Decided to post a new one-shot as a treat because I haven't been updating as much as I want to lately. This plot evolved from an episode of Pokemon that I watched a while ago (I can't remember the exact episode, but maybe if some of you are Pokemon fans you'll have an idea of the one I'm thinking about!).
I hope you enjoy! As always, reviews are always welcome and feel free to PM me anytime with suggestions/requests/comments
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
"Bye Seto! I love you!" Jou yelled, before grabbing his jacket and sprinting out the door.
Seto barely had enough time to react, managing to let out a quiet "Bye," before the blond disappeared out of the doorway.
For almost two weeks now, Jou had suddenly taken up an afterschool activity of sorts-and Seto was beginning to miss the time that could have used to spend together.
Flashback
The school bell rang incessantly, as students flowed out of the classrooms and into the hallways.
Seto's neck was craned, looking for the familiar mop of blond hair that belonged to his puppy. The two had all their classes together, except for their last one. Seto had a finance related class, while Jou had some type of workshop class.
Swiftly moving with the rest of the students, Seto brushed his way through the hoard of teenagers until he reached the hallway that contained Jou's class.
He barely had leaned back against the side of the door when Jou suddenly darted out, making a beeline for the doorway.
"Puppy!" Seto called after him, some confusion lacing his tone. Normally Jou would have leapt into Seto's arms, mumbling something about being away from the brunet for too long. Seto would then roll his eyes and pat his puppy lightly on the head before the two headed home together.
Jou skidded to a stop, his eyes widening slightly as he turned to look back at Seto. "I've got something going on today Seto, I'll see you at home later!"
With that, Jou ran out of the school, and a frown fixed itself on Seto's face.
Thinking that it was a one-time thing, Seto didn't think much of it, and Jou had returned home that evening at a decent time, and everything returned to normal.
But, the same thing repeated itself the next day, and the next, and finally again today.
Absentmindedly, Seto fingered the small velvet box that was in his coat pocket.
Their two year anniversary was tomorrow, and Seto had been carrying around the ring in his pocket for the last few months.
Yes, Seto wanted to marry Jou. But, he hadn't found a time that was perfect-and he wanted everything to be perfect. Secretly, Seto was feeling insecure, worrying that Jou would decline if he didn't ask at precisely the right time.
Also, Seto didn't want to go with the cliché and bring Jou to a restaurant or hide the ring somewhere clever. But, that was where he was stuck.
Although Seto was without a doubt one of the most brilliant CEOs of his time, he somehow couldn't channel his creativity into creating a romantic moment perfect for asking for Jou's hand in marriage.
Even Mokuba had been stumped-after he suggested all those cliché ideas that Seto had immediately vetoed.
But, Seto was a patient man. He would wait, years if he had to.
He wasn't so sure of it now, however. With Jou's constant disappearances when the two had time to spend together, Seto wasn't sure if Jou was even ready to consider something like engagement.
Maybe Jou was seeing someone else?
Frowning, Seto checked his watch and saw that it had been about 30 minutes since Jou had left. Normally, Jou took about an hour and a half before he returned home.
Making up his mind, Seto threw on his trench coat and swiftly left the room, the coat billowing out behind him.
Jou wiped the sheen of sweat that had settled onto his brow, careful to not disturb the box that laid in front of him.
Meticulously, he measured out careful amounts of the powders in front of him, double and triple checking himself to make sure that he was correct.
"Alright…I should have gotten it right this time."
Footsteps caused him to turn, his eyes falling upon a figure entering the room. "Oh hey, Ryou!"
Smiling, the albino teen waved at Jou while balancing a package in his left hand. "Hello Jou. I have the last few things for you here."
Jou cheered, his hands rising up. "Yes! I was worried it wouldn't be here in time."
Ryou laughed, handing the package carefully to Jou. "I told you it'd come, didn't I?"
Sheepishly, Jou rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, you did. Sorry Ryou, I just want everything to be perfect…"
Smiling gently, Ryou shook his head. "It's quite alright. You've put a lot of work into this, and it will pay off."
