seeing the inquisitive arch of an eyebrow, the brunet chuckled.
"Did you get a good look at Ponytail?" When Smith nodded, Seto's expression
turned devious. "Make sure he has a weekend to remember."
Paybacks were a bitch.
***** Chapter Three *****
Later that evening, while everyone else was relaxing in their respective rooms,
Duke was a man on a mission. Sharp, green eyes scanned the corridors and
restaurants for Seto Kaiba, but thus far, his search had come up empty. He
skidded to a halt in the lobby and looked around, still seeing no sign of his
quarry. "Damn it," he groused petulantly, his frustration evident on his face.
"He's like fucking Houdini!" So much for a chance, random encounter with his
business rival to make the whole meeting look casual and coincidental. He let
out a low growl and tried to tamp down his pride as he approached the front
desk. It pissed him off that not only was he going to have to ask for help from
the devil himself, he was going to have to further damn himself to do it.
Still, when he considered his objective, a little humiliation was an acceptable
price to pay.
Duke was confident in his skills as a reputed Casanova, but for him to properly
woo Tristan, he needed to get some time alone with his beloved. Much to his
dismay, he realized that this was going to be harder than he'd originally
thought, since the stocky brunet seemed adamant about gluing himself to Joey's
hip and trailing around after him like some kind of pet. Fortunately for him,
the blond was either oblivious to the hazel-eyed teen's crush, or he was
choosing to ignore it. That made Duke nervous; he figured that it was only a
matter of time before Blondie clued in and decided that he wanted a piece of
Tristan Taylor – he needed to make a move, and soon!
The raven-haired male realized that he was going to have to try to get another
favour out of Seto. Of course, he would try to convince the brunet that it was
in his best interest to comply – especially if he didn't want Joey and Tristan
to get any closer. Plastering on his most winsome smile, he approached the
night clerk and asked, "Yes, excuse me. I was wondering if you might be able to
tell me where I can find Seto Kaiba." His smile widened, and he hoped this guy
wasn't as much of a dick as Dennis had been.
The clerk, a young man in his early twenties, smiled back at him. "May I ask
your name, Sir? Mr. Kaiba tends to be a very private person, and doesn't like
to be disturbed when he's here."
"Sure. Duke Devlin. Chairman and CEO of Black Crown Incorporated."
"Ok, Mr. Devlin..." The attendant typed in the name, and nodded. "Yes, yes...I
see you here. Ok, just cross-referencing...and...it looks like you're good.
He's on the top floor in suite three. Would you like me to call him and tell
him you're on your way?"
"Christ no! I mean, no thanks," the raven-haired teen replied, mentally
facepalming after his outburst. "I have a...uh...another appointment, but thank
you so much!" Turning away from the counter, he headed toward the elevator bank
as quickly as he could without looking like he was power walking across the
marble tile. He stepped into the waiting car and pushed the button for the
tenth floor. As soon as the doors slid closed, he jabbed the button repeatedly
in his impatience, as though that would make it move faster. "He'd better be
in," Duke grumbled, practically sprinting into the corridor when he reached his
destination. After finding the requisite door, he paused for a moment to catch
his breath, then ran his fingers through his hair to smooth down any rogue
flyaway pieces, and knocked. When there was no answer after about thirty
seconds, he knocked again, more insistently this time. He didn't even have time
to lower his hand before the door opened, and green eyes gazed up into a pair
of very cold, very irritated, sapphire ones.
"What the hell do you want, Devlin?" Seto demanded, a hint of impatience in his
voice.
"You've got to help me," Duke replied as he brushed past the brunet and into
his room. "I – holy shit! This room is like, three times the size of mine!"
The taller male scowled as he shut the door, a low growl escaping him as he
watched the other slowly turn around, gaping at his surroundings. "Despite what
you might think, we're not equals. I far surpass you in every way, so it's only
natural that I would have a bigger room than you. And for the record, I don't
'got to' do anything, least of all for you."
"But I thought we were working together on this!"
"That sentence was about six words too long," Seto replied snarkily. "And
you're quite mistaken. We were working together. Your initial plan was to get
the two of them here, with us, and allegedly free from distraction. For as much
as I'm loathe to admit it, it was actually a good idea, and surprisingly, it
worked. Now, you're on your own. Or are you truly that pathetic that you need
me to help you get a date? Try writing him a note." At that, the brunet
smirked. "Mokuba received one from a girl in his class at the end of the year.
It said, 'Do you like me? If yes, check this box.' That seems to be well within
the realm of your capabilities, doesn't it?"
"You're such a fucking prick, Seto," Duke groused. "But, in case you haven't
noticed, Joey and Tristan have been practically inseparable since we've
arrived. And that's bad for both of us, if you hadn't clued in to that fact."
"Idiot. Of course I've noticed," the brunet retorted. In fact, he'd been
carefully watching the pair since they'd arrived. He knew well enough that
Tristan's crush was unrequited – it was now blatantly obvious to him – but he
felt no compunction to tell the other CEO that bit of information. For the time
being, he'd follow along with Duke's script. He pretended to think for a
moment, and then he nodded. "Alright, Devlin. I'll find a way to get Wheeler
out of your hair for a while, since you've proven you're incapable of doing
anything on your own – including taming that train wreck you call a hairdo." At
that, his gaze flicked up to the frizzy ponytail, and he snorted in amusement.
"At noon tomorrow, the monkey will be solely yours; don't waste the
opportunity."
Reflexively, Duke's hands went up to his hair and he cowed slightly. "I told
you he's not a monkey!" he shouted, and then he dropped his gaze. "And you
don't have to be catty about it. It needs to be styled, but I haven't had a
chance to do it since we got here," he murmured.
There was a slight flash of malice across the sapphire, and then the brunet
said, "Well, there is a spa here with several worthwhile amenities. I had a
manicure myself this afternoon," he said as he gave a casual glance over at the
other's hands, one eyebrow arching appraisingly.
The raven-haired male's hands shot behind his back at that. "Shut up!" he
snapped, and then he sighed. "Maybe I'll use tomorrow morning to pretty myself
up a bit. Not that I need it, but it doesn't hurt to look your best, does it?"
Keeping his hands in loose fists to hide his neglected cuticles, he looked down
at his arms as if examining them. "Hm...maybe I should add a bit of colour to
my skin, too. Not everybody goes for that pale, pasty look you seem to prefer."
At that, he leered smugly at the other.
Seto snorted, obviously unfazed by the look or the comment. "Remind me again
why I should give a damn about your opinion?" He glanced toward the door, and
then back to the other teen. "Now that I've solved your major crisis, are you
good, or was there something else you needed? I have things to do."
"Why? What the hell were you doing that was so damned important?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but I was taking a couple of hours to read
a book. I thought the late hour would ensure it was quiet and uninterrupted,
but apparently, that wasn't the case."
"Ooh!" Duke said with an exaggerated shiver, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Bet you're a barrel of fun to go on vacation with. All the cool stuff to do
here and you're reading a book."
Again, the brunet snorted, and then looked contemptuously at him. "Oh? And what
have you been doing all night?"
"Lots of things!"
"Such as?" Seto smirked. He knew damned well that the raven-haired teen had
been trying desperately to find him. He just wished he could have been there to
see the green-eyed male trying to sweet-talk the night clerk.
Duke pinked slightly. He couldn't very well say he'd been running around all
over the resort and searching for the blue-eyed CEO. "I was...uh, sightseeing.
Looking around the place a bit, you know, to get used to the layout." He was
secretly pleased with himself for coming up with that one.
Seto arched a brow. "You really are an idiot. Get out of my room, Devlin." When
Duke didn't move, the brunet quite forcibly grabbed the smaller teen's wrist
and wrenched up on it, ignoring the yelp of protest he earned for his efforts.
The taller male dragged his visitor to the foyer and practically shoved him out
into the hallway, slamming the door in his face before the other could say a
word.
Seto stood there for a moment, glowering at the closed door, and then he
crossed over to the telephone. Picking up the receiver, he dialled the number
for the spa. When the night attendant answered, he smirked devilishly and said,
"Good evening. This is Seto Kaiba, and I'd like to leave a personal message for
Charlene, please..."
===============================================================================
The next morning, while Seto was eating a slice of quiche and reading the paper
as he sat in the smallest restaurant, he heard a bit of a commotion. He
immediately recognized one of the voices as Tristan's and, as he glanced over
the top of the page, he frowned slightly. It seemed as if the fin-head and
Wheeler were having some sort of a disagreement about something. As they drew
closer, he could hear that they were arguing about what they wanted to do that
day. The blond wanted to do something out on the water – rent jet skis, go
snorkelling, hell, even go fishing, while the other was adamantly trying to
talk his friend out of it. A small smirk crossed the blue-eyed teen's face, and
setting down his paper, he approached the pair. "Sounds like you have quite the
dilemma."
"Yeah," Joey replied somewhat dejectedly. "I hardly ever get to the beach, let
alone get out on it. But Tris' wants to go rent bikes, and the other three
can't make up their minds and said they'd catch us later. I'd go by myself,
but, you know, that's just not safe. Not to mention, it'd be boring as hell."
"That's why I said bikes, man!" Tristan said as he waggled his eyebrows.
"That's fun, and you get to feel the wind whipping across your face. Come on!"
he wheedled.
"No!" Joey said firmly. "First off, I want to do something I can't do back in
Domino. Second, I don't have a major hard on for those crotch rockets like you
do. Third, even if I did, I don't have a fucking license–"
"No problem! We can ride together. Head up–"
"You know, I have a 20-metre cruising sloop I keep docked up here; I'll take
you out if you want to go," Seto cut in, a pleased expression on his face when
he saw the blond's eyes light up.
"Really? Aw, man Kaiba, that'd be awesome!" Suddenly, he sobered. "Wait…you're
not going to charge me or anything like that, are you?" When Seto merely
snorted in amusement, the grin returned. "Awesome!"
"Yeah, fucking fantastic." The stocky brunet looked somewhat put out by the
blue-eyed teen's offer, but he could see how much the idea meant to Joey. "I
guess it'd be fun to hang out on a sailboat for a while. Where do you want to
meet us, and at what time?"
Seto arched a brow, a cold smirk spreading across his face. "I wasn't inviting
you to come along." His sharp eyes caught the barely perceptible look of relief
that washed over the blond. "You weren't interested a moment ago, so my offer
is extended to the one who was. Sorry for your luck." Turning to the fair-
haired male, he said, "It's up to you when you want to go. We can either go out
after lunch, or you can meet me in the lobby at noon, and we can bring
something out with us. You don't get seasick, do you?"
"Nah, I've got an iron gut," Joey said as he patted his belly. "And lunch
sounds pretty good. I'll see you at noon, then."
"Wonderful," the brunet said as he returned to his breakfast, his smirk
widening when Tristan asked his friend, "So what the hell am I supposed to do
all afternoon?"
===============================================================================
It was about quarter to twelve, and Seto was relaxing in one of the club chairs
that were scattered about the lobby. At his feet was a large picnic basket
containing the meal he'd asked to be prepared for him. Now all he needed was
his passenger. He arched a brow when he saw Duke storm by, oblivious to his
surroundings as he made a beeline for the elevators. He could see that the
raven-haired male's hair was expertly coiffed, his outfit was the perfect mix
of style and sport – and his skin was the colour of a cheese doodle. 'Charlene,
I could kiss you,' the brunet thought to himself as he chuckled softly, the
churlish expression on the other CEO's face bringing him no small amount of
pleasure. "Hey, Devlin!" he called, his grin turning slightly sadistic when he
saw the green gaze widen and then drop to the floor in an effort to hide the
owner's mortification. Getting to his feet, Seto approached the other, making
no attempt to mask his amusement. "Jesus, what the hell happened to you? You
look like an Oompa-Loompa."
"Shut up!" Duke snapped petulantly, and then he let out a forlorn groan. "I
decided to try one of those artificial tans, but I had a reaction to one of the
ingredients in the spray. God, who knew that I was the one person in a million
who can't handle exposure to dihydrogen monoxide! Damn it, if you're not
getting cancer from the real sun, you've got all these shitty chemicals doing
God knows what to you!"
