Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/13352112.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Yu-Gi-Oh!
  Relationship:
      Jounouchi_Katsuya_|_Joey_Wheeler/Kaiba_Mokuba, Jounouchi_Katsuya_|_Joey
      Wheeler/Kaiba_Seto
  Character:
      Kaiba_Mokuba, Jounouchi_Katsuya_|_Joey_Wheeler, Kaiba_Seto
  Additional Tags:
      Self-Indulgent, Previous_Puppyshipping, Riskshipping_-_Freeform
  Stats:
      Published: 2018-01-19 Updated: 2018-02-11 Chapters: 2/? Words: 3426
****** Indulge ******
by MEGAMILK
Summary
     Mokuba is seven years his junior, seventeen and standing at a
     respectable 5'10", yet still wide-eyed and pouty-lipped. Just like
     his elder brother, he defies all reason and common sense.
Notes
     There will be attention given to their weight difference ( Mokuba is
     very thin and gangly, while Joey is naturally filled out ), but I
     could not come up with a fitting tag for it.
***** Chapter 1 *****
       "Whoa ━ Squirt! It's been forever!" He couldn't help but gape openly,
his tone is thick with affection. 
    Squirt didn't quite fit the description anymore, Mokuba easily coming up to
his eyes with plenty of time to keep growing. If he was lucky, the kid would be
as tall as his brother if not taller ( and hopefully lack some of that imposing
malice ). Sharp eyes turned to him - far too familiar but not as haunting - and
a full five seconds before recognition flooded them; he could see the visible
tensing of muscles as Mokuba restrained himself from lunging for the blonde.
Instead, he held out a stiff hand with the tiniest quirk of his lips.
    Joey blinked owlishly, lips parted in confusion before comprehension made a
smile tug at his features. Right, of course. Mokuba Kaiba. While Joey had
hopped around from job to job before settling as a chef ( an amazing job
dropped in his lap in the last year from experience alone ), the kid was a
Kaiba. He'd been Kaiba's second-hand man for years. He had a reputation to
uphold and going around flinging himself into people's arms like he had when he
was 10 would probably spark more questions than wholely wanted.
       His smile turned into a full-on wolfish grin. "C'mon now, that's not how
ya greet an old pal, right?" His fingers curled around a palm as large as his
own - he could cry, this kid was like his little brother all grown up! - and
tugged so hard that the Vice President of Kaiba Corp had no choice but to
stumble into his arms. It'd be blamed on ol' unprofessional, no personal-
boundaries Joey Wheeler. He crushed the boy to his chest, laughing heartily at
the startled grunt that came from him. Hands hesitantly settled low on his
waist and he clicked his tongue at the awkwardness of it all. Leaving the kid
with Kaiba for a few years had definitely tensed him up.
    Even as he thought it, Joey knew he was being unfair and he sighed, pushing
Mokuba away until he could grip his shoulders firmly and look him over
appraisingly. He didn't miss the wide-eyed look he was given and the way
fingers almost grappled for his coat, like he didn't want the contact to end.
Mokuba had never been attention starved, Joey knew that much, but he
suppressed the urge to raise a brow. If he was anything like his brother,
questioning any "slips of judgment" would send him towards the hills before
anyone could do anything.
    Instead, he focused on how Mokuba had filled out with age. His shoulders
were broadened and his waist pinched, tailored suit accentuating the wide
expanse of his chest and trimmed legs perfectly. Sure, his face was still young
but it lacked ( most ) of that baby fat that rounded him out as a child. His
eyes were wide still, youthful and excited, lacking the sharp quality from
moments ago that reminded him of Kaiba. That wild head of hair had been cut to
a respectable shoulder-length and pulled into a ponytail that rested at his
nape. His grip had been solid and firm and Joey had come to learn that meant a
lot about a man in the business world. He looked professional. He looked good.
       "Look at you!" Joey finally gushed, feeling his cheeks warm with just
pure joy. "Yer so big now! Feel like I should be callin' ya Kaiba-sama," The
wink he gave sent Mokuba into fits, a sharp laugh and a choked snort, thumping
his chest as he tried to breathe. People gave them wide-eyed looks, probably
wondering what some rugged blonde in a dirty tee was doing with a sharply
pressed business-man like Mokuba. Probably thought he fed him poison or
something.
       "Seto would be angry I tamed what he couldn't." For a long moment, Joey
stilled. For as long as he hadn't seen Mokuba, he hadn't seen Kaiba either.
