"Kaiba's such a pimp. Dammit."

Jounouchi kicked at a rock as he wandered off down the street after school. He'd given up waiting for Honda, who was constantly hanging around, hoping to accompany Miho to wherever she went, and he wanted to be as far away from Anzu's annoying chatter as possible. Actually, Anzu was probably tagging around after Yugi, trying to hint to him how desperate she was for him.

But Jounouchi never seemed to catch any girl's eye. Not like Kaiba. girls were constantly around Kaiba, vying for his attention. Jounouchi didn't blame them. Besides being the powerful owner of his own company, Kaiba was also a computer genius and a champion duelist. That added with ice blue eyes, a long trench coat and a silent, stiff kind of attitude constituted the type of guy all the schoolgirls screamed for.

"Not like me," sighed Jounouchi. His eyes lingered over the five or so girls clustered around Kaiba, wondering if he'd ever have the chance to be the most sought-after guy in school. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of dark brown eyes was watching him with interest, as the wind whipped his blond locks every which way and billowed his blue jacket behind him.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he idly wondered whether he should stop by an arcade and bust a few monsters and waste some money, since he was all alone with nothing to do. He looked at his watch. Hell, why not, he thought, and was just about to turn around and go the other way when...

"HEY! Watch where you're goin', you moron!" he yelled, as something blue and tall smacked into his shoulder.

"Ugh. You. All alone, aren't we? Aww, the poor thing," sneered Kaiba. He'd finally untangled himself from his screaming fanclub and was heading home.

Jounouchi had just opened his mouth to retort when his eyes focused on something in the distance. Was it...?

Kaiba noticed "that fool", as he called Jounouchi, silent and gaping in the distance, eyes glazed over. He looked as well. What the hell was so special? It was just another schoolgirl. Probably one of his own adoring fans.

Jounouchi was practically drooling as the girl came closer.

Kaiba took another good look. OH. That was why the idiot was so captivated. He'd heard that Jounouchi had a major crush on her (Anzu just couldn't keep her big flapping mouth shut) but was scared to death of any contact with her. Kaiba couldn't see why. She was different from his screaming fangirls. She wasn't the type to feel faint over a guy like himself (although he couldn't, for all the world, understand how she could withstand his good looks and charm), was a pretty mediocre duelist, and had a peculiar way with people and animals using just her eyes. Her eyes were full of expression. That was one of the reasons why she was widely known around school. People knew her and liked her, but didn't bother to get to really know her- because, well, there just didn't seem to be a lot to be noticed about her. Long black hair, big dark brown eyes, a bit on the short side, slightly tanned from being outside playing sports and a soft, reassuring kind of voice.

Kaiba decided that as much as he didn't care for Jounouchi's love life, the guy needed a break. The blue-eyed businessboy suddenly hit Jounouchi in the back of the head.

"OW! What gives?" growled Jounouchi, rubbing the back of his head.

"Why the hell don't you just talk to her, instead of staring like some dumb monkey?"

"Don't know what you're talking about..." muttered Jounouchi under his breath.

Exasperated, Kaiba kicked him in the rear of his pants and said, "Shut up and don't deny it. Just do what instinct says. I can't BELIEVE I'm actually helping a moron like you have a love life. but I'm feeling generous."

Jounouchi got up and dusted himself off. He looked pale.

"Oh yeah, one more thing... uke." And Kaiba disappeared around the corner.

"What the hell does he mean, uke? And oh shit, here she comes. C'mon, Jou, you can say hi, at least..."

The brown eyes looked up and him and she smiled. "Hi, Jounouchi. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Abahaooo...pbbbt..."

She tilted her head to the side, catching the sun in her hair. "Jounouchi... are you feeling okay?" She reached out an arm and shook his shoulder a little.

She touched me. Jounouchi felt almost faint.

Her eyes opened wider with worry. She placed a hand on his forehead and said, "Well, you don't have a fever or anything... but you're acting very strangely. Say something, Jounouchi? Hello...?"

His mind finally snapped back to reality, and a small hand gently resting on his forehead. He blushed furiously, and hastily ducked from under the hand, although he would've given all the world to stay there. He stammered, "I-I-I'm okay. C-can I walk you home?"

She smiled again. "Sure. You had me almost scared there for a minute."

"Can I carry your books?"

"Oh, what a gentleman. Thanks."

Jounouchi walked her home in a near daze. He mind cleared, though, as he stopped and bent down to retie his shoelace. Unprepared, he looked up and...

He bit his lip. He'd stopped next to her and unknowingly looked up her skirt.

For a millisecond his mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. I looked up her skirt. WOOT. wait no, that isn't right. it's not right. i'm not supposed to... but i'm tempted to do it again... no, katsuya, it's not right. stop. you can always pretend the other shoelace got untied and... NO. i shouldn't. what would she think of me... ah fuck it, i'm a guy, and not every guy gets to look up a girl's skirt... damn i sound so perverted. i wonder what she'd be like without the panties... okay i need to cool my hormones...

"Is your shoelace that hard to tie?"

He jumped up, hoping she hadn't caught him staring up. Her cheeks were tinged pink, though. He didn't know what to say.

She turned away and said, "That's my house over there... I can get there myself, thanks." She reached out for her books, but he jerked them away.

"No, no... I have to see you safely home." C'mon, Jou, he thought, Kaiba's right, gotta trust my instincts... and do what it's telling me to do. Jounouchi's mind raced with the endless possibilities.

"Well... I guess you can. It's not that far, though." Her cheeks were still flushed as she rapidly walked toward a neat little white house bordered with colorful flowers. Jounouchi hurried after her, trying to shake the doubts, fear, excitement, and rather hentai-ish thoughts swimming in his head.

Instinct... instinct... one foot on her front porch...

"And here we are. Umm... thanks for walking me home, Jounouchi..."

the other foot on her front porch... heart beating wildly...

"Jounouchi... can I have my books now? Thanks for carrying them for me, but I kind of need them back now..."

heart going thump, thump, thump...

"Jou---mmmffff!!!!!!"

He grabbed her around the waist and blindly pulled her face to his own, roughly kissing her. She resisted him for several moments, but instinct, adrenaline, passion and dare he say it, lust, made him far too strong for her to push him away. She suddenly relaxed in his hold, and slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer...

It felt like hours before he opened his eyes and let her go. She opened her eyes, more bright and sparkling than ever, and to his surprise, smiled.

"You take my breath away, Jounouchi..."

"And you, Nakomi, mine..." There was no resistance this time when he circled his arms around her, to gaze into her eyes. They were full of adoration and love, as they gazed into his own. He pulled her forward gently, kissing her forehead and tenderly brushing away the strands of hair falling into her eyes.

"Oh Jou... I've longed for this moment with you ever since I saw you..."

Her books lay strewn across the porch, absolutely forgotten.

He let go of her and picked them up. "I think you'll need these..."

Her hand came to rest on the pile of books he was holding.

"Would you like to come in?"

He looked into her eyes again. They were still full of love... but a sort of passionate fire was beginning to burn in them...

"Sure."