Together, the two continued working on the box in front of Jou-fixing small areas, rearranging the different cylinders and carefully sealed up the tubes. They finished by painting the tubes different colors to represent what they contained.
After Ryou made the final checks on the box of brightly colored tubes, he clapped his hands together. "It's done! I'll have the box here for you tomorrow, whenever you're ready to come pick it up."
Giddy, Jou immediately threw his arms around Ryou, making the white haired teen squeak as he embraced him tightly. "Thank you so much Ryou! I totally owe you one!"
"…WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
Jou and Ryou spun around immediately, before meeting the infuriated eyes of one Seto Kaiba.
It couldn't be, could it?
Seto thought, as he witnessed the scene in front of him. He didn't expect to find his puppy embracing another man so closely…and anger had immediately bubbled up inside of him.
"…WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" He roared, his eyes glinting with anger.
Seto had hidden a tracking device into the sole of Jou's shoes-in case Jou ever went missing or was captured by one of his many competitors. Normally, he didn't like using it because he feared he was abusing Jou's privacy, but Seto was so determined to find out what he was up to that he immediately looked up Jou's location as he entered the limo.
The blinking GPS had directed him to the location of a small workshop on the other side of town. Seto had approached the building with trepidation, until he saw the familiar head of blond hair.
He had been about to call out Jou's name before the blond had suddenly threw himself another figure-a male figure.
Now, he wanted answers.
"Seto, this isn't what it looks like!" Jou immediately said, stepping slightly away from Ryou.
Seto sneered, a painful look twisting his features. "Is this what you've been up to? Running away from me into the arms of another man?"
Shaking his head furiously, Jou pleaded with Seto with his eyes. "Seto, you've got it all wrong, I swear!"
Ryou had been quiet up to this point, and his meek voice was barely heard by the two. "Kaiba, please calm down. I assure you that this isn't what you're thinking it is."
"Oh? Because it looked like the two of you were quiet cozy." Seto's cold tone was loud and powerful, shifting into his CEO mode.
Jou stepped towards Seto, his hands shaking. "Seto, please. Listen to me, we can go and sit down and talk, but this isn't what you're thinking."
Seto shook his head, his anger clouding all his judgment and rationality. "Save it. I thought you loved me. But, I guess all this time you were still a stinking mutt." He spat out, angrily.
Jou recoiled, his features scrunching up in pain. "I do love you Seto! I love you so much!"
A velvet box came flying at Jou, and out of reflex Jou was able to snatch it out of the air before it gave him a black eye.
Opening it, he gasped. Inside was the most beautiful ring he had ever seen, a platinum band glittering with rubies and sapphires. The ring itself was twisted in two dragons, with their tails entwined.
"Seto…I…"
"I wanted to marry you, Jou…But I guess you had different ideas." Seto quietly said, his eyes drifting to the ground.
"I don't want to ever see you again. Keep the ring-sell it, trash it, I don't care anymore."
With that, Seto spun on his heels and left the room.
He could feel his heart fracturing as he walked.
Jou continued staring down at the ring, his mind frozen in shock and his voice was lodged in his throat.
Seto wanted to propose to him? He wanted to marry him?
"…Oh no…" Jou's voice cracked, as he collapsed onto the ground. His hands were cradling the box to his chest, and tears started running down his cheek.
Ryou immediately laid a hesitant hand on Jou's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Jou…This is all my fault…"
Jou shook his head, his hands shaking as they closed the box. "No, Ryou…You were very helpful. You know Seto, he always overreacts…"
Closing his eyes, Jou's shoulders continued to vibrate with the force of his sobs. "I wanted it to be perfect…"
Ryou was quiet as he observed Jou, his heart going out to the blond in front of him. Jou had wanted to prepare a special surprise for Seto for their anniversary, and had asked for his help in preparing the project. Now, after all the time they had spent on it and having it result in this, he knew that the blond must be heartbroken.
"…Jou, I think you should still try."
Started, Jou turned his head towards Ryou, his cheeks sparkling with tears. "What…?"
