Joey doesn't quite remember when it happened, he does remember how though. It started with an argument because let's face facts here that's how half of the interactions between himself and Kaiba come about.
It was before gym class when Kaiba had made a comment about his sneakers, they were scuffed and old but it didn't warrant a comment – or in Kaiba's case an insult. They'd ended up shouting at each other, harsh words lashing off of their tongues and it didn't occur to Joey that everyone else had left the changing rooms until he took a swing at Kaiba and no one was there to hold him back or calm him down.
Kaiba had ended up deflecting the punch because somehow without fault he always manages to one up Joey. Joey had his hands wrapped around Kaiba's forearms and Kaiba had his wrapped around Joey's as they pushed and pulled at each other.
"Give it up you dog, there's no way you're stronger than me." Kaiba spat and Joey had sneered as Kaiba pushed him up against the cold brick wall of the changing room.
"You're a bastard, you know that?" Joey shouted back and Kaiba had grinned. This self assured cocky, irritating show of teeth and Joey just wanted him to stop looking so smug so he'd jerked Kaiba forwards using the grip he had on the taller boy's wrists and smashed their lips together.
The connection of their mouths hurt, all hot sticky breath and hard pressed teeth. Kaiba had been stunned enough to let go of Joey's hands and the blonde took full advantage, cupping and tilting Kaiba's jaw and opening his mouth allowing him to suck on the others tongue. And Kaiba – cool and collected, robotic devoid of any type of expressionism Kaiba had moaned – light and breathy before kissing Joey back. It was messy and awkward, no doubt from inexperience on Kaiba's part.
Kaiba had pulled back to breath in gulps of air, his exhales blowing at the wispy bits of Joey's hair and the next thing Joey knew he was shoving Kaiba's gym shorts down enough to pull his cock out. It was thick and warm in his hand, skin soft to the touch. Joey had squeezed and Kaiba cursed, eyes squeezing shut as he thrust into the warm circle of Joey's fingers.
"You like that?" Joey whispered and watched in apt wonderment as Kaiba shook his head. He could try to deny it all he wanted but his cock was hard in Joey's hand so that was all the proof Joey needed.
Kaiba's hands had reached up to grip Joey's waist, thumbs pushing the blonde's t-shirt up to reveal a section of his bare stomach. As Joey jerked his hand Kaiba thrust his hips forward, the wet sticky tip of his cock brushing up against Joey's stomach, painting the blonde's abs in translucent pre-come.
Kaiba's forehead was pressed to Joey's as he stared down at Joey's hand around his cock and how he was desperately thrusting against the blonde's stomach. He looked equally confused horrified and turned on.
Kaiba's cock was leaking pre come and as Joey's fingers glided down over his shaft, wet noises filled the air.
"Yeah, come on Kaiba. Come, come for me. Come on me." And he did, his ejaculate running in hot thick ropes up Joey's stomach and t-shirt, dribbling down to soak into the elastic of the blonde's waistband.
For a while all that could be heard was both of their harsh laboured breaths until Kaiba seemed to get a hold of himself and realise where he was, what he'd just done and who with.
He jerked back and rushed to rearrange his shorts but his come was everywhere, over his thighs and fingers– all over Joey – Christ.
He panicked as he covered himself, avoiding Joey's eyes the entire time. The blonde may be ignorant but he wasn't entirely stupid, anyone with any kind of tact would know that Kaiba just had his first sexual experience - with Wheeler of all the people and now Joey had leverage over him. Kaiba had shown a weakness and it was only a matter of time before it was exploited.
When he looked up Joey was using his t- shirt to wipe the come off of his stomach and fingers but the skin looked sticky still. Kaiba felt his cheeks heat.
"Jesus that was a lot of come, have you ever masturbated like ever?"
"That's none of your business." Kaiba growled and Joey smirked.
"Don't be so modest Kaiba. My hands been around your cock, I don't think there's any boundaries between us now."
Kaiba felt sick. It shouldn't have happened he shouldn't even be attracted to Joey. He shouldn't be attracted to guy's full stop. He doesn't know how much he reveals but suddenly Joey's hands go still and his face turns soft and serious.
"You know it's okay to be attracted to guy's right?" And no no, fuck no. Joey doesn't get to try and act like some martyr, like he's full of wisdom and better acknowledged than Kaiba because the very notion is ludicrous. It was just a mishap, a mistake. In the heat of the moment he'd gotten aroused and Joey had corrected the problem. It was just as simple as a business transaction.