Their break up had been incredibly violent and televised from one end of the
country to the other. Given no choice, Joey had fled. By now everyone had
pushed their involvement to the back of their minds - including Joey himself -
and he felt nausea well up in his stomach from the joking jab. For a moment,
Joey wanted to strike him, but he'd never raise a hand against Mokuba. Said man
seemed to catch on to his distress and rushed to rectify the situation. "I-I'm
just kidding! You're like a lion, wild and crazy. Anyone who tried would be
dead," The kid snorted awkwardly.
       There was something ... more there. "A... A lion?" He echoed
incredulously, expression blank. "Tryna butter me up for something?" Suddenly,
his head was on a swivel. "Aw man, yer setting me up to see your brother,
aren't you? He's gonna come 'round the corner in a second ain't he?"
    A second passed. Another. No Kaiba in sight.
       Without another missed beat, Mokuba swam into his vision again. He was
grinning now too, but his eyes were shaded. Guarded. It was a familiar look and
Joey averted his eyes as his chest constricted harshly. "Come to dinner with
me." It wasn't a question.
       Oh ... well that wasn't bad at all! He spared a glance at his watch and
out his peripheral, he caught the flabbergasted looked sent his way. Whether it
was because he had an actual, decent wristwatch or because someone was actually
hesitating in accepting an offer from him, Joey didn't know, but he didn't
cover his laugh. "Ya know I'm not one to pass up free food!" He scoffed almost
scoldingly but his eyes twinkled in amusement. The tense moment had past and he
was eager to settle comfortably. "I'm weak, Mokuba! Don't take advantage of
me."
       All at once Mokuba seemed to relax and Joey didn't notice he was so
wound up tight until then. His shoulders dropped like the air had been punched
from him and his entire face brightened. He even seemed to be standing taller.
Jokingly, Mokuba offered his arm with a wag of his eyebrows and with an over
exaggerated curtsy, Joey took it. Mokuba seemed delighted and he figured it was
because none of the formal men here would ever play along with something as
silly as this.
    And that was why he was Joey Wheeler now. An American name left people with
low expectations, ones he could surpass and surprise people with, or simply
abide by and slide by with no more than a glance.  
    Mokuba led him to a sleek car only ten steps away and he made to climb into
the back, figuring behind those black tinted windows was a patient driver, but
Mokuba surprised him by opening the passenger side door for him and sliding to
the other side. Joey stared a little longer, taking in the make and model. Cars
weren't quite his thing, he preferred motorcycles, but he recognized a personal
car when he saw one. This wasn't just a nondescript car, this was Mokuba's car.
    With a whistle, the blonde turned to him. "Whoa, this your ride?" Mokuba
nodded proudly in confirmation. "Sheeh kid, ya really made it for yourself," He
smiled fondly and the brunette looked at him in almost confusion as they
settled into their seats. "I'm real proud of ya."
     The younger Kaiba brother fiddled with the keys hesitantly before starting
the car and pulling out. "How did you know I got it myself?" When Joey shot him
a confused look, he elaborated and purposefully avoided his gaze. "Seto buys my
things most of the time." There was a hint of something that wasn't quite
bitterness in his tone and the blonde wracked his brain for what to do, what to
say. Seto usually bought his things-- but Mokuba bought this car. 
        Right. "Cause you're Mokuba freakin' Kaiba!" He cried indignantly and
Mokuba nearly swerved from his outburst, shooting him wide-eyed looks. There
was an angry honk from somewhere behind them. "You work just as hard as your
brother an' have been for a long while. Don't pretend like you don't stay up
til the wee hours of the morning tapping away on that computer o' yours. I've
dragged ya away from them just like I had to do with your brother. Yer deserve
some credit." A blush was bleeding into the boys face and Joey couldn't resist.
He reached out and ruffled his hair, easily sending large bits springing from
the hairband. "Huh! Guess you ain't all that tamed neither!" He snickered. 
       Mokuba looked mortified, face red and hair awry with lips pressed thin.
But, Joey could see the joy clearly in his eyes and knew things would be okay.
***** Dinner *****
Chapter Notes
     This story was going to be a mostly PWP, but the nice comments I
     received made me decide to do a little something more ... plot
     oriented.
      
      
      
     ... that said, I'm awful at plotting things and usually rush
     situations so I don't know how good it'll be haha.
        "You haven't changed."
    This place wasn't the fanciest Joey had ever been drug to and he couldn't
have been more relieved. While privacy had never been his highest concern and
the spotlight didn't bother him, flaunting himself or pretending he wasn't a
kid who grew up flat out poor had always discomforted him. He didn't need - nor
want - several hundred dollars spent on some dime-sized portion of steak. Who
got full off that anyway? It was a waste in his opinion. 
       "Whaddya mean?" The blonde tipped his head up to gaze at the teen across
the table, fork raised to his lips. He was practically salivating over the
pasta before him, but he reigned in his hunger to pay attention.