"Ask him to meet you tomorrow night. If he loves you, he will be there."
Jou was quiet as he contemplated Ryou's words. His eyes drifted over to the surprise he had been working so hard on.
"…You're right…If he still wants to go after this, then I won't stop him though."
As Jou packed up his things and bid a halfhearted bye to Ryou, Ryou started cleaning up the area.
"Trust me, Jou…He won't leave." Ryou smiled to himself. "He loves you."
Seto had locked himself in his office, working endlessly on whatever he could.
He flew through stacks of paperwork and emails, without the normal distraction of Jou on his mind.
He couldn't think about him-he didn't want to think about him.
Being a master of locking his emotions away, Seto didn't allow himself to drown in the sadness he so desperately felt.
He didn't even allow himself to cry. Crying was weak, and it did nothing. Nothing could change how he felt right now…
A buzzing from the intercom alerted him, and he pressed the button before replying tiredly. "Yes?"
"A card was addressed to you, Mr. Kaiba. May I bring it in?"
Seto sighed. "That's fine."
After his secretary left, Seto looked at the card that she had dropped off. There was no name on it besides his own, and it didn't look dangerous.
Carefully opening up the card, he froze as he recognized the familiar handwriting. His eyes continued reading, even though he tried to force them to stop.
Seto,
Please finish reading this. I know what you saw yesterday was bad, and I'm not here to argue about that.
If you ever loved me, please come meet me tonight at 10 pm at Domino field.
That's all I ask of you. I'll wait for you.
Please.
Jou
Seto's eyes closed as his mind battled with himself.
Should he go?
The cold part of his personality was telling him to say no, to ignore him.
He read the card again.
If you ever loved me
If he didn't go, would Jou feel like he never loved him? Seto didn't know what to feel. The sadistic side of him wanted Jou to suffer, to feel the pain Seto was carrying. But the other side didn't want Jou to forget about him…Selfishly, he didn't want Jou to forget the love that they once shared.
Placing the card next to his laptop, Seto made up his mind.
The night sky was dark as Jou sat on the soft grass in Domino field. The surprise was all set up and ready to go.
His fingers clenched around the small remote in his pocket, as well as the velvet box that contained the ring Seto had threw at him.
Jou was unable to let go of it for a second. He had carried it with him all day, occasionally opening it to stare at the beautiful ring meant for him.
He didn't even have to turn around to know that Seto had come. Jou could feel the presence of the CEO behind him, and he smiled softly.
"You came." His voice was quieter than a whisper, and he was scared to turn his head around.
"Yes."
Seto continued standing, and Jou's eyes were still fixed in front of him. The two stayed in silence for a few minutes, before Jou said quietly, "Look at the sky."
Seto was about to ask why when the sound of a large boom shattered the delicate silence. Flashes of lights and colors suddenly appeared in the sky, and Seto's eyes were transfixed to the bright colors that were lighting up the night sky.
The first few were just normal fireworks, in various colors. However, Seto then noticed that the next set looked completely different.
He gasped as he saw that they were arranged in the outline of a while dragon, with a small spot of blue. It was a Blue Eyes White Dragon!
He was even more stunned as another dragon also appeared-this dragon had a darker outline, and a small spot of red. A Red Eyes Black Dragon.
Each new burst of light made the dragons reappear, but in different positions. The two danced around each other, and finally the two shapes were pressed closely together, in a kiss.
Afterwards, various hearts of different sizes and colors lit up the sky, and the two dragons remained in that pose, fading in and out as the fireworks continued.
When the sky was finally dark again, the faint smell of smoke settled in the distance and the air was slightly hazy before the smoke completely dissipated.
Jou's quiet voice broke the silence. "…Ryou's dad is a pyrotechnician. He taught Ryou all he knew about the craft, and I had wanted to surprise you with something special for our anniversary. I asked him for his help, and we spent the last two weeks preparing this…when you saw us, we had just finished. I was so happy and grateful that I jumped up and gave him a hug."
"I wanted to make this for you, to show you that I loved you. I hope you enjoyed it."