Seto sniggered to himself as he listened to the raven-haired male bemoan his
latest discovery – that he was allergic to water. "Tragic," the brunet replied,
making a mental note to send the aesthetician a bouquet of exotic flowers for
simply up and painting Duke a day-glo orange. "So, how long can we expect to
see you with this rosy glow?"
"Bite me, Seto," the shorter male groused. "It has to set, which takes about
four hours total, and then I can shower it off. If I try to do it before, the
tint could soak into my skin, and then I'll have to wait for it to wear off!"
The brunet snorted in amusement and looked up to see Joey and Tristan heading
their way. "Well, as I said I would, I got you your alone time with the monkey.
Enjoy your afternoon." He chuckled darkly when Duke simply gaped after him, the
pink of his embarrassed blush coming through the heavy orange. Retrieving his
basket, Seto fell into step with the blond, a small smile settling on his face
when the other beamed at him.
While Tristan stared after the departing duo like some sort of lost pet, Duke
gazed wistfully at the stocky brunet. He'd hoped that the two of them could
spend some quality time together, but that idea was looking more and more
remote. Especially when he saw the taller male start to walk away. "Hey, where
are you going, Tristan?"
The fin-haired teen shrugged. "I don't know; maybe I'll go see if I can find
Yugi and Téa. I think they were going to check out the recreation centre."
"Oh." He worried his lip for a moment, and figuring things couldn't possibly
get any worse for him right now, Duke screwed up his courage and asked, "You
want to do something with me? I mean, I've got to wait a few hours before I can
wash this shit off, but I'm sure we can come up with something better to do."
Green eyes clouded slightly when he saw that the other didn't seem really keen
on the idea. It figured; so far, the trip hadn't been all it was cracked up to
be. First, he'd had to call the front desk when he'd suddenly found himself
with no hot water, and then his key card was accidentally deleted and he hadn't
been able to get into his room for an hour or so after breakfast. He'd thought
things might be starting to look up when his manicurist had been twenty minutes
late starting on him, and thus he'd been comped the free tan, but his current
state of mind was a testament to how wrong he'd been. Suddenly, he sighed.
"Forget it, man. It's alright." He turned toward the elevator and jabbed the
'up' button with his thumb. After a moment, he felt a presence by his side, but
he didn't dare to look.
"We can watch a movie and have lunch, and then decide on something to do then,
right?" Tristan asked.
The dark cloud that had been hanging over the raven-haired teen lifted at those
words. "Hell yes!" he replied, forgetting about the overall crappiness of his
weekend to date. "Tell you what, I'll even treat."
***** Chapter Four *****
When Duke and Tristan arrived in the raven-haired male's room, the green-eyed
teen suddenly found himself feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious. The
stocky brunet had a somewhat discomfited expression on his face, and he'd
promptly settled himself into one of the two chairs that flanked the dinette-
style table. The two had hardly said a word to each other in the elevator, and
now, Duke was finding the silence that stretched between them extremely
awkward. He sat down on the small couch that faced the television, and he
flipped it on. After a moment, he came upon some Rambo-type movie and, when he
saw Tristan straighten up in interest out of the corner of his eye, he left it
on that. With a sigh, he drew his knees up to his chest and half-watched the
screen. Only three more hours to wait... He heard a soft rustling behind him,
and the long-haired teen figured that the other was sifting through the stack
of magazines and papers that were piled neatly on the corner of the table.
Suddenly, he heard a surprised gasp, and he turned toward his guest. "What's
the matter?"
Tristan held up a fanned out assortment of magazines – Cycle World, Bike, Sport
Rider, and Performance Bikes to name a few – and looked at the smaller male.
"When the hell did you start reading these?" he asked, dropping his gaze to
flip through one of the issues.
Duke shrugged. "I don't know...a few years ago, maybe? Why?"
The brunet cocked his head to the side. "Do you ride?"
"Yeah. I've got a Ducati 1098 S Superbike, and a Suzuki Hayabusa."
"No fucking way!" Tristan exclaimed. "Oh man, I've just got a crappy little
Yamaha myself. I mean, I love it to death, but shit, compared to yours, mine
looks like a toy!" An excited gleam in his hazel eyes, he moved to sit beside
the other teen, the magazines still clutched in his hands. "I'm saving up for a
Hayabusa myself, but that won't be until after college, I bet."
The raven-haired male gave a small smile. Maybe the afternoon wouldn't be a
complete waste after all... "Hey, they have a place that lets you rent sport
bikes here. The roads are awesome in the foothills for it. I mean, I have to
wait a bit first, but if you wanted to, I'd –"
"Oh hell yeah!" Tristan replied, interrupting the other and giving him a
brilliant grin. "I'd love it!"
The pair spent the remainder of Duke's self-imposed exile talking and joking,
sharing a lunch of pizza and chicken wings while they waited for the time to
pass. Finally, the blessed moment arrived when the raven-haired male could
shower, and after giving himself a thorough scrubbing, he emerged from the
bathroom with a healthy pink glow to his skin.
Not twenty minutes later, they were climbing on their Kawasaki Ninjas and
tearing off down the highway and into the mountains. The green-eyed teen was
beyond happy. He was out on the open road, and he was there with Tristan and no
one else. The stocky brunet was a good rider, too. On one deserted, flat
stretch of pavement, he hit the throttle and popped the clutch, executing a
perfect wheelie. Duke was noticeably impressed – he'd never been able to hold
one for more than a few seconds, so Tristan's mastery of the trick was
something to behold.
The scenery was nothing short of breathtaking. As they rode higher into the
mountains, they found themselves on the edge of a large bluff that looked down
over the ocean. Large, towering trees loomed above them, shielding them from
the scorching summer sun and creating playful shadows that flittered across the
road. Rounding a corner, they could see the resort off in the distance below
them; they were well and truly away from civilization now. They rode on a few
more miles, and then Tristan got Duke's attention, gesturing to him to pull
over.
The green-eyed teen spied a small outcropping of rock that got them suitably
off the mountain pass and out of the path of any possible traffic, and he shut
down his bike. Pulling off his helmet, he shook out his dark, wavy tresses and
looked curiously at the other. "What is it?"
"Your back tire is running flat," the brunet informed him as he, too, removed
his helmet, nodding to the noticeably soft rubber. "You're not going to be able
to ride much longer on that."
"Shit," Duke groused, and then he sighed. "Alright, I guess that's it for
today, then. Can I ride back on your bike with you?" he asked. "I really don't
want to take that down the mountain – not with how curvy these roads are."
Tristan nodded. "Yeah, I was going to suggest that if you didn't," he replied.
He went to start his bike again, only to scowl slightly when, instead of
hearing the motor roar to life, he heard a sickening grinding sound. "What the
hell?" Irritably, he booted out the kickstand, and then began trying in earnest
to get the engine to turn over. "Fuck," he muttered when he flicked the
headlight switch and got no response from the bike. "It looks like there's an
electrical short somewhere – or a busted wire – and with no tools here, trying
to find it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It looks like
we're both going to need a tow – or we start walking." He smirked as he glanced
over at Duke and then down at himself, noting with wry amusement that the
leathers they were wearing were hardly conducive to hiking in hot, hazy
weather.
Wiping his brow, the hazel-eyed teen retrieved a bottle of water from the
bike's small storage compartment and took a drink before he passed it over. As
the raven-haired male took a sip, Tristan watched the way the other's throat
worked as he swallowed, his eyes taking in the faint sheen of sweat that
glistened on Duke's skin, and how the black and crimson leather riding outfit
formed just so to the contours of his body. Subconsciously, he licked his lips;
Duke had a tighter, slightly more compact form than Joey, and though he was
sure both males were equally attractive, he knew that he'd never be able to
talk the blond into wearing anything like that. Suddenly, he snorted
humourlessly; he'd never really be able to talk Joey into anything - at least,
not as long as his best friend had a thing for Seto Kaiba.
Hazel eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled the way the blond had looked at the
blue-eyed CEO, and how he had seen that same look mirrored in the stoic teen's
usually shuttered expression. There was no way he could compete with that, no
matter how hard he tried – not that his efforts to date had been exactly
roaring successes. Slowly, Tristan raked his gaze over the dark-haired teen's
form once more, and he felt a small tingle run through his body. Mentally, he
called up the image of Joey, and he suddenly found himself wondering whether he
really was attracted to his best friend, or if it had been a crush of
convenience. The blond was definitely good looking, but the amber-eyed male had
never really shown any interest at all for anything outside the bonds of
friendship… Again, Tristan licked his lips. Without a doubt, Duke had an exotic
look to him, but more than that, he'd often been there for the stocky brunet
when he'd needed comfort. Forcing his gaze away, he idly wondered if it would
be worth pursuing, or if he was just setting himself up for another
disappointment if he was reading the green-eyed beauty incorrectly. Sighing
softly, he scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration before turning to
the task of removing his riding jacket.
Duke could feel Tristan's gaze on him, and he surreptitiously glanced over at
the brunet. He liked the way the taller teen looked in the black leather – and
it certainly filled him with deliciously naughty thoughts. As his mind
inconveniently supplied him with various mental images, he barely managed to
suppress a wanton groan when the taller teen unzipped his coat and took it off
to reveal smooth, tanned skin and strong, broad shoulders peeking out from
beneath a white muscle shirt. A moment later, he realized he was staring, and
he gave his head a small shake to clear the fog from his brain. "Um… I have my
cell with me; I can call someone, yeah?"
Tristan nodded. "Yeah…Tell them we're on the 7B, about thirty miles north of
The Briars."
The raven-haired teen nodded and pulled out his phone, first calling
information to get the number for a garage, and then dialling for a tow. After
explaining his situation first to what was presumably a receptionist, and then
to the shop manager, he was finally put through to dispatch. He was halfway
through his explanation of where they were when suddenly, his phone cut out. At
first, he thought that his signal had simply been dropped given their location,
but when he went to hit redial, Duke realized that the battery was dead. "Oh,
fuck no!" he said with a scowl. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Irritably, he threw the
device back into the storage compartment on his bike, and then angrily unzipped
his own jacket, throwing it to the ground in his frustration. "I was sure I'd
charged that thing last night!" he groused. Obviously aggravated, the green-
eyed teen ran a hand through his hair, and added, "The real bitch of it all is
I don't know if the genius on the other end actually got my message, or if
we're going to be sitting here on our asses all fucking night!" Petulantly, he
kicked a rogue pebble across the road, and then glowered at the other male.
"God damn it! Nothing has gone right for me yet, so I might as well fuck up one
more thing and be done with it!"
Before Tristan could comment, or react, Duke had grabbed him by the front of
his shirt and dragged him down into a bruising kiss. After a moment, the
smaller teen released him and took a half-step back. "There. If you want to
kill me for that, go ahead; it wouldn't really shock me given how this weekend
has turned out."
To say that the stocky brunet had been surprised would be an understatement,
but he in turn completely shocked Duke when he grabbed him by the wrist and
yanked the shorter male to him. Gazing into the stunned green eyes, Tristan
murmured, "Just…shut up." And then he claimed those lips for his own.
===============================================================================
It was a perfect afternoon for sailing. The sky was blue, and a gentle breeze
was blowing in off the ocean, keeping the heat and humidity at bay. Joey
grinned as he leaned over the side, letting the ocean winds ruffle through his
hair. He'd been surprised when he'd seen Seto's boat – not that he'd been
expecting the brunet to have some sort of dinghy to paddle around the bay with,
but this had looked like something straight out of the America's Cup. And he'd
giggled at the name – 'Who's Compensating?' Thus far, he'd been enjoying
himself immensely, and was secretly grateful that the blue-eyed teen had had a
four-man crew available to sail the vessel – he didn't have that much skill,
really, and truth be told, the blond would much sooner ride than work anyway.
Still, Seto had let him steer for a bit, telling him what commands to bark out
to the crew to get them moving along at a fair clip.
After a while, Joey had asked to relinquish the helm. Once he'd been suitably
relieved, he had carefully stretched out on the bow deck, occasionally dipping
his fingers into the cool, blue water as he had sipped bottled iced tea from
the picnic basket at his side. They were still moving along at a decent speed
(Joey figured they were probably doing better without his 'help'), and as they
started to round a small islet about ten miles off the coast, Seto called out
to him, "It's nearly one-thirty. Are you ready for lunch?"
