No, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its affiliates.
Addiction
by Impawsible
Over the years of their friendship, a silent agreement had developed between Yugi, Tea, Tristan and Joey that every Thursday night was devoted to the local arcade. Money was exchanged, lost and bargained in games and car races, but for the shaggy blonde-haired boy one machine attracted him the most. Dance Dance Revolution.
Usually he managed to coerce Yugi, Tristan or Tea into pushing the addictive arrows along side him. Unfortunately, after awhile, they all became exhausted and yearned to spend their money on a different, less tiring machine. However, if Joey begged and pleaded with them they always succumbed for one last game before dinner at a local restaurant.
Tonight was no different, and Joey had used his skills to guilt-trip Tea into one last round of DDR. Letting go of the bar for a second to wipe the sweat from his brow, Joey furiously kept up with the arrow's pace while Tea was running out of breath next to him.
"Joey, I'm exhausted," Tea managed to huff out as she jumped for the last double-freeze, "I'm going to sit out the last round."
Disappointed Joey pleaded, "Awwww… come on Tea! One more round? For me please-"
"Quit your barking, dog." A voice interrupted.
Joey turned his head, staring straight into the azure eyes of a smirking Seto Kaiba.
Joey pulled his sleeves up, "Oh yeah Kaiba?! I'll show you barking…"
Someone was tugging at his shirt and he spun around finding himself staring into a set of huge teary eyes belonging to one Mokuba Kaiba.
"Please, please let Seto play DDR with you?"
Joey noticed the young Kaiba's eyes flicking back between him and the newly installed MA15+ arcade game 'Revenge of the Mummy VII'. Shaking his head, he turned back to Seto Kaiba who was looking questioningly at Mokuba.
"What brought this on Mokuba?" said Seto Kaiba
Mokuba tried to look innocent, "Hahahahaha… nothing."
Joey winked at the younger Kaiba brother before gesturing at Kaiba to get on the pad, "You've played DDR before right Kaiba? I'm pretty good you know. Don't die on me."
"No, I am willing to humiliate myself infront of you and the whole arcade because my brother asked." Seto rolled his eyes, "Of course I've played DDR before you idiot."
Joey smirked at him. He loved a competition.
"Bring it on, Kaiba."
As Joey turned to face the screen, his hand pressing in quick succession from song to song, he heard a jingle of coins being handed from the elder Kaiba brother to the younger.
"Any song will be fine, Pup," Kaiba said as he stepped onto the DDR frame.
From the corner of Joey's eye, he glared at the blue-eyed CEO of Kaiba Corp., rolling up the sleeves of his black button-up shirt. Joey chose one of his favourites from the list and stood back in anticipation, resting his hands lightly on the bar behind him.
The music began and the arrows followed quickly up the screen in a cipher only the fleetest of foot could manage. Joey's feet danced across the DDR pad in sync with the beat and he smiled to himself, his 'Perfect' combo was up in the hundreds. Finishing the last combination, he heard clapping from behind and his spirits rose to the knowledge that their dancing had drawn a small crowd of people.
Kaiba's eyes focused on the blonde next to him, who was grinning widely and bowing to the crowd behind them. The mutt was actually quite good.
"Another round." Kaiba's pale hand pressed the rectangular button and inserted another coin into the slot.
Joey stared back at the screen and gripped the bar, "Like I said Kaiba, bring it on."
Over the next 2 or so months, a routine had developed between Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba that every Thursday night was devoted to the Dance Dance Revolution machine.
Every Thursday, Seto Kaiba found himself feeling a sense of urgency to finish his work, his sapphire eyes repetitively flicking from his laptop to the clock.
Every Thursday, Joey Wheeler found himself willing Seto Kaiba to walk through the arcade doors, his honey-brown eyes watching and waiting in anticipation for their weekly ritual.
They both left at the arcade around the same time, Seto Kaiba back to his office while Joey Wheeler went for dinner with his friends. However, they had established a routine that they had both comfortably settled into within the short period it had been given to them.
Kaiba awarded Joey's presence with a cold stare before stepping on the platform, inserting a coin. Joey snarled and pressed furiously at the machines buttons choosing an appropriate song. Both then proceeded to fight for the highest score, refusing to let the other gain even the smallest advantage by missing a beat.
Thursday night always attracted a crowd around the DDR machine.
Joey stepped off the podium after the 4th round of DDR, gladly accepting the small towel Yugi was handing him and bending down to retrieve his bottle from his backpack.
"You guys can keep that up for ages!" Tristan was pounding Joey on the back as he stood up, sculling the water down his throat.
Joey wasn't concerned with his best friend's congratulatory actions and instead his amber eyes searched for Kaiba's cerulean ones, waiting to meet his gaze as the taller man picked up his business coat and briefcase. Watching the pale CEO undo his second button to allow the cool air to his neck, Joey tilted his head in acknowledgement of the look Kaiba gave him.
Until next week.
"Big brother?"
Mokuba's interrogative tone caused Seto to lower his newspaper and place his coffee mug back on the table, devoting his whole attention to his sibling.
"Yes, Mokuba? What's on your mind?"
Seto had already been through the 'tougher' questions from his younger brother and didn't expect anything too unpredictable.
Mokuba stared straight into his older brothers blue eyes and calculatingly drew out his words, "Do you like like Joey?"
Seto calmly twisted his mug so the handle was on the left side, pushed his reading glasses a bit further up his nose and lowered the newspaper until it rested flat on the table.