Jou still wasn't looking at Seto, scared of what he would see if he turned around.
What he would have seen however, would have been Seto's eyes widened in shock and love.
Seto was speechless. He never expected something like this for their anniversary. Maybe a gift or a nice dinner, but nothing this thoughtful and amazing…It was truly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Well, the most beautiful things beside Jou's eyes.
Stepping close to Jou, his voice wavered slightly with the emotion that he was trying to contain. Seto was feeling happiness, joy, amazement, and guilt. He felt terrible that he had doubted Jou even for a second-that he had up and left without even letting him explain. It wasn't fair to him at all.
He wanted to kick himself, as he gently turned Jou around. The blond's eyes were filled with unshed tears, and a forced smile was on his lips. His eyes were unsure, slightly scared, but still shined with the love that Seto had come to love.
"Jou… I am so sorry, I should have let you explain yourself…I was just so upset that I wasn't thinking clearly." Seto said, his voice dropping barely above a whisper. "Please…Forgive me."
Jou's eyes closed as he felt a sensation of calmness rush through his body. "There was never anything to forgive, Seto. I love you. Happy Anniversary."
Seto's hand tilted Jou's chin up as he laid a gentle kiss on the blond's lips. The two quietly kissed for a few moments, before coming up for air.
Pulling his head away from Jou, Seto observed the blond's eyes now. Even in the dark, he could see the honey color that he often felt himself drawn to, and they were filled with so many emotions. Trust, happiness, and love…
Something inside Seto jolted, and he realized that this was the perfect time. It was the moment he had been waiting for.
"Jou…Do you still have the ring I gave you?"
Jou nodded, pulling out the box from his coat pocket. "It never left my side, not even for a second."
Seto immediately dropped to one knee, his hands closing over the hand that Jou held out.
Jou's eyes widened as he took in Seto's position before him. "Seto…!"
"Katsuya…I love you. I was foolish, I was stupid when I ran away from you without giving you a chance to even explain what was going on. But I'm here, on one knee, begging you to make me the happiest man in the world. I love everything about you-I love the way you eyes always light up with happiness when we kiss, I love the way you worry about me when you think I'm working too hard, and I love waking up to your face every single morning. I don't want to ever leave you for a second, never again."
Seto took a deep breath, before opening the box that was lying on Jou's palm. Tilting his head up, he looked at Jou straight in the eye.
"Marry me, Katsuya."
Tears pouring out of his eyes, Jou couldn't do anything but nod. His voice was filled with emotion as he responded. "Yes! Yes, I will! I love you Seto!"
With every word, Seto's heart continued to grow until he was able to shakily slide the ring onto Jou's finger. Pulling himself up to his feet, he immediately grabbed Jou in a tight embrace, allowing a lone tear to slip out of his eyes.
The two kissed, their lips brushing against each other over and over again as their auras danced and merged, their love and happiness lighting up the darkness of the night sky.
"Then, the two lovers got married and lived happily ever after." Jou finished, smiling down at the two children sitting in front of him.
The little girl with blond hair and blue-brown eyes smiled happily up at him. "I love that story so much daddy!"
The little boy with brown hair and eyes sitting next to her rolled his eyes. "You've heard that story at least a hundred times Alexis!"
Alexis turned to glare at her brother. "Atticus, you like the story too!"
The little boy blushed as he scoffed, turning his face away.
Jou chuckled before patting both of them on the head. "You two better go, your father is probably wondering where you wandered off to."
"But daddy, I don't want to do more homework!" Atticus whined, his lips fixing into a pout. "I wanna learn how to duel like you and father!"
"If you're good, I'll convince him to give you and Alexis each a new card. How about that?" Laughing at the bright smiles that suddenly appeared on their faces, Jou kissed their foreheads quickly before directing them upstairs.
Giggling, the two immediately ran towards the stairs, hollering about racing each other. Jou laughed again as he heard Alexis's cry of joy as she raced passed Atticus on the upper hallway.
Maybe one day they'd find out that the story that they loved to hear so much was actually their parent's own story.