The blond nodded, and when Seto beckoned him over so that they could sit in the
air conditioned living areas below deck and eat, Joey grabbed the picnic basket
and carefully picked his way over the various lines to the steps. He knew he
shouldn't step on any of the rigging as that was a major sailing faux pas, and
as he concentrated on not causing any trouble for the crew, he didn't hear the
call of 'boom coming about'. The next thing Joey knew, he was seeing stars as
the beam cracked him in the back of the head, sending him reeling. Through the
pained haze, he somehow managed to grab hold of the gunwales, which kept him
from being knocked into the water. Unfortunately, the picnic basket wasn't so
lucky. With a forlorn expression on his face, he watched it tumble through the
air with all the grace of a one-winged dead seagull to land in the water with a
sickening 'plop'. His expression grew even more despondent when he saw some of
the plastic containers float up and out of their wicker prison to bob merrily
along the surface of the water. Despite the way his head now throbbed, his
golden eyes immediately sought out sapphire, and he dropped his gaze, fully
expecting to be reamed a new one for his clumsiness. However, instead of anger,
those blue eyes were filled with concern.
After seeing that Joey was mostly fine – meaning, he was still on the deck,
upright, and not unconscious – Seto simply picked up the fisher's gaff that was
stored alongside the deck. Carefully, he hooked the wayward basket and brought
it back on board, setting it beside the stairs. He moved to the blond's side
and peered apprehensively into his eyes, checking him for any signs of a
concussion. Then, as he gently but insistently pushed Joey's head forward, he
lightly ran his fingers over the injury site. There was a bit of a goose egg,
but thankfully, no blood. "I think you're going to have a bit of a bump," he
said finally. "Come on; I'll get you something for the headache I know you have
to have, and some ice." Keeping an eye on the boom, he helped Joey down below
deck, got him seated on one of the galley benches, and then went back to
retrieve the remains of their still dripping lunch. Chuckling softly, he set it
in the sink. "Most of it's still here," he remarked as he began to fill an ice
pack. "However, I think the bit of sushi I'd put in there has been returned to
Poseidon."
"Kaib', I'm really, really sorry," the blond began, obviously upset for having
ruined the brunet's preparations. "I can't believe I was so stupid as to –"
"Relax," Seto interrupted as he set the ice on the back of the other's head.
"It's just lunch, not the end of the world. I'm just glad to see that you
didn't fare worse than you did." He smirked. "You're not the first, and I know
you won't be the last, to be on the business end of that boom." He cast a
meaningful look at the other, and with a wry grin, he added, "And no, you may
not tell Yugi or anyone else."
"You mean you got hit, too?" the fair-haired teen asked in disbelief, his words
trailing off into a pleased groan when he felt the cool sensation against his
skull. "Oh God, that feels good."
Seto waited until Joey had placed his hand on the ice pack to hold it in place,
and then the brunet moved over to one of the small kitchen drawers. Wordlessly,
he pulled out a bottle of extra-strength acetaminophen, which he set on the
table beside the other along with a glass of water. "Take two of those now," he
instructed. "I'll give you two more in a couple of hours."
The blond did as he was told, a curious expression once again settling on his
face as he watched the taller teen get out some plates and utensils for them.
Finally, his curiosity got the better of him, and though he worried that he was
potentially screwing up a good thing, he simply had to know. "Hey, Kaib'?" He
could feel those intense sapphire eyes on him, and without having to look up,
he knew he had the other's attention. For a moment, he considered how best to
ask his question, and in the end, settled for blundering right into it, as per
his usual wont. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Joey looked up, and seeing
that the brunet was still staring at him, his pulse started to race as he
continued to ramble. "I mean, I like it and all - really like it – and I'm not
complaining or anything, but you've never really been one to go out of your way
for me, and I was sure you hated me, given our past together. Not that you've
really been a mega asshole lately, either, but..." He flushed deeply and fell
silent as he took to picking at a hangnail and suddenly wishing that he had
been knocked overboard.
Seto was quiet for a long time. Finally, he came over to the table and set down
a bowl of fresh strawberries and pineapple chunks, a plate of various cheeses
and crackers, and a small platter of assorted small desserts. He shrugged in
response to the question and instead said, "I'm sorry; we lost our entrée. If
you want, when we get back to Domino, I'd like to take you out for sushi to
make up for it. I know a few places."
"It's ok, Kaib'," Joey replied. "And yeah, I'd like to go out with you –"
Suddenly, he stopped dead, a small sound like a squawk escaping him when he
realized what he'd just said. "Y-you mean like...friends, right?" His heart was
hammering in his chest now, and he could feel his cheeks heating again. There
was no way that the brunet could possibly mean anything else, no matter how
much he hoped it was so. Desperately, he tried to slow his breathing, secretly
praying that he didn't look like as big of an ass as he felt.
"If that's what you want it to be," Seto replied evenly. "I wouldn't expect
anything more given my past behaviour." He sighed inwardly. There was no point
in further deluding himself if the blond wasn't interested. He refused to stoop
to a Duke level of desperation, and if the other only wanted a casual
acquaintanceship, he was prepared to live with that. After all, if he was truly
honest with himself, even that was more than he deserved. And at least it was
something.
"Expect any – what?" Amber eyes stared at him in disbelief for a minute.
"You...me?!" he squeaked. "But…since when?" he managed to stammer.
Again, the brunet shrugged. "I couldn't say, really. I suspect for a lot longer
than I've realized. I've been...trying to get you to notice." He gave a
humourless snort. "This wasn't exactly how I'd pictured it happening in my
mind, but now you know." Exhaling heavily, blue eyes noted the awkward
expression on the blond's face. "Do you want me to take you back now so you can
spend time with your friends? I'll be disappointed, but I won't be offended."
Joey sat in silence for several moments, trying to absorb all that had been
said to him. Sure, he'd fantasized about dating the handsome CEO – just like
every other sane person on the planet – but he'd never seriously thought he'd
have a chance. Nervously, he licked his suddenly-dry lips and stretched out his
arm so that his fingertips were just barely touching the brunet's elbow.
Hesitantly, he peered up at the other, as though he was expecting Seto to
suddenly yell 'Psych!', or worse, laugh at him for being so gullible and
stupid. "I'm already spending time with my friends. And, unless you don't want
me here anymore, I want to stay." His expression turned slightly uncertain as
he partially dropped his gaze, looking up hesitantly at the other.
"And I don't want you to leave," came the hushed reply as an uncharacteristic
wave of shyness washed over Seto, and he mentally chastised himself to get a
grip. At that moment, he felt like a simpering ass, but even so, he couldn't
help the small, genuine smile that curved his lips upwards when he saw the
blond's brilliant grin. Relaxing a little, he nudged one of the plates toward
his guest.
His own grin widening, Joey picked up a couple of crackers and sandwiched a
piece of Camembert between them. He set it on his side plate, and then made an
identical one for the brunet. "Fuck, some host you are, Kaiba," he teased, his
headache forgotten for the time being. "You invite me out here for lunch, and
then have me making the damned sandwiches!"
Seto chuckled softly. "I'll return the favour, if you'd like," he remarked as
he made an open-faced Gorgonzola on Melba toast for the fair-haired teen.
They continued in this manner until the plate had been emptied, and then they
began on the fruit and desserts. At some point, Joey offered the brunet a bite
of the chocolate-coated mini-éclair he held in his hand, his head bowed in a
coy gesture as he gazed up at the other through golden lashes. Once the dark-
haired male had taken a bite, the blond popped the remainder in his mouth, a
small dollop of the decadent filling missing its mark and landing on his upper
lip.
In a bold move, Seto leaned over and brazenly pressed his mouth to the other's,
lingering for just a moment before he pulled away. He was elated when he
realized that Joey hadn't panicked or pushed him back, and he felt almost giddy
when the blond had ever-so-slightly leaned into him. Slowly, he licked his
lips, savouring the small taste of cream he'd stolen.
It was the sweetest, most delicious thing Seto had ever tasted.
***** Chapter Five *****
It was just before five o'clock when Seto and Joey returned to port. The
blond's headache was currently little more than an inconvenient throb, and he
was feeling pretty good, albeit a bit confused at the moment. His thoughts kept
drifting back to the small, sweet kiss he and the brunet had shared over
dessert. It had certainly taken him by surprise, but he'd immediately liked the
feel of those soft, warm lips against his own. Unfortunately, it had all been
over before he'd had a chance to register what was going on, and he'd been a
little bit disappointed that Seto was such a gentleman – the other hadn't done
anything else since then save for sit a little bit closer to him and
occasionally brush against his arm or his hand as they'd talked. Joey had
contemplated taking action himself, but he was uncertain as to where, exactly,
he stood, and he didn't want to risk incurring the blue-eyed teen's wrath for
being an idiot. He'd seen Seto lay someone out for touching him without his
permission once before, and he certainly didn't want to have such action
wrought upon himself.
Forcing himself back to the present, Joey sighed heavily when he saw that their
private time together was now over. He waited until the crew had secured
everything (he really didn't want a repeat of his encounter with the boom), and
then he moved to the rear of the boat, taking the brunet's offered hand as he
jumped onto the dock, the picnic basket swinging against his hip. For what
seemed like an eternity, he just stood there, looking up into those deep,
sapphire eyes, and then his gaze dropped for a moment as he stared longingly at
Seto's soft, pink lips. Finally, he cleared his throat as he handed the basket
back to its owner, and he said, "Um...thanks again for the awesome afternoon,
Kaib'. My clumsiness aside, it was really fun, and lunch was great."
The brunet gave him a soft smile in return. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," he
replied as he stooped slightly to set the basket down. "And I'm relieved that
you weren't seriously injured." He moved as though he was going to once again
feel the bump on the back of the blond's head, but he caught himself at the
last moment. The faintest tinge of pink spread across his cheeks as he added,
"If you ever find you want to go again sometime..." Under the guise of looking
at his watch, he dropped his gaze, leaving the unfinished invitation hanging in
the air.
"Yeah, I'd like that," Joey replied with a grin, the expression widening
further when he saw the brunet's face light up. "So, um...did you want to maybe
catch a bite with me at dinner? I mean, I know it's still early and all, but I
don't mind eating later." He inwardly winced, wondering if maybe that knock to
the head had made him even stupider than usual. He glanced briefly up at the
other and let out a slightly sheepish laugh. He felt like a moron – he'd never
been this awkward about stuff like this before!
Seto's smile faded. "I'm sorry, but I can't," he replied sincerely, his own
disappointment increasing when he saw the crestfallen look that clouded those
gorgeous amber eyes. "I have to take a teleconference with my PR people back in
Domino to discuss the final details for tomorrow night's concert. I had to push
it back earlier to make sure that I had the afternoon free, and I really have
to talk to them to make sure that all of the last-minute preparations have been
finalized." The brunet snorted contemptuously. "Precocious should be called
'Pretentious', what with all of the ludicrous demands they have – and if every
one of them isn't met, its grounds for them to arbitrarily cancel the show.
Christ, they want a goldfish bowl of peanut butter M&M's chilled and waiting
for them – but the brown ones have to be removed because they 'harsh their
karmic flow'. And that's one of the more 'normal' requests; it's ridiculous!"
Joey snickered softly at the mental image of some lackey sorting through bags
and bags of candy, and then he sighed. "It's ok, Kaib'; I know you've got stuff
to do, and I'm grateful that you were able to make the time for me. So, I guess
I'll see you around then?" For a minute, it looked as though he was going to
hug the taller male, but instead, he settled for offering a handshake.