"And what brings this about Mokuba?"
After a few seconds of consideration the younger Kaiba brother blurted out, "Well you always used to say Joey was just a 'loser dog', and he wasn't worth your time at all. It isn't as if you spend a lot of time with him, but the fact that you're now willing to spend that time interacting with him every Thursday is as if something is going on! You spend, for you Big brother, a lot of time focusing on him."
Seto Kaiba's eyes widened slightly at his brothers premeditated conclusion, but immediately regained his composure and smiled.
"Well, as interesting as your conclusion is I do not 'like like' Joey. He is still a 'dog' to me, now one who exercises with his master. Enough of that however, finish your breakfast."
Mokuba began eating his toast again, fixating his attention on the morning cartoons. Seto Kaiba raised the newspaper within eye level again and blanched. Breathing out he thought, "If justice has a name, that name is 'I hate you Seto Kaiba'."
It was a typical Thursday night and the whole gang was at the arcade, though tonight their money and attention was centralized around the air hockey table in a knock-out competition for which of them would be shouted dinner.
Joey has just lost 5-nil and Tea was cheering loudly for Yugi and Tristan who were both trying to psyche each other out. Whoever won this round would verse Tea and be in the running for the free meal.
Joey on the other hand didn't care about his stomach for once. His honey-brown eyes flicked from his watch, to the door, to the DDR machine every few minutes. His impatience was sky-rocketing.
"Where the hell is freaking Kaiba?!" he muttered to himself, his eyebrows furrowed in anger. He crossed his arms and proceeded to glare daggers at the door, awaiting that stupid, idiotic, pale trench coat-loving fool to step into the arcade.
His angry rage was interrupted by Tristan's wail of defeat, and he watched as Tristan sulkily handed the plastic handle to Tea before repositioning his glare at the door.
Joey Wheeler was pissed off. Seto Kaiba, of all people, had denied him Dance Dance Revolution. Someone had hell to pay.
Seto Kaiba could feel someone burning a hole into his head as he rapidly copied down the teachers notes onto the lined paper before him. He turned his head back slightly, his eyes scanning the classroom for the culprit.
His cobalt eyes met Joey Wheeler's golden ones. Joey held his gaze for a few seconds before wilfully looking away and continuing writing down the teacher's notes as if nothing happened.
Seto looked back down at his page and continued copying down notes before he felt the angry gaze at the side of his head resume again. Turning his gaze back in the direction of Joey he glared straight back, mentally challenging him.
Stop it Mutt.
Joey gave Seto one last cocky smirk before he put his hand up in the air and called out to their teacher.
"Miss, can I please go to the bathroom?"
"Uh, sure Joey, hurry along."
Walking out of the classroom door Joey made a point to glare at Seto's forehead. Seto Kaiba's eyes lit up with fury. He, of all people, would not be made a fool of by Joey 'Dog' Wheeler.
He stood up and informed the teacher that he too needed to go to the bathroom before stalking right out the door. Glimpsing Joey Wheelers all too obvious blonde hair turning into the fire escape, Seto Kaiba smirked. This was war and the pup was trapped.
Joey waited impatiently for the frustrating CEO to rear his ugly head. As soon as Seto Kaiba stepped into the fire escape Joey pushed him into the concrete wall. Seto Kaiba taken by surprise fell back, but promptly regained his composure, using the wall to support himself and stared straight down into Joey's face.
"What the hell is your problem Mutt?"
Joey glared as he took a step closer towards the CEO, "You weren't there yesterday."
"Yes, well I'm glad you figured that out. I see you're smarter than you look."
"What did you just say Moneybags?!"
"Yes, well I'm glad-" he was cut off abruptly by someone punching him in the stomach.
Seto's azure eyes lit up and grabbed Joey's collar and spun him around so his back was pressed into the hard concrete.
Seto stared down at the blonde puppy, "So, basically you're upset that I wasn't there yesterday?"
"Yes."
Joey pushed Seto off him growling furiously, "Why didn't you contact me or something?!?! I waited for you and you never came!"
"I don't have your number."
Joey took a step forward and started poking Seto in the chest with every word, "But it was Thursday and you are meant to DDR with me and you weren't-"
The next thing Joey knew was his back was against the wall, Kaiba's face was on his and a foreign hand was making its way up his shirt. Kicking whatever he could, he was dropped back onto the ground after a small stream of curses from the taller boy's mouth.
Joey snarled a "What the hell Kaiba?!" before forcefully grabbing the chestnut-haired CEO's neck and bringing his head down to meet his mouth. Staring into Kaiba's royal-blue eyes he smirked.
"Me first."
Their kiss was a strange argument of all sorts, neither one backing down to give the other even the smallest advantage in dominance or submission.
Seto Kaiba slowly pulled Joey Wheeler's hand off his neck and released his puppy's swollen lips. Tilting up Joey's stubborn chin, he brought his face closer to his ear whispering, "Next Thursday. I promise."
Joey's eyes stared at the dented concrete beneath his feet, listening to the fading footsteps. He knew had always been addicted to DDR.
My first fanfiction! :D Originally for the SMASH '09 Fanfic competition using the prompt "Justice has a name, and that name is…". It makes me happy, actually finishing a fanfiction - I've wanted to for so long! So I'm sharing my little piece of happiness with you~
So please, even if it is terrible, it would be great hearing from you!
Thanks for reading,
Impawsible 3