"What do you want, money, trading cards?" Kaiba asked a bite of agitation to his tone.
Joey frowned." What are you talking about?" The blonde asked before it dawned on him and he shook his head. "You mean to keep me quiet. You're kidding right?" Joey scoffed. "Look I don't need your money okay, I'll keep quiet. Believe me it's not like I would want to tell anyone about this."
Joey sneered before stalking over to his gym bag and shoving his dirtied top inside. He put a new one on and walked out not even sparing Kaiba a second glance.
/
It happens again, this time at the hotel their all staying at in Egypt. Everyone's on edge and unsure of what to feel, they just said goodbye to the Pharaoh but of course Kaiba doesn't believe in all that nonsense. It was probably just a hologram – a projection. There's no such thing as the after life – there can't be. Kaiba can't contemplate the possibilities of life after death for long because there's a knock on his door.
He answers and is mildly surprised to find Joey on the other side, what's even more surprising however is when he leaves the door open and turns back into the room leaving an open invitation for Joey.
The blonde looks upset and Kaiba thinks of course he is he just lost one of his best friends.
Kaiba's never cared about how Joey feels but something about this desperate sadness on Joey's face makes him feel compelled to ask but before he can even articulate words Joey's kissing him. Rough just like the first time. Kaiba doesn't deny himself especially when Joey shoves a hand down his pants and starts stroking his cock, getting the angle and the pressure just right.
"D'ya wanna feel my mouth on you?" Joey asks and Kaiba moans at the very thought, but that's as far as he goes, because answering would admit that he wants this.
"Come on Kaiba, I'll only do it if you ask." Joey admits, voice darkly sweet before he's moving down onto his knees and lifting Kaiba's t-shirt enough to pepper kisses along his stomach, nipping at the tight skin beside Kaiba's bellybutton.
Kaiba hisses, jerks his hips helplessly. "Yes, yes... I want that."
"Want what?" Joey asks, the corner of his mouth tilted up.
Kaiba closes his eyes. "I want your mouth on me." He admits begrudgingly and he almost feels ashamed of it, that is until Joey closes his lips around his cock. After that it's all pleasure, all hot wet heat, slick tongue and flexing throat. He grips Joey's hair, holds his head still whiles he fucks his mouth, until his orgasm feels ripped out of him, until he's coming down Joey's throat and watching it overflow, spilling over the seam of Joey's lips.
Joey's hair is scuffed up after, his whole mouth red and sore. Kaiba apologises for his rough handling feeling uncouth but Joey just snorts, tells him he shouldn't feel guilty about things that make him feel good. And since when did Joey become something that makes him feel good?
"You miss him?" Kaiba says and he doesn't have to say Atem's name for them to both know who he's talking about.
Joey's eyes go distant and he looks so ready to talk until something seems to click into place and his face goes hard.
"What would you know; you don't have any friends to miss so you couldn't possibly know how I feel."
Kaiba knows enough about Joey by now that he's aware the blonde uses anger as a defence mechanism but what bothers him is that he cares enough to try and calm Joey down.
"You're right, I don't know how you feel. So tell me."
Joey's eyes widen and Kaiba notices for the first time how golden they are, like molten lava.
Joey tells him everything, how him and his friends all met, what they've done for each other, what they would do for each other and Joey was right Kaiba doesn't understand but he feels like he's starting to get it. Feels like he's beginning to understand as he watches Joey sleep and wonders why he didn't kick him out of his room. Why when Joey wakes up the next day Kaiba instigates the kiss, asks Joey to tell Kaiba how to get the blonde off.
Joey's top is thrown on the floor, boxers pushed down to mid thigh as he lies on his back on the bed. His cock looks intimating at least it does to Kaiba. See Kaiba knows how to touch himself that's easy, he can push and pull and test the limits of pleasure himself but when you're touching another person you can't tell what they are or aren't enjoying.
He strokes Joey, feels foreskin shift beneath his fingers and wonders if he's doing it right. Joey's releasing these little sighs but they sound more frustrated then turned on. He's squirming; moving his shoulders like he's itching to rearrange Kaiba's hand and Kaiba gets so agitated that he's not doing it right that he makes an angry sound before taking his hand off of Joey.