Seto looked down at the extended arm, and he felt his heart sink. Numbly, he
shook Joey's hand, and then slowly released his grasp to watch the blond turn
from him. He clenched his jaw tightly, and he realized that he was simply
letting the other walk away from him feeling hurt and rejected. He needed to
fix this first, the concert be damned. "Wheeler!" he called out, jogging the
few paces to close the distance between them. "Joey, wait," he said as he
caught the fair-haired teen's wrist in his hand. He turned the smaller male to
face him, and he asked quietly, "Will you meet me later?" The brunet gazed into
the soft, nervous amber eyes and added, "I think...I think this is relatively
new territory for both of us, and we need to talk about...this, about us. And
that's assuming, of course, that you even want there to be an 'us'. I'll wait
for you in the back gardens by the rose arbour at midnight – that is, if you
choose to come, ok?" For a brief moment, he let his own uncertainty over the
situation show in those usually self-confident blue eyes, and then he released
the blond. As he watched the other walk, and then run, toward the lodge, he
realized that he was now facing what would undoubtedly be the longest seven
hours of his life. He was inordinately grateful that he would have work to at
least partially distract him during that time.
===============================================================================
"Yug'? Yugi? YUGI!!" Joey's frantic voice rang out along the corridors as the
blond searched desperately for his best buddy. He needed advice, and he needed
it now. The diminutive teen hadn't been by the lake or the pool, the concierge
said he hadn't seen anyone fitting the spike-haired male's description leave
the lobby en route to the beach, and he wasn't yet at dinner. The recreation
centre was deserted, so that left only one place – his suite. Joey sprinted to
Yugi's door and fumbled nervously in his wallet for the key card – when they'd
first arrived, he and his amethyst-eyed friend had traded their spare room
cards, knowing that, inevitably, one or the other would accidentally lock
themselves out of their suites. After a couple of failed attempts, the blond
finally got the door to open, and he stepped inside. "Hey, Yug'? I really need
some advice about – oh fuck!! God, Yug', I'm so sorry; I didn't know!"
The short male was seated on the living room chaise, his shorts tugged down
around his thighs to reveal a rather prominent erection. Beside him sat Téa,
the bra of her bikini top pushed up to reveal her ample breasts. Yugi was
nuzzled against the one closest to him, eagerly suckling and mouthing the
nipple. She had a fist wrapped around Yugi's cock and was frantically jerking
him off while simultaneously tweaking and pinching her other breast in time
with her movements. The spike-haired teen had his one hand down her bottoms,
his fingers expertly caressing her most intimate area. The girl was obviously
close to orgasm if the wanton mewls and moans coming from her were any
indication.
Flushing a deep crimson, Joey bolted blindly back to the door as he hurriedly
covered his eyes, trying to purge the image of what he'd just seen from his
mind. "I-I'll be down by the...uh, lake when you're...um, finished, Yug'," he
called out in complete embarrassment, not at all caring right then whether his
friend had heard him or even noticed him. Mortified beyond imagination, he
stopped at the small convenience store in the lobby and bought a snack-sized
bag of potato chips, and then headed out through the back doors toward the
water.
The sun was dipping lower in the sky and had gone partly behind the mountains,
which covered the area in shade. Joey sat down on a wooden bench and opened his
treat, slowly crunching through his 'appetizer' as he idly watched a few young
kids splashing around on the makeshift beach. It wasn't long before their
parents had retrieved them to get cleaned up for dinner, and in the newfound
peace and quiet of the area, a few ducks had returned to the shore. Eventually,
the birds took notice of the blond – and more importantly, his chips – and they
waddled up the bank to stare at him with their black, beady eyes. Joey smiled.
"Yeah, I guess it's dinner time for you guys too, huh?" He reached into the bag
and crushed a chip in his hand, and then tossed it out for the ducks. His smile
widened when they came even closer, and he figured that by now, they had to be
pretty tame what with all the people around to feed them. He tossed them
another handful, his eyes widening in surprise when he heard angry chattering,
and then saw a fat, grey squirrel scamper across the grass to chase the birds
away, its tail bottle-brush straight. Once the ducks had moved to a far enough
distance, the small rodent began gathering up the chip crumbs and stuffing them
into his cheeks. "Huh," Joey said. "Guess you're hungry too." He threw a larger
chip down for the squirrel, and when it scampered off – presumably to bury it
for the winter – he tossed another handful of crumbs to the ducks.
Not a minute later, the squirrel was back, chattering agitatedly at the ducks
and once again driving them back so that it could gather up the veritable feast
that had been laid down before him. "You're pretty fucking rude," Joey
commented as he held out a chip for it, hoping like hell it wouldn't freak out
and bite his fingers. "There's more than enough for everyone, you know." He
grinned when the squirrel cocked its head to the side as though it understood
him before stealing the chip and scampering off.
"You know Joey, talking to animals is the first sign you're going crazy."
The blond turned at the voice, smiling at the tiny teen despite the flush that
quickly returned to his cheeks – Yugi had heard him after all. "Yeah, well,
maybe I am, Bud," he offered in response. He set the bag of chips down beside
him and waited for his friend to take a seat next to him. Before the other
could say anything, Joey said quickly, "I'm really sorry, Yug'...I mean, you
should have put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign or something on the door – or locked
the deadbolt." He grinned sheepishly. "How pissed is Téa at me for intruding?"
The smaller male giggled, a blush colouring his own cheeks. "I would have, but
it kind of happened really fast, and I didn't think about it, really," he
replied. "And to be honest, I...don't think she knew you were there." He
giggled harder. "She never said anything, anyway, and I'm sure not going to say
a word! So, what's the 'big emergency' anyway?" he teased.
Inwardly, the blond breathed a sigh of relief. He'd certainly dodged a bullet
with that one, and he thanked every god he could think of that he wasn't about
to be killed by the petite brunette. Joey dropped his gaze to his hands and
took a deep breath. "Well, you see, I – what the hell is that smell?" he asked
suddenly, his senses overwhelmed by the sweet, nauseatingly fruity aroma coming
from next to him.
"Mango scented sun block." Yugi laughed when the fair-haired teen looked at him
like he was crazy. "It's Téa's. She'd been tanning by the pool today and had
been wearing it. I guess some must have rubbed off on me earlier. That, and we
didn't have any lube, and –"
"Ok, I get it!" Joey interrupted, giving his head a furious shake. "I didn't
need to know that much detail, Yug'!" He playfully swatted his friend when the
small teen only laughed harder, and he desperately hoped that the wild-haired
male was simply pulling his leg. "Anyway," the blond pressed, hoping to steer
the conversation away from Yugi's sexual exploits, "I went out sailing with
Kaiba this afternoon." When the other male nodded, he continued. "We had lunch
together and stuff; it was pretty nice. I had a lot of fun. It's just that..."
He paused for a moment, worrying his lip with his teeth. "Well, I think he
wants us to be, I don't know...a couple?"
"So? What's the problem? You've wanted that for a long time, Joey!"
"I know, I know. It's just; I'm having a hard time believing this is all real.
I'm confused, because he makes it so hard to know what he's really thinking – I
guess that's why he wants to talk later. Heh, not that I have a fucking clue
what I'll say back! And then there's Tris'. I know he's been making moves on me
for a while now, and if he finds out I'm with Kaib' – or at least pursuing him
– he's going to try to do something stupid. I know him. And then, there's me. I
feel like such a schmuck around Kaiba. I don't know what to say, I don't know
what to do, and I look like a complete ass."
Yugi sighed. "Look Joey, all I'm going to say is this. Kaiba's definitely been
acting different around you lately – a good different. I don't think he'd go to
this much trouble if he wasn't being sincere, but you have to ask him. Yeah, I
know he can be intimidating sometimes, but he's a person, too. And I bet he's
just as uncertain about this as you. As far as I know, he's never really
seriously 'dated' anyone – Téa reads those celebrity gossip magazines," he
added by way of explanation when he saw the raised eyebrow. "As for Tristan,
Téa and I both have tried to tell him you're not interested – just like we did
with Serenity. He can't expect that you'll feel the same about him, Joey;
that's just not fair. Besides, on my way out here, I passed him and Duke on
their way in." He smirked at that. "Let's just say I think he's going to be
ok."
"Yeah?" He saw Yugi nod, and then the blond sighed, starting slightly and
giving a small chuckle when the grey squirrel jumped up onto the edge of the
bench, jabbered impatiently at him, and then stole away with the chip bag. "Now
I've just got five hours to kill..."
===============================================================================
Seto had finished with his call a little before eleven o'clock, and had been
pacing the gardens since then. He was uncharacteristically nervous – probably
because unlike in his boardroom, there was no way he could control the outcome
of this meeting. Twice, he'd heard footsteps along the path and had looked over
hopefully, only to resume his pacing when first it had been another couple out
for a walk, and more recently, one of the groundskeepers. Finally, he spied the
familiar blond mop of hair, and his heart started beating frantically in his
chest. Nevertheless, he managed to mask all outward signs of anxiety, and he
tried not to look too eager while he waited for Joey to make his way over to
him. "Hi," he greeted when the other joined him, and he motioned to a low stone
bench for them to sit on.
"Hi," the blond returned, and he wordlessly sat down beside the brunet,
nervously fidgeting with his hands.
Seto, too, sat in silence for a long while, everything he had prepared to say
having been momentarily forgotten. Never before had he met someone who had such
a profound effect on him as to render him speechless. At least when he was
pretending to be an asshole, the snark came easy. Finally, he found his voice,
and glancing sidelong at the teen next to him, he snorted humourlessly and
said, "You know, for someone who runs a multinational corporation and strikes
fear into the hearts of the most powerful men in the world, you'd think I'd be
able to have a normal conversation with you."
Joey smiled at that. "I think you've been doing ok."
The brunet chuckled softly. "Thanks. To be honest, it doesn't feel that way.
But I'm glad it's at least coming across properly. I'd hate to think I was
losing my touch."
The blond's smile widened a bit, and then he dropped his gaze as he worried his
lower lip with his teeth. "Hey, Kaiba? Earlier, when you said you wanted to
talk about us...you weren't bullshitting me, were you? You want there to be
an...us?"
Seto nodded, forcing his gaze to remain steady. "I do. Very much so." He
paused, and then asked quietly, "Do you?"
"I..." The shorter male looked up, meeting the dark sapphire. For a moment, he
searched their depths, and he could see the sincerity behind the words. "I
do..." he said finally.
"But?"
The blond shook his head. "It's stupid. This whole thing, it just doesn't feel
real. I mean, I thought you hated me, and we always fought, and that seemed
normal for us. Then, we didn't fight any more, and were civil, and I liked that
and hoped we could be friends. And now...shit. I feel like I'm in the fucking
Twilight Zone or something!"
"Joey..."
The fair-haired teen started at the gentle voice, and he turned to the brunet.
"You...called me by my name earlier, too..."
"Yes." A soft hand stroked tenderly along his cheek. "I know this whole thing
seems a bit...surreal, but trust me when I tell you that this is what I want,
and I've never been more straightforward in my life."
"Really, Kaib'?"
"Really. And please, call me Seto...those closest to me do." The brunet smiled
when the blond gave him a shy, but pleased, grin in return, and he could feel
his nervousness disappearing, his typical self-confidence returning. "Can I
kiss you again?"
Joey dropped his gaze demurely, peering up at the other through his long
lashes. "I've been hoping you would since lunch."
His smile widening and turning slightly wolfish, Seto turned a little and
leaned in closer to the smaller teen, his arms slipping around the slender
waist as he pressed slightly parted lips to the full, luscious mouth before
him. Like before, he felt intoxicated by the sweetness of the blond's kiss, and
he let out a wanton purr when a small, pink tongue peeked out to swipe at his
bottom lip. That simple gesture was his undoing, and as he responded by
thoroughly ravaging the fair-haired male's mouth, he was only vaguely aware
through his lust-induced fog of Joey climbing into his lap and wrapping his
arms possessively around his neck. The whole thing felt natural and right and
perfect, and when they finally broke apart, Seto sat there for a good while,
panting breathlessly and delighting in the blissful giddy feeling that filled
him. He loosed a slightly raspy chuckle as he gazed into the gorgeous amber
eyes he adored so much. "Comfortable?" he asked as he nodded to the way the
other was straddling his lap, facing him.
"Mmm, very."
"Good. I am, too." They sat that way well into the night, sharing many deep,
soulful embraces and soft, tender kisses. After a while, Seto confessed what he
and Duke had done to get Joey and Tristan out of Domino, and he'd been
pleasantly surprised when, instead of being angry, the smaller teen had laughed
at the sheer deviousness of it all. Finally, as sleep started to overtake them,
the two decided that they should probably call it an evening. Reluctantly, Seto
eased the blond from his lap, and took his hand tightly in his as they headed
back to the resort. "Tomorrow, will you attend the concert with me?" he asked
as they neared the building, and then he frowned when he saw the discomfited
expression on the other's face. "What is it?"