       Mokuba was smiling, gazing at him as if he were looking fondly through
an old family album. The nostalgia was evident. "I was hoping nii-sama didn't
crush your spirit, and he didn't."
    That was heavy talk for a dinner after meeting up for the first time in
four years. In Mokuba's presence, considering it'd been the last time they saw
one another, the memory was fresh and stung like a picked scab.  His fork
clattered noisily against the plate as he dropped it, dragging a hand through
his hair until his bangs were pulled off his face and he could breathe.
       "Kid━" He caught the disapproving look and couldn't help the quirk of
his lips, "Mokuba, I ain't here to talk about your brother. Really, I'm not
here for any reason, but catching up with you would be nice, y'know?"
    The dark-haired teen floundered, cheeks reddened and eyebrows pinched as he
glared at the table. Really, Joey didn't think anyone had the privilege of
seeing a Kaiba blush more than he had.
       "I was promoted to Vice President last year," He said in a rush as if
the words had been punched out of him. His promotion had been all over the news
and the blonde smiled lightly at his anxious babbling. "Kaiba Corp has been
doing well this quarter. We have a lot of projects rolling in ever since nii-
sama let me implement paid intern services. He didn't believe young people had
a lot to offer unless they graduated with several degrees. I had to remind him
he was younger than a lot of them when he took over the company." Mokuba spoke
fondly of his brother, tone thick with love and affection and most of all
pride. 
       Joey snickered and that made the younger look up in question. "That's
fun an all, but you know business never stuck with me!" His tongue poked out
from between his lips and he leaned back against his plush seat. "C'mon Mokuba,
tell me about you. Unless you've become the company like your brother?" He rose
a playful brow, but his heart squeezed painfully at the thought of Mokuba
slaving over a desk for the rest of his days long after Kaiba passed away. "Any
cute girls ya interested in? Or maybe..." He leaned in conspiratorially,
"Boys?Ya still got that crush on Yug'?"
    The reaction was instantaneous. The teen smacked a hand over his mouth,
scowling in that familiar way, a look that intensified once Joey swiped his
tongue across his palm. Once Joey was released, he laughed quietly, mindful of
the people around them. Mokuba grumbled at him, bottom lip jutting as he
dropped his chin onto his raised hand.
       "It wasn't a crush. I enjoyed how he dueled is all!" He defended
vehemently, "That's like saying nii-sama had a crush on him." Evidently, Joey's
face had done something because Mokuba's suddenly twisted as if he'd swallowed
curdled milk. "No, no way. No way you thought--"
       "We all did! Tha whole gang! He was so hard up on dueling him that we
thought it was a ploy to get his attention." Joey wiped a tear from his eye at
the memory. Yugi had been so terrified when Honda off-handedly joked about
Kaiba being in love with him, and Joey's goading hadn't helped. Even Anzu had
teased him, up until the King of Games paled enough to fall into a faint. "We
tried to get Yug' to duel him more after that so we could see, but he wouldn't
budge. In fact, he stopped altogether, I think."
       "Are you telling me that was the time when Yugi avoided Seto for half a
year? He was so ANGRY all the time! No one could handle it," The teen muffled a
laugh into his hand, shaking his wild hair. After Joey had gotten his hand in
it, it'd been easier to simply let the mess free from the clutches of the hair
tie. He looked like a wild animal.
       Joey neatly stuck a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. Mm, food.
"Kaiba Corp can come up with the best technology there is, but they still can't
find ya some hair gel, huh?" 
       Mokuba shrugged as if to say "what can you do?" but his nonchalance gave
way to a grin. "Oh, I use plenty. My hair might be everywhere, but it's soft
and luscious," He spoke like he was in a shampoo commercial, lips pursed and
eyes hooded like the models selling the product. The both of them quickly fell
into stifled giggles and thumped their chests to gather their bearings. "But,
really. It drives the boards of directors up the wall to see me untrimmed and
proper. It gives me freedom."
    That's something Joey could understand all too well and he couldn't help
but smile lightly in return. Conversation quieted down considerably and they
tucked into their meals with vigor. Joey had been out and about all day before
Mokuba had come across him and only now did he realize just how starving he
was. Thankfully he managed to retain some of his teachings from Kaiba's
"training," and at least was neat about it and chewed with his mouth firmly
shut. 
    Their silence was companionable and something the blonde found himself
greatly appreciating. Sure, he was rambunctious and ill-mannered, but even he
enjoyed some peace and quiet. The day had been abuzz with noise and cheerful
reunions that scrambled his mind likes eggs for breakfast. Seeing all his old
pals had made his heart thud and his head ache in a way he couldn't stand and
the quiet helped him finally ease into everything. All at once guilt and
anxiety had gripped him in their presence and he had waited with bated breath
for them to suddenly turn on him.