"Well..." The blond worried his lip, and then said hesitantly, "I'm...really
not a fan of Precocious."
At that, the brunet laughed. When he saw the questioning eyebrow, he said
conspiratorially, "I can't stand them, either."
The shorter teen blinked in surprise, and then he giggled. "Seto?" he began
shyly.
"Yes?"
"I think I love you."
"You know what, Joey?" Seto replied with a small smirk. "I think I love you,
too."
***** Chapter Six *****
Dawn was just starting to break as two lone figures made their way along a
deserted stretch of beach, their hands clasped tightly as they ran along the
surf. Finally, they collapsed onto the shore, the taller of the two leaning
down and harshly kissing the smaller one. After a moment, they broke apart,
both of them giggling slightly as they removed their swimming trunks and tossed
them a bit further up the bank. Getting to their feet, they ran out into the
water a little more than waist deep and fell into an embrace.
"I can't believe we're actually doing this," the brunet said as he dipped his
head and suckled briefly at a nipple before licking up to the other's
collarbone to add yet another mark to the myriad ones already there.
His partner groaned softly. "Oh fuck, don't stop...Ngh! I've never been to a
nude beach before, and since we're leaving a little after lunch, this was
really the only time to go – I didn't think you'd want to with the others
around."
"Actually, no," the taller said with a chuckle. "Although, I don't think that
would have really stopped me from taking advantage of you." Grinning impishly,
he turned the other around and began to grind his pelvis against his lover's
ass as he reached around to stroke the shorter teen's cock to full hardness.
Moaning hungrily as he felt the flesh swell against his palm, his own sex
already achingly hard, he nipped at a shoulder, his rigid shaft teasingly
probing the cleft. "God, you're gorgeous," came the sensual purr. "I can't keep
my hands off of you."
"Oh shit," murmured the smaller, his eyes falling closed as he licked his lips.
"You're such a fucking tease, you know that?" he groused good-naturedly as he
pressed back against the larger teen, a wanton gasp escaping him when he felt
the tip slip further into him, just barely penetrating the tight muscle.
"Please," he begged as his hands slid up his own chest, his fingers pinching
and rolling his nipples. "I need you...Fuck, don't make me beg."
"Insatiable, aren't you?" the brunet whispered, his tongue trailing lightly
against the delectable skin, chuckling darkly at the needy moan his actions
elicited. "Maybe I like it when you beg...it's a turn on. It makes me want to
take you hard and fast." He arched his hips forward, his cock head slightly
stretching the ring. "Is that how you want it?"
"Oh fuck yes!" A desperate whimper fell from the smaller one's lips, his cheeks
slightly flushed as he panted harshly in anticipation. "Anything, just,
please!"
"Mmm...So greedy," the larger said with a grin, and then he snapped his hips
forward, completely sheathing himself in that tight heat with a feral groan. He
felt his cock twitch at the unrestrained mewl the other let out, and he gave a
few long, slow thrusts to give his lover a chance to adjust. His hands slid
down, grasping tightly onto his partner's hips, and he set up a rhythm of hard,
fast, deep strokes. "God...feels so good," he whispered, and then he demanded,
"Touch yourself...I'm not going to last very long."
The shorter did as he was told, and it wasn't long before he was writhing in
pleasure, teetering on the brink of his own orgasm as he all but sagged against
the other. "So...close...Ngh! More!"
The brunet loosed a licentious growl as he drove hard into the pliant body
against him, and as he felt his stomach tighten, he fisted his fingers in his
lover's hair and jerked his head back. Ruthlessly plundering his mouth, he
thrust in hard, releasing deep inside the other, his hips spasming jerkily with
each pulse.
The smaller moaned libidinously, the cry of his partner's name muffled by the
kiss as he, too, reached his peak, white ribbons of his seed spurting out into
the water to be carried away by the waves. Sated for the time being, he eased
himself forward and then turned, wrapping his arms around the taller teen in an
exhausted embrace.
Meanwhile, a large blond man stood on the shore, unnoticed by the two trysting
lovers. A cigarette dangled from the corner of his lips, and he smirked as he
knelt down and picked up the two discarded swimsuits. In their place he left a
couple of small hand towels – one a fluorescent fuchsia, the other a day-glo
lime. Smith snickered in amusement when he imagined the two of them trying to
sneak back into the resort unnoticed in those, and he had to admit that the
juvenile pranks had been somewhat entertaining over the past few days. "You
know what, boys?" he said quietly to the couple, even though he knew they'd
never hear him. "I think I'm going to miss you two."
===============================================================================
Brunch turned out to be an interesting affair for the group. Yugi and Téa had
secured a large table outside on the terrace, and were murmuring softly to each
other while they waited for the rest of the group to join them. Tristan and
Duke arrived together, both wearing big smiles on their faces as they held
tightly to each other's hand. Duke was obviously a little sore as evidenced
from the way he was walking, and judging from the countless love bites that
could be seen peeking out from under the collar of the stocky brunet's t-shirt
and the long scratches down his arms, it was quite obvious what the two of them
had been doing. "Good morning," Yugi greeted with probably more enthusiasm than
was necessary in an attempt to mask his own awkwardness. He and Téa had seen
the two of them streaking through the lobby that morning, each wearing a garish
hand towel like some kind of bizarre loin cloth/diaper cross, and the two
surprised teens had agreed that it was something neither of them would ever
mention to the two Tarzan impersonators.
"Mmm, it certainly is," Duke purred as he sat down at the table, wincing only
slightly as he did, and then reaching for the coffee carafe, the embarrassment
of losing their swimsuits forgotten in the continuing afterglow of their early
morning lovemaking. "I'd say it's already better than yesterday, which was
pretty fucking amazing in itself." He smirked at the memory, his cock rapidly
hardening as he thought about it.
The previous night while they'd been waiting for the tow truck, things had
gotten pretty heavy between him and Tristan. After a few steamy kisses, Duke
had boldly dropped to his knees to give the fin-haired brunet a mind-scorching
blowjob right there on the side of the road. It had been absolute heaven for
the green-eyed teen – not only had he discovered that Tristan was more than
accepting of his offer and extremely well-endowed, but he'd nearly came in his
own pants when the other had harshly fisted a handful of his hair and fucked
his mouth with wild abandon. Truth be told, Duke liked it a bit on the rough
side, and he was more than content to serve in the submissive role – although
he did speak up when it came to telling his lovers what he wanted. In return
for the treat he'd received, the hazel-eyed brunet had been in the middle of
giving him one hell of a hand job when they'd seen the flashing lights of the
approaching tow truck. The smaller teen had almost cried at the sight, his cock
aching and throbbing painfully against the restricting leather of his pants –
'blue balls' didn't even begin to describe it. To make matters worse, there'd
only been room in the cab for one, so Duke had had to ride the entire way back
to town settled on Tristan's lap. His already stressed body had been even
further teased by the substantial bulge that had pressed against his ass for
the majority of the trip, and several times he'd had to bite his cheek to hold
back a moan when they would hit a bump and he'd feel that hardness push more
firmly against him. Fortunately, the stocky brunet had sensed his discomfort,
and the second they'd returned to the resort, they had sequestered themselves
away in Duke's room, Tristan thoroughly sating the raven-haired male's need,
while the green-eyed teen had shown just how...appreciative he was for the
attention.
"Yeah, where the hell is Joey?"
Duke was brought back to the present by his lover's voice, and he scowled
jealously when he heard him make mention of the blond's name. "Who cares?" he
responded before he could catch himself, not realizing that Tristan had merely
been parroting off another's question.
Three sets of eyebrows rose in curiosity, but before any of them could say a
word, a fourth voice interjected coldly with, "I care."
The raven-haired CEO blanched slightly and let out a nervous chuckle when he
raised his head to meet the icy sapphire gaze. "S-Seto! P-pleasant surprise
seeing you here."
"Shut up," the slender brunet snapped as he sat down in the vacant chair beside
Yugi and sipped his coffee. He nodded somewhat cordially to the other three,
his gaze never wavering from his nemesis. "You really should learn to pay
attention, Devlin. Idiotic statements like that are the reasons why you'll
always be content to surround yourself with clueless primates." He snickered
softly into his mug when he saw Tristan give the green-eyed teen a totally
blank look.
Yugi smiled at the newcomer, pleased that the stoic CEO was actually going to
join them. In an attempt to keep the tenuous peace that existed between the two
businessmen, and to assuage the concerns of the two male brunets, he said,
"Joey's probably just running late. He was up and about when Téa and I called
on him earlier. He should be here any minute."
Seto nodded, and then settling back in his seat, he looked around at the group
of teens, taking note of the various hickeys, scratches, bites, and other
assorted marks adorning their bodies. As he chuckled to himself he thought that
perhaps Yugi and company weren't as wholesome as he had initially believed – a
promising discovery considering that he was likely going to have to share the
blond's free time with his friends. He fell silent as he listened to the four
engage in idle small talk, only half-paying attention to the conversation until
he heard Téa call out a greeting. Looking up, he smiled softly when he saw
Joey, and he got to his feet, offering the fair-haired male his chair since
they had only procured seating for five.
The blond promptly waved him off as he reached behind him and dragged another
one over to the table, sandwiching himself between Seto and Tristan. "Hey guys,
sorry I'm late," he offered, and then his eyebrows shot up in mock surprise.
"Fuck, Tris', you get in a fight with a vacuum cleaner or something?" he asked
when he took a better look at his friend.
"Oh hardy har har!" Duke interjected petulantly, scowling slightly when the
fin-haired brunet pinked slightly and grinned. "Been saving that one up for a
while now, Blondie? Or is that just the best your little pea brain can come up
with?"
Joey snorted and overtly gave the green-eyed teen the finger as he reached for
the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. "Get bent, Duke."
"Ooh, good comeback!" the long-haired male sneered. "But if I'd wanted a
comeback, I'd have wiped it off your chin." His gaze momentarily shifted to the
blue-eyed male and his grin turned malicious. Unable to resist getting a dig in
on both of them, he added, "Or did the Ice Prince already take care of that for
you?"
Téa gasped, and Yugi's eyes went wide in horror, the two of them seemingly
rooted to their places in fear when they saw the murderous expression that had
settled on Seto's face. The blond flushed bright crimson and sputtered
incoherently, trying to find his voice so that he could deliver an
appropriately scathing insult in return. He was drawing a huge blank, and the
only thing he wanted to do at that moment was to punch that smug asshole right
in his prima donna face. Clenching his jaw and exercising Herculean restraint
so as not to shame their host or make the rest of the group feel any more
uncomfortable, he finally managed to hiss, "Listen here, you girl gone wrong,
you're lucky there are a bunch of people here right now, or I'd kick your ass
into the middle of next week, get me?"
Duke's eyes narrowed at the slight. "All right. Let's take it somewhere else,
then."
Joey snorted. "I'm not going to fight you; we both know you don't stand a
chance, and you're such a pussy you'd probably get Tris' to fill in for you.
Besides, this isn't about beating the ever-loving shit out of you, really. It's
about embarrassing you as badly as you've embarrassed me –"
"I don't see how that's possible. Just you walking around should be
embarrassing enough for you and those around you. I don't know how Seto can
stand hearing the laughter, but then again, I hear he's into lowlife mutts –
they don't expect much."
The blond felt the blue-eyed CEO tense, and he scowled. "That's it. You and me
are going to settle this properly. The gauntlet is down! I challenge you to a
duel!"
The raven-haired teen rolled his eyes. "Fuck that. I'm not playing Duel
Monsters against you. Been there, done that, kicked your ass, and stuck you in
a dog suit. Really, you never looked better than when you were my bitch."
Joey growled lowly. "You wish, RuPaul. I'd kill myself before I'd ever be owned
by a prancing fairy like you," he snapped. "And I'm not talking about that kind
of duel, dumbass. I'm talking the 'fifteen paces, turn and fire' kind of duel."
"Holy shit, you are stupid. That kind of duelling has been illegal for years,
Einstein."
"Then I guess I'll have to choose a weapon that is still legal, won't I? You
and me on the beach by the lake at noon. You'd better show, Princess, or when
we get back to Domino, I'll take you down on the street."
"Yeah, like I'm fucking scared," the other retorted as he stood up to leave. He
felt no reason to tell anyone that he wasn't being entirely sarcastic.
===============================================================================
When he put his mind to it, Joey could be extremely creative. Coupled with
Seto's propensity to ensure that revenge was swift, sure and certain, the blond
was pleased with what he had thought up. Truth be told, he was more or less
over the slight – but he just couldn't pass up an opportunity to humiliate
Duke. The two of them had always had a tenuous friendship at best, and he liked
that he was going to be able to one-up the green-eyed teen. Like often happened
when he was at odds with one of his friends – or, more correctly,
Duke or Tristan – the two aggrieved parties would usually find some way to beat
the hell out of each other in a show of full-blooded male testosterone. When
the dust settled, the incident was forgotten, and life went on. As he gave one
last look at the 'field of honour', he pressed his lips into a thin line,
setting his game face while he waited for his opponent.
Seto was waiting with him, and he, too, was anticipating the upcoming duel.
Since it was a test of physical prowess, he gave Joey the upper hand – he'd had
gym with Duke their previous school year and had seen his rival's less-than-
stellar athleticism first hand. Yugi and Téa were also there. The girl was
notably unimpressed with them for resorting to such a display of barbarism, and
Yugi was attempting to explain to her that duelling was a noble sport, designed
to restore a person's honour. It wasn't until he used her in an example that
she came around somewhat, but she still didn't look all that pleased that two
of her friends were fighting.
Shortly before noon, Duke and Tristan arrived on the scene, and the two of them
exchanged puzzled looks when they saw two pails set about twenty feet apart.
"Alright, Blondie," the green-eyed teen said, trying to mask his curiosity by
sounding beyond bored. "I'm here..."
"Good. Glad you didn't wuss out. I was half expecting you to," Joey goaded as
he walked over to one of the buckets. "Our weapons will be slingshots and water
balloons." He nodded down at the pail by his feet. "We each get ten, and the
first one to get a hit wins." He glanced at the red designer t-shirt his
opponent was wearing, and as he tugged off his own top, he said, "Right. Strip
off."
The raven-haired male arched a brow. "What the fuck for?"
The blond shrugged. "Suit yourself then... I was just giving you the option to
protect your clothes." He grinned impishly. "Not all of the balloons contain
water."
"W-what's in them?" the other demanded, his eyes wide.
"Well, seven of them have water. One has hot sauce. One has blue food
colouring. And one has that whore lure you like to wear – what did you tell me
it was called again, Set'? Polo?" He chuckled when he heard Duke grumble as he
irritably pulled off his shirt, taking secret delight in the fact that all of
the projectiles were filled with plain, ordinary tap water. After the other had
handed his top to Tristan, Joey's grin widened when he saw of all the love
bites marring the long-haired CEO's torso. "Nice one, Tris'," he commented with
a wink, and he laughed when his friend just flushed and smiled back. "Ok." He
turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Since I'm a nice guy, I'm
going to let you pick which end you want, so you can't bitch later that it
wasn't fair."
Duke chose his side, and then the two combatants moved to the centre of the
area. "I want Téa to say go," he stated. "She's neutral." Joey agreed, and the
petite brunette joined them at the start point.
"You're both idiots," she declared, and then sighed. "When I say 'go', you can
run to your assigned bucket and fire at will." Once the two were standing back
to back, she held up a hand as a 'get ready' signal, and then dropped it with a
shrill, "Go!"
The two males raced to their designated areas, each taking up the small
slingshot and loading their weapons with the water balloons. Duke's first shot
went about five feet before exploding on the grass while Joey's sailed in a
high arc, landing about ten feet behind the other. Volleys were exchanged in
rapid succession, and as the raven-haired teen picked up his last balloon, he
saw the fair-haired male just standing there. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he
took careful aim at his unarmed opponent and fired, his shot landing about four
feet wide.
"Well, that was fun," Duke announced as he stooped to pick up his pail.
"Not so fast, asswipe," Joey retorted as he reached into his bucket for his
final balloon. Loading the projectile in the pocket, he waited until the other
looked up in surprise, and then fired his shot. He watched it sail perfectly
through the air, and he swore that he would never have a more pleasant memory
than the look of utter panic in Duke's eyes as he was hit square in the
forehead, the rubber exploding with a satisfying sploosh to thoroughly drench
the other. Slowly, a wide grin morphed across the blond's face, and then, he
started to laugh.
The dark, usually coiffed hair was now dripping wet and hanging down in stringy
tendrils. The ebony eyeliner he typically wore (which, apparently, wasn't
waterproof) was running in wild, black rivulets down his cheeks and dripping
onto his bare chest. He blinked in stunned shock, and then he snorted
humourlessly. "Happy now?" he asked as he wiped at his eyes and scowled at the
dark smudges on his fingers. "Fuck, I'm going to have to shower again..."
"Overjoyed," the blond replied as he placed a hand on his heart in a gesture of
ultimate sincerity. "I'd say we're good, yes?"
Duke nodded, but before he could reply, there was an irritated growl from the
fin-haired brunet. Dropping his lover's shirt on the ground, he pointed an
accusing finger. "You did that on purpose, Joey!" Tristan thundered as he
launched himself at his friend, knocking him to the ground and easily using his
larger size and the element of surprise to pin the other on his back. "You
cheated, you son of a bitch!"
For a moment, the blond couldn't speak for having had the wind knocked out of
him. And then he had to focus on not getting punched by the wildly swinging
brunet. Finally, he shouted back, "There was no rule that you couldn't wait,
and it wasn't like I hid it behind my back or anything! If he was stupid enough
to turn his back on me before the duel was declared over, then tough shit! You
know that as well as I do, man!" Joey struggled, and with some effort, he
managed to flip them, so that he was now looking down into angry hazel eyes.
"Fuck, Tris', you get laid, and suddenly, your dick becomes your brain!" One of
the larger male's hands got free, and he clipped the blond hard in the cheek.
Amber eyes narrowed and the fair-haired teen raised a fist to retaliate.
Duke moved as though he was going to intervene, but one look at the warning
glare Seto was giving him stayed his movements. Swallowing nervously, he stood
down, knowing that if he tried to interfere, he would be stopped – and the
method would likely be painful.
The two friends sparred for several minutes, trading glancing blows and arguing
until Joey suddenly knelt on the fin-haired brunet's chest, effectively
stopping the melee. "For fuck's sake, will you listen to me for two seconds,
you dumbass?" he snapped, panting harshly as he swiped at his bleeding lip,
which he had accidentally bitten during the brawl. "If you'd been paying the
fuck attention, you'd know that me and Duke had just agreed that things were
cool between us, you fucking caveman! Jesus Christ, get some self-control,
would you?" Letting out a snort of disgust, the blond licked his lip as he got
to his feet, and then spat a mouthful of blood into the sand. Irritably, he
fluffed his hair, which sent a shower of the fine particles back to earth, and
then he turned the pockets of his shorts inside out to return a small beach
worth of sand back to its original home. Finally, he smiled and extended a
hand, tugging the other back to his feet. "You got me a good one, Bro," he
commented.
"Yeah, well, I'm lucky you didn't break my fucking nose," Tristan replied with
a smirk, and then he tugged the other to him and gave him a brotherly hug.
"Pull some shit like that again and I will!" He laughed and started picking up
the broken pieces of balloon so that the ducks – and even that psychotic
squirrel – wouldn't accidentally eat them and choke.
"Duly noted." The hazel-eyed brunet stretched to pop out a few kinks, and then
joined in on the cleanup. When they were finished, he said, "I guess we'd
better get packed to head back. The limo's coming for us at two-thirty, right?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah, it is, but I'm not going back with you guys. I'm going to
ride home with Seto. But, I'll catch you before the concert, right?" At seeing
his friends nod, he grinned. "Cool!" he replied, and then he grimaced slightly
as he pulled at his shorts. "In the meantime, I'm going to grab a shower...I
think I've got half a sandbar in my ass."
***** Chapter Seven *****
The atmosphere was electric as the five friends stood outside the Domino
amphitheatre that evening, along with what looked like half of the city's
population. Precocious was exceedingly popular with the twelve-to-twenty-five
demographic, and the news had been reporting that every seat had been sold for
the concert – ten thousand indoors, and another fifteen thousand on the grass
outdoors. Those who had tickets for outdoors were currently being admitted, and
since lawn chairs weren't permitted, the fields surrounding the building were
slowly being covered with blankets, beach towels and sleeping bags of every
colour like some sort of haphazard patchwork quilt, leaving not much actual
grass exposed. KaibaCorp had a special VIP section reserved at the front by the
stage for its contest winners, and the energy in the air was almost palpable as
concert goers waited for the doors to open so they could get in.
As it was, the night was perfect for an open-air concert. The temperatures were
hot, but there wasn't a trace of humidity, and a gentle ocean breeze was
wafting over the area, making it quite comfortable. Not a cloud was in the sky,
and it was going to be ideal for the fireworks scheduled for later on. Joey was
resting his forearms against the metal railing where they were queued up, and
was gazing out at the crowd. The other four were babbling excitedly about the
upcoming show – especially Yugi and Téa, who were practically bouncing up and
down. The blond smirked to himself. Tristan had never really claimed to be a
fan, but after learning that Duke idolized the lead singer, the extremely
ostentatious Johnny Love, to the point of hiring the same designer to decorate
his house, the fin-haired brunet had suddenly starting admitting to finding
their music to be 'not too bad'. Joey rolled his eyes when he heard the green-
eyed male start telling them again about how the rich colours like royal
purple, electric blue, crimson and gold 'were the perfect mix of eclectic
elegance and style', and how it spending a significant portion of time within
those walls would 'completely realign one's cosmic chakras'. The blond believed
that Duke had simply been suckered by the designer based on how he spouted off
hackneyed catchphrases, and that the colour scheme sounded more like a really
tacky looking bottle of Crown Royal than anything. However, he kept that
opinion to himself; to mock the band or any aspect of their lives at that
moment would not only invite a verbal berating from his friends, but he'd
likely be lynched by the crowd and never heard from again. He might be rash, he
might be impulsive, but he wasn't suicidal. Exhaling heavily, his lack of
fanaticism precluding him from the conversation, he swore that he was going to
puke if he heard one more reference to 'the fantabulous Johnny Love' by any of
them.
Pushing his long bangs from his eyes, the fair-haired teen glanced up at the
amphitheatre's marquis, and noted the time. It would still be a half an hour
before Seto could join him – he'd promised the blue-eyed brunet he'd wait out
front for him, and then the two of them were going to go off to listen to the
show from a distance. Mokuba would be enjoying the performance from backstage,
under Roland's guardianship. The amber-eyed teen felt a bit sorry for the stoic
advisor, but he couldn't help but giggle at the mental image. He was fairly
certain that this wasn't the sort of concert the older gentleman tended to
frequent. Currently, the young CEO was meeting the band members along with his
brother, and he smiled softly when he tried to imagine the awestruck look on
the boy's face. Seto had asked Joey if he'd wanted to come with him, but the
blond had politely declined; he didn't want to look like an ass in front of
everyone if he was asked what he thought of their music. Suddenly, he perked up
when he saw a mop of soft, white hair moving down the sidewalk, and he grinned
when he realized who its owner was. "Bakura!" he shouted, waving his arms
wildly. When the other merely stopped and looked around in puzzlement, he
called out again, "Turn around and look over here, you British wanker!"
Chocolate brown eyes surveyed the gathered crowd, and then lit up in pleasure
upon seeing the friendly blond frantically gesturing to him to come over.
"Hello everyone!" he greeted when he joined them, standing on the opposite side
of the metal barricade.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Joey asked in obvious surprise. "I mean,
not that it's not good to see you, but I thought you were in England all summer
and wouldn't be back until just before school."
"Ah," the snowy-haired teen grinned. "There was a slight, erm…change of plans.