    Guilt had only further eaten away at him with that thought. Here he was,
doubting his friends over an asshole like Kaiba. Not even all the money in the
world could convince his friends to send word of his return. They'd all had
enough of Kaiba it seemed after his speedy departure.
    Out of nowhere, the spoon next to his plate begun to clatter violently and
he looked over as Mokuba plucked up his vibrating phone from the table. He
stared at it for a long moment. His eyes narrowed a fraction and the sweet
blue-greys darkened a hue or two before he silenced its noise. The exchange
meant little to the blonde but he drummed his fingertips against the tabletop
before perking up suddenly enough to startle his companion. 
       "Hey, gimmie your number, Mokuba!" Joey dug around in his pockets and
rose a brow at the sharp inhale across the side of the table. When he fished
his phone free, Mokuba looked around suspiciously before plucking the ancient
technology from his grasp instead. "A flip phone, Joey?" Mokuba looked almost
offended as he violently jabbed in what Joey could only assume were his
digits. 
       "What can I say? I'm one of those ... hipsters or whatever. Bringing
back the old times," He grinned crookedly,  raising his shoulders in a helpless
shrug. Mokuba chuckled breathily and after his phone buzzed again and he slid
Joey's back across the table, Joey assumed he'd sent himself a message to
get the elder man's number as well. Sparing a glance down at his phone, Joey
made a face at the kissy emoji that greeted him. What a cheeky bastard. 
       "I can get you a cooler phone!" The teen curled his lips, bringing his
glass of wine to them a moment later. You could get anything when you were
Mokuba Kaiba. "Your birthday is soon, isn't it? It'll be a gift!"
       The Kaiba's had quickly caught on that it had to be some type of holiday
for him to accept expensive things willingly. He'd never gotten accustomed to
being "spoiled." If it wasn't food and snacks or maybe the occasional cool ass
pair of brand name kicks, he had a hard time just taking something. At some
point, Mokuba more than Kaiba, they'd started listing foreign holidays to get
him to accept things. "It is, but it ain't much of a gift if you already told
me what you're getting." Mokuba looked so crestfallen that he almost felt bad
enough to give in. Instead, he started explaining.
       "The cheaper stuff is easier on my eyes," It was hard to admit it but
the kid had been his friend for a long time. The rest of the gang had already
been told. "It's too early to tell, but ... I've been maybe thinking I'm
getting hit late with what Shizuka had. The doctor's say it might just be
stress, but...." He offered a half shrug, averting his eyes.
    Across the table was so eerily silent that for the briefest of moments he
felt his heart constrict and feared he'd been abandoned at the slightest sign
of weakness. Fingers hesitantly ghosted over his own and his eyes snapped back
in surprise, blinking as they clashed with cold heat. The Vice President's face
was stoic but his eyes blazed with fierce compassion that contrasted sharply
with the gentleness of his digits as they curled around his own to cradle his
hand. 
       "Jounouchi." A sharp inhale. Right, he hadn't told Mokuba about his name
change. He wet his lips nervously, struggling to maintain eye contact. "Jou, as
soon as you hear anything, you'll come straight to me." It wasn't an offer nor
was it a question and Joey felt his face twist and his lips pull into a half
snarl. Mokuba squeezed his hand and intertwined their fingers. "We were almost
too late for Shi-chan, Jou. I know you like to do things on your own but I'm
old enough to stand by your side too now. I won't be burdened or anything like
that. I'll only be burdened if I know there's something I could've done but I
wasn't able to."
    Surprisingly, it was Mokuba who looked away first. He dropped his gaze to
the table and there was color in his cheeks. Joey frowned, hoping the boy
wasn't attempting to suppress tears. Tentatively he squeezed the hand in his
own and the teen snuck a glance up at him. How he managed to be both misty-eyed
and apathetic, Joey didn't know. Must be a Kaiba talent, to appear so raw yet
unaffected.
       "C'mon kid," It was almost a coo and Mokuba scowled at him, face only
further reddening. "I'll be fine, geez. Don't get your thousand dollar panties
in a bunch. Now get back to eating. I'll waste your brother's money in a
second, but you worked hard for this meal," He winked and the dark haired boy
across from him straightened and beamed in response. 
       "I make enough to even get you seconds. Aren't I grand?" Joey could've
easily made a joke - you're worth way more than a grand - but instead, he
focused on the tingling in his fingers after their handhold had been broken. He
flexed the digits and shook off the numbness, following Mokuba's lead as he dug
into his food.
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