See, Dad received a call and was asked to come to Korea to examine some
artefacts, which essentially cut short our vacation. I could have stayed with
my Great Aunt Myrtle in Bristol, but she has about a million cats, is extremely
crotchety, and her entire flat smells like rotten cabbage. Needless to say, it
wasn't a difficult choice to come home and spend the remainder of the break
here."
"What sort of artefacts, Bakura?" Yugi asked.
The newcomer shrugged. "Dad didn't say much, really. It has something to do
with the legends of the Korean gremlins – tokkaebi. Apparently, archaeologists
have uncovered the ruins of a village that used to worship them."
"Neat!" the diminutive teen exclaimed. "I'll have to tell Grandpa to give your
dad a call when he gets back to Domino. I'm sure he'd love to hear about it."
The pale teen nodded and beamed. "Dad would love that. He always enjoys having
tea with your granddad." Bakura paused and looked at the gathered teens. "So, I
had no idea the five of you were coming to the concert!"
"Yeah, we kind of won tickets in a KaibaCorp contest," Joey said, and then he
briefly explained what they'd had to do, and the events leading up to the
present.
"You're quite lucky." The dark-eyed teen grinned sheepishly and nodded down at
the Smurfs sleeping bag he held in his hands. "They're my favourite group, and
we missed them by a day when they played in London. I was really excited to
know I'd be home for their final show, but unfortunately, all of the indoor
seating was sold out by the time I got back to Domino, so I had to settle for
the grass. It's too bad I won't have a very good view, but I guess it's the
experience that's the important thing." Idly, he ran a hand through the long,
white tresses as he gazed over at the rapidly filling field, and he sighed.
"That said, I guess I'd better get going, or I'll be lucky to be on this side
of the hill. Later!"
"Bakura, hang on a sec," Joey called after the retreating figure, and when the
slight male turned back to him with a curious look, he asked, "Hey, you think
you could sell that ticket of yours?"
"Well…of course. Easily. But, why on earth would I want to do that?"
The blond grinned. "Because you won't be needing it if you're sitting in the
front row, will you?" he replied as he held out his own ticket. When he saw the
incredulous looks his friends were giving him, he chuckled. "Look, I know you
all are going to think I'm crazy, but I really hate these guys." Ignoring the
gasps, he said, "Set' and me are going out on the boat to listen and watch the
fireworks and shit. I don't need it, and I was going to sell mine, but I'd
sooner give it to you, Bakura."
"Joey, I…are you sure?"
Amber eyes sparkled and he nodded. "Very sure. Come on, man…take it. You'll
appreciate it way more than me." He hopped the barrier and stood beside his
friend. "Look, I'll even take your sleeping bag with me so you're not lugging
it around with you all night. Now go unload that thing, and get your ass back
over here. They're going to be letting people in soon!" His grin widened when
astonished brown eyes stared at him first in disbelief, and then gratitude, and
he watched the soft-spoken teen disappear into the crowd to sell his ticket.
"Dude, Kaiba's sailing his boat down from the resort for tonight?" Tristan
asked. "And when were you planning on telling us you weren't coming, ass?" The
brunet gave his friend a playful punch in the shoulder.
"Nah. He's got a power boat here in Domino," Joey replied as he gingerly rubbed
his arm. "It's not as big as the sailboat, which is why he docks it in town."
He smiled softly when he remembered Seto telling him about the ten-metre craft
on their drive home. "It's like the one in 'The World is Not Enough'." He
figured Tristan and Yugi would know what he was talking about, since the three
of them had only recently rented the James Bond film to watch. He saw the two
confirming nods, and then turned back to the crowd to watch for Bakura,
deliberately not answering Tristan's second question. He figured that they
wouldn't miss him all that much anyway once the music started playing, and with
the pale teen in his place, they'd probably have a better time.
A few minutes later, the white-haired teen returned, sans sleeping bag, with a
big smile on his face. While Joey stood guard, he hopped the barricade to stand
beside Téa. After receiving his ticket from the blond, Bakura thanked him
profusely once again, and then handed him some money. "For the sale of my
ticket," he explained at seeing the arched eyebrow.
"Fuck, Bakura," Joey exclaimed when he saw that there was a hundred dollars
there. "I don't expect you to pay for my ticket – I got it free, remember? I
mean shit, you should at least get back what you paid for yours!"
Chocolate eyes glinted deviously. "Oh, believe me, I did. That's just your
share of the profit."
"Holy shit! How much did you sell it for?" Tristan asked. "I know they were
asking seventy-five."
"Three hundred. Plus another hundred for the sleeping bag."
"Nice!" Duke exclaimed, and then he laughed. "I had no idea you were so
cutthroat."
The snowy-haired male sniggered at the other's choice of words. "You couldn't
possibly imagine," he replied with a dark smile, and then he pulled his iPod
out of his shorts pocket. "Téa," he said, turning to the petite brunette. "I
know you'll appreciate this. When I was in England, I found a rare CD of some
of their underground stuff. Would you care to take a listen?" he asked as he
offered her one of the earphones. "If you like it, I'll make you a copy for
your own collection."
Joey smiled at his friends as he watched them take turns passing around the
headset, all of them seemingly overjoyed with what they were hearing. Finally,
he spotted the tall brunet in the crowd, and with a hasty, "Later guys!" he
took off to meet Seto. He felt all warm and tingly inside when he saw the
sapphire eyes light up in pleasure, and as he fell into step beside the dark-
haired male, he figured that at least one of them had heard him say good bye.
They walked companionably along the sidewalk that skirted the amphitheatre,
heading for the neighbouring marina. Joey told the brunet about the wait, and
how he'd given Bakura his ticket to the show, and then had giggled as he'd
regaled the other with the tale of the snowy-haired teenager's amazing deal.
"I'd have demanded five hundred, minimum," Seto promptly retorted, and then he
told Joey about the band, and how he found them to be even more insufferable to
be around than Duke. However, Mokuba had been in his glory, and his unabashed
worship of the four musicians had apparently endeared him to the group.
Delighted, they'd showered him with armloads of new swag which, to Seto's
chagrin, he was likely going to plaster all over his walls the second he got
home. "I hope like hell this is just a passing phase," he grumbled, only
partially joking.
Leading them down one of the floating docks, he stopped at his slip and smirked
when he heard the other snicker at the name of the vessel – Byte Me. Seto
pressed a quick kiss to the smaller teen's lips, and murmured jokingly, "It's
an industry term." Then, he helped the blond on board the Superhawk 34 before
he released the moorings and jumped on deck himself. He took Joey's hand in his
as they made their way to the bridge, and he nodded to one of the leather
captain's chairs as he made preparations for their departure. At seeing the
curious look the blond was giving him, he smiled and said, "This can be crewed
by one, and once we get a bit farther from shore and anchor, we won't even need
to be out here."
The fair-haired teen nodded and settled into the plush seat, watching the other
with great interest as he slowly throttled up and eased them out of the marina
and into the open water of the harbour. He was surprised to see so many other
boats out, but he supposed it wasn't really all that unusual. Many were
gathered for the fireworks, and as they moved carefully through the maze of
anchor lines and watercraft, he realized that he could clearly hear the
soundman for the warm up act doing the mike checks. He smiled when he realized
that the brunet was taking them out quite a bit farther from the gathered
masses, and as Seto set the anchor and shut down the engines, Joey gasped
softly as he looked around.
The sun was just dipping below the horizon, painting the sky to the west a
deep, blazing orange streaked with red and purple. To the east, the soft inky
indigo of twilight was descending on the town, the first stars of the night
peeking out as pinpoints of brilliant white light. "God, Set', it's gorgeous
out here!" he breathed, having never seen nightfall away from the poisonous
lights of the city.
"It is," the brunet agreed as he pulled the other to him, his lips descending
to capture the blond's in a searing kiss. "But then again, you're here."
Joey flushed slightly at that, and couldn't help the small giggle that escaped
him at the taller teen's flirting. He found it extremely endearing, and he slid
his hands around Seto's neck to return the gesture. When he finally pulled
back, he frowned slightly. "Shit, Set', you're tense!" he remarked as his
fingers pressed against the tight shoulders. "Work got you worked up?"
"A little," the brunet replied. He had no desire to inform the other that he
was also extremely worried about doing something to screw up his fledgling
relationship. "It's nothing to be concerned about, really."
"Bullshit," Joey replied softly, and he chuckled at the surprised arch of an
eyebrow he received. "It can't feel good for one thing and for two…" A hint of
pink spread across his cheeks as he dipped his head to whisper shyly, "I'm a
bit nervous, too." When the sapphire eyes snapped up to meet his, the blush
deepened and he nodded. "I'm waiting for you to wake up and realize you made a
mistake. It's like this is too good to be true, you know?"
Seto didn't answer. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the other and kissed
him desperately, trying to pour out everything he felt for the other into that
moment in order to assuage the blond's doubts. His own melted away when Joey
responded with the same desire, the same frantic need. Reluctantly breaking the
embrace, he licked his bottom lip as he exhaled softly, and he smiled gently.
"I think I feel a bit better about things now."
"Mmm, me too," the fair-haired male purred, and as he returned to gently nuzzle
the taller teen's cheek, he said, "If you'll let me, I can make you feel a lot
better."
The brunet cleared his throat, and by some miracle, he managed to keep his
voice calm and even as he asked, "What are you proposing?"
"A massage. I've been taking special interest courses in massage at the college
to see if it's something I want to get into when I'm finished high school, and
I've been working part time at one of the day spas, too." Grinning like a
Cheshire cat, he affectionately brushed the bangs from those deep, sapphire
eyes he loved and kissed the tip of the other's nose. "And, for an extra
twenty, I'll give you 'happy ending'," he teased in a heavily accented female
voice, though from the way his heart was hammering in his chest, he knew he was
only partially kidding.
Seto gaped at him wide-eyed for a moment. He knew exactly what the blond was
offering, and he had to bite his tongue, literally, to keep from blurting out
his acceptance when he felt a slight tightening in his groin. After overcoming
his initial shock, he took note of the sparkle in Joey's expression, and as his
own turned sultry, he drawled back, "If you're any good, perhaps the happy
ending will be yours." Leaving the blond to ponder that for a moment, he
brushed past him and stepped down from the bridge, and then descended the few
steps to go below deck.
Joey stared after him, and finally, he shook himself from his daze and took off
after the other to find the brunet in the small galley pouring them each a
glass of raspberry flavoured seltzer water. After taking a sip from the offered
tumbler, he silently watched the tall teen for a few moments. "Well, um…i-if
you're serious, I'm ready." He glanced over at the overstuffed leather sofa,
and then back to Seto. "That would probably be the most comfortable place, I
think."
"Alright. What do you want me to do?" the blue-eyed teen asked as he set his
drink down on the counter and toed off his shoes. A slow smirk spread across
his features as he watched the other grow progressively more flustered.
The blond licked his lips nervously, and said, "W-well, most people strip down
to their underwear and lie under a sheet. At the very least, you should take
off your shirt." Amber eyes widened in unabashed appreciation when they were
treated to a feast of smooth, creamy skin, defined abs and toned muscles. "Oh
God…" he breathed, stepping out of the way when Seto approached him to lie
face-up on the couch.
"Is this how you want me?" the brunet asked, the double entendre deliberate. He
closed his eyes, only to crack one open a moment later to regard the still-
clothed male. "Well?" he demanded.
"R-right." Kicking off his own sneakers, Joey moved over to the couch and knelt
on the carpet beside it. He swallowed thickly and decided he would begin with
the feet. They seemed the most innocuous. He picked one up in his hands and
marvelled silently at how soft and silky the skin was – not a trace of a
callous anywhere. Slowly, he began to knead the flesh, his fingers working the
arch to remove any knots. Gently, he rubbed each toe in succession, and then he
slid his hands up to carefully rotate the ankle. He repeated the process on the
other foot, and relishing in the liberty to freely touch the other, he turned
his attention to the toned, slender calves. His hands skated upwards to caress
firm thighs, and he inwardly cursed the hem of Seto's shorts when they
prevented him from exploring upwards as much as he would have liked. As he
massaged those long legs, he realized that although the brunet looked skinny,
he was far from emaciated. The muscle was lean and strong, and there was barely
an ounce of fat on him. He licked his lips and let his eyes fall closed to
resist the temptation to stare at the blue-eyed teen's crotch, and as he
stroked along the inner thighs, he let his imagination run free instead.
Reluctantly, he shifted his body further up the couch so that he could work on
the taller male's arms and hands. He loved the slender, elegant fingers, and
though he'd never really noticed before, he discovered that Seto had fairly
large hands. Still, they were proportionate to his body, and absolutely perfect
– like everything else about him. He spent several minutes working the biceps,
triceps and shoulders, his fingers tracing over the dips and ridges as his mind
memorized every detail. Lightly, he ran his thumbs around the shells of Seto's
ears, and then tenderly massaged his temples. When he was finished, he murmured
quietly, "Ok, turn over…"
The brunet opened his eyes, a lazy smile curving up one corner of his mouth.
"Hn…you are good." The smile turned slightly wolfish as he turned onto his
stomach and pillowed his head on his forearms, not saying anything further.
Joey bit back a groan at the other's teasing, and then he returned to the foot
of the couch, giving the backs of Seto's legs a brief rub down. When he reached
the firm globes of the other's ass, he grinned himself and lightly caressed the
cheeks, kneading them for several moments and stopping when he felt his groin
pulse. Shifting his position, he moved to where he could reach the brunet's
back, and after running his hands in long, full strokes along the other's
spine, he moved to the shoulders. He switched to a deep, penetrating massage as
he worked the tension from the muscle, his fingers caressing the smooth flesh
as he gazed longingly at the lean body stretched out in front of him. Again,
his eyes fell closed and he slipped into a bit of fantasy. A moment later, he
froze in terror when he heard a soft moan, and horrified, he glanced over at
the brunet, uncertain as to whether the sound had actually come from him or the
other. When he realized that Seto hadn't moved, he surmised it had been the
blue-eyed male, and he quickly finished up, pressing a gentle kiss to the nape
of his neck when he was done. "Feel better?" he asked a moment later.
The brunet purred appreciatively as he indulged in a long, lithe stretch, and
he turned partially onto his side so that he could better look at the blond.
"Mmm…a bit, but not completely," he stated, his sapphire eyes slightly dark as
he gazed hungrily at the other.
Joey's cock swelled when he saw that look, and this time, he knew it was him
that had loosed the small moan. "D-didn't it relax you?"
"Mm hmm…maybe a bit too much." He chuckled softly as he reached out a hand to
stroke a heated cheek. "A guy could get used to that, you know." The fingers
curled around the fair-haired male's neck to twine in the soft tresses at the
base of his skull. Locking gazes, he sat up enough so that he could claim the
blond's mouth in a deep, ravishing kiss, his tongue seeking every dip and
surface. When he pulled away, he murmured, "Come here." Shifting onto his back,
he tugged Joey up to straddle his hips, his hands sliding under the shorter
teen's t-shirt to caress his back, easing him down for another embrace. He
gasped softly when he felt a substantial bulge press against his own hardness,
and he smiled. "Glad to know I'm not out of line for feeling this way," he
purred as he arched up slightly.
"N-no, not at all," Joey replied, his voice coming out in a tremulous whisper
at the proximity of the other.
"Good. I wouldn't want to offend you or scare you away," the brunet continued
softly as he let his fingers slide around to the blond's chest, the thumbs
brushing against the semi-hardened nubs through the fabric and teasing them to
pert peaks. His smile widened when the other gasped wantonly and dropped his
head back, a gorgeous flush of arousal spreading across his cheeks.
"N-no chance of that," the fair-haired teen panted as he lowered his head to
gaze almost drunkenly at the other through his long, golden lashes. "Not when
I've been thinking about this for a long time."
"How long is that?" A hand sifted through light coloured tresses, and then
trailed teasingly down a tight, compact torso.
"Long enough," Joey responded, shivering slightly at the gentle caress. He
shifted his hips down a little, and groaned softly at the more intimate
contact. "Too long," he added as he pulled off his t-shirt and then pressed his
chest against the brunet's as he stretched out to kiss him.
Seto delighted in the feel of the hot, tanned flesh against him, and as he
nuzzled the other's throat, he murmured, "God, I want you, Joey. Will you let
me?" His tongue snaked out to lick teasingly at the juncture of neck and
collarbone, and then he nipped softly.
"Yes…" The word trailed off into a soft, needy moan.
With a pleased sound, the brunet flipped them, and he teasingly thrust his hips
forward, his own arousal increasing at the soft mewl he earned in return. He
ravaged the blond's mouth in another impassioned kiss, and then he slid back
toward the foot of the couch. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of the
smaller teen's shorts and slowly pulled them down, gazing lasciviously at the
substantial erection that was revealed. "You're absolutely perfect," he
breathed as he discarded the clothing over his shoulder and then leaned down to
mischievously lick up the underside of the shaft.
Joey arched up at the touch, a wanton whimper escaping him. He sucked in his
bottom lip, worrying it with his teeth as he gazed through half-lidded eyes at
his lover. His tanned fingers absently caressed his nipples as he watched Seto
move further back on the cushion, and he moaned libidinously when he felt a
warm, wet tongue prod at his entrance. A moment later, he grunted softly as one
of those slender digits penetrated him, but he soon relaxed against the gentle
ministrations.
While Seto continued to probe and stretch the blond's opening with his finger,
he returned his mouth to his partner's cock, teasingly lapping at the head, and
then suckling it between his lips like some divine lollipop. As he felt the
ring begin to slacken, he added a second digit, alternating between gentle
scissoring and deep probing to prepare the fair-haired male.
It wasn't long before Joey was mewling and writhing on the couch, and begging
the brunet for more, and when the blue-eyed teen pressed against the sensitive
bundle of nerves deep inside him, the blond cried out hungrily, tears of need
welling in the corners of his eyes as he gazed longingly at his lover.
Seto continued to pleasure the other for a few moments more before removing his
fingers from the pliant body beneath him. Getting to his feet, he padded over
to the small bathroom, returning a moment later with a bottle of hand cream.
After quickly divesting himself of his remaining clothing, he liberally coated
his shaft with the cool, creamy liquid, and then rubbed a generous amount onto
the softened pucker. "I'm sorry if it hurts a little at first…but I promise it
will get better," he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on the blond's
lips.
"I know it will, but I trust you, Set'," Joey murmured in return, his heated
amber gaze locked with the cool sapphire. He felt the tip press against him,
and he squeezed his eyes closed when the brunet began to penetrate him; he
always hated this part. Desperately, he tried to keep his breathing even, tried
to force himself to relax against the burning sensation he felt. Just when he
thought he wouldn't be able to take it any more and was debating asking Seto to
stop, the uncomfortable feeling passed. He opened his eyes and met that endless
blue, and he saw the adoration and concern swirling in their depths. "I'm ok,"
he said softly as he leaned up to kiss the brunet's chin in response to the
unasked question. And it was true. At that moment, joined with the other, he
felt loved and complete. Whole. His arms slid up to wrap around the strong neck
and his legs encircled that slender waist. "Just…move, Set'. Please…"
The brunet nodded his acquiescence, and he carefully eased out and then pressed
back inside in one long, fluid motion. He captured the soft, full lips with his
own, attempting once again to convey through his actions what he found he had a
hard time expressing in words. He continued to keep his movements gentle and
slow, allowing the blond to grow accustomed to the sensations. He smiled
against Joey's mouth when he heard the pleasured sigh and felt the other begin
to rock up against him, counterpoint to his motion.
The fair-haired male felt as though a million tiny lightning bolts were
sparking across his skin; he had never felt anything as incredible as this
before, and a tiny groan fell from his lips. As his breathing and heart rate
increased, he turned heavy-lidded eyes to the other and murmured out a sensual,
"More."
Seto's cock twitched and he nearly came on the spot at the entreated request.
The blond looked thoroughly debauched, and if possible, even more attractive
with his inhibitions lowered. He kissed him harshly in acknowledgement, and
then shifted his hips slightly, making his angle of penetration sharper and
deeper, thrusting in hard to hit his lover's prostate.
Joey loosed a wordless cry, his head tipping back as his nails rasped along the
brunet's shoulders. His body arched up, seemingly of its own accord to meet the
other's, his legs wrapping tighter to pull the other in deeper. His breathing
was harsh and fast now, and he could feel himself rapidly spiralling towards
his release. He bit down on his bottom lip as a tingling sensation began to
wash over him. With a raspy cry of Seto's name, he came, his vision greying out
slightly around the edges from the force of his orgasm. As his seed pulsed out
between their bodies, a stream of incoherent babbling left him as wave after
wave of mind-numbing pleasure washed over him.
The blue-eyed male hissed softly when he felt the stinging burn in his
shoulders, his desire increasing at the warm, wet sensation against his
stomach. He moaned lowly when the blond's passage grew impossibly tight, and
with a groan, he thrust hard into his lover's body a few more times before his
own climax consumed him. With a feral roar of, "Mine!" and one final thrust, he
drove in deep, touching off a secondary mini-orgasm in his lover as he came
hard himself. He crushed his lips to the smaller teen's, his hips spasming
slightly with every pulse, his arms wrapping possessively, almost desperately,
around Joey's trembling body. After a moment, he eased away, plying the fair-
haired male's forehead, nose, cheeks and chin with tiny, loving kisses while he
waited for both of them to come down from their heights.
"Holy shit, Set'," the blond panted as he smiled up at the other. "I've never
felt anything like that before." His expression turned suddenly shy, and with a
goofy grin on his face, he said, "For as sappy as it sounds, I think it was
because I love you."
"I think so, too," Seto replied as he gave the smaller male a slow, gentle
kiss, and then he reluctantly slipped free from his lover's body. A small smile
curved up the corners of his lips when he saw the disappointed pout on the
other's face. "Don't look at me like that," he chided teasingly. "We both know
that this wasn't a one time thing, right?" The smile widened when he saw Joey
nod, and he returned to the bathroom to clean himself up, coming back a moment
later with a warm, wet cloth and a towel. "There's nothing I'd like more right
now than to get in a hot shower with you," he began as he started to lovingly
wipe the remains of their passion from the tanned skin. "Unfortunately, the
bathroom on the boat isn't exactly designed for that, so I'm afraid we'll have
to wait until later." Tenderly, he dried the area, wrapped the cloth up in the
towel to set aside, and then leaned down to press a kiss to the blond's
abdomen. As he sat back on his heels, an impish look settled on his face, and
he added, "But, don't think for one minute that I'll forget about it."
"I know you won't," Joey replied. "And even if you did, I sure as hell won't!"
He sighed when the faint sound of cheering floated down to them, and as he
cupped one of the brunet's cheeks in his hand, he said with a trace of
disappointment, "Guess the concert's over now, huh?"
Seto shook his head. "No. It's just intermission. They're going to start –" He
stopped when the first explosions could be heard in the air. "Come with me." He
got to his feet and grabbed a light cotton blanket from one of the storage
compartments, and then took the blond's hand and led him out to the stern deck.
Deftly, he drew the fair-haired teen against him so that they stood front-to-
back, and wrapped the blanket around them both. The brunet sat on the edge of
the steps, the other snuggled in his lap, and as they cuddled together under
the stars, they watched the colourful fireworks exploding further inland.
At some point, Joey nuzzled his head under Seto's chin and drifted off into a
light doze. Blue eyes sparkled softly, and after he had gently pressed a loving
kiss into the tangle of golden hair, he smiled. He was happier than he could
ever remember being, and had anyone told him at the beginning of the summer
that this was how things would turn out, he'd have cynically laughed in their
face and told them that fairy tales were bullshit. Leaning back against the
hull and drawing the blond back with him, Seto could hear the faint strains of
rock music starting up once again, and having been subjected to Mokuba's CDs
more often than he could count, he recognized the slow, lilting rhythm as the
group's headliner song, 'Dare to Dream'. He chuckled softly at the irony as he
ran through the lyrics in his head, and he glanced down at the warm bundle in
his arms. So long as he had Joey, he would always remember that sometimes fairy
tales did come true, occasionally, dreams were worth pursuing, and some risks
were worth taking.
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