Joey opens his eyes, pink mouth gaping. "What are you doing?" He asks and Kaiba shakes his head.
"You clearly weren't enjoying yourself; I must have been doing something wrong." Kaiba admits frustrated.
Joey shakes his head and smiles but it isn't patronising, it's almost exasperated and fond.
"Kaiba this is sex, not long division." Kaiba wants to say yes of course because long division is a lot easier than this. "It's not complicated so don't make it." Joey reasons before gently reaching out and linking his fingers with Kaiba's. He brings their joint hands over to his cock and wraps it around, guiding Kaiba's hand up and down, squeezing his fingers around Kaiba's hand, increasing the pressure.
He opens his mouth on a moan and Kaiba leans down to kiss him. "Feels good." Joey says, cutting off into a broken moan as he arches his back and moves their hands faster together. "So good." Joey gasps as he comes over both of their knuckles and his stomach.
Kaiba looks down at their linked hands and thinks maybe it is okay to be attracted to guys but is it okay to feel whatever the hell it is that he's feeling now.
/
They finish school and because they're so busy living their adult lives – working – studying at university and not taking part in as many tournaments himself and Joey don't see each other as much but when they do, it's fun, its good, it's all the things Kaiba didn't think he could have in his life especially with Joey of all the people. They haven't put a label on what they are and Kaiba hasn't decided on whether that's a good thing or not.
The moment Joey steps into his apartment, their kissing asking each other about the others days, their words muffled against each other's lips. It's normal until Kaiba presses Joey into the wall and the other releases an involuntary pained moan, squeezing his eyes shut.
Kaiba pulls back immediately, eyes scanning over Joey's face then his body trying to find the source of pain.
"What is it?" He asks when he can't see anything.
"Nothing." Joey lies, giving a small smile before leaning forward to kiss Kaiba again but Kaiba presses a hand against the blondes shoulder to stop his advances. It's then that Kaiba realises that Joey winced when his back collided with the wall so Kaiba reaches for his top and ignores Joey's loud protests and flailing limbs as he jerks the others T up and sees large blotchy purple bruises lining his back.
"Joey, what the hell is this?" Kaiba's voice is shaking as well as his body, he's terrified, he's angry, he's confused but most of all he's disappointed in himself. Its obvious what the marks are but how could he not have noticed something like this?
He'd heard the rumours in school but had been too narcissistic to think it was his problem. Joey's drunk piss poor excuse of a father would beat him but how could it still be happening. Of course Joey still lived at home but he was an adult now, he was working, he was strong. He could hit his father back, he could move out, hell he could finally call the cops on that bastard and get him arrested.
Joey pulls away from him and covers the marks almost like he's ashamed of them.
"It's not a big deal." Joey concedes and Kaiba scoffs.
"I'd hate to see your definition of an important 'deal'." Kaiba retaliates and watches as Joey rolls his eyes.
"Look I'm sorting it okay; I don't need you butting your nose in."
"In what way are you sorting this, because I have company lawyers that can have it sorted a lot sooner." Joey looks scared at the prospect and Kaiba can't help but to wonder how Joey can fear for this man, can feel anything for him other than hate. Not for the first time Kaiba realises how utterly different himself and Joey are.
"You wouldn't do that." Joey eventually whispers and Kaiba raises a challenging eyebrow. "Wouldn't I?" He asks. "He's hurting you, I'd do whatever I could to stop him."
By any means it's not a declaration of love but Kaiba thinks for them at least, it's just as well as one. It feels like his hearts stuck somewhere in his throat and he's hoping Joey doesn't comment on the weight of Kaiba's words. It seems that fate is on his side because Joey seems to bypass his words.
"I've been saving up and soon I'm gonna have enough money to send him to rehab, until then I think a little bruising is worth it don't you?" Joey asks and Kaiba wants to tell him no, fuck no, nothing is worth seeing Joey hurting. But this is Joey's decision and Kaiba respects him enough to let him pick his own choices so he promises to let Joey handle it his way only if Joey allows Kaiba to show him some martial arts moves.
"Are you being serious right now?" Joey asks and Kaiba nods solemnly.
"Of course I am. You always wondered how I won our scraps in school. This is how. I was trained by the best martial arts teachers in all of Tokyo."
Joey looks torn. "I don't want to hurt my dad." He admits finally and Kaiba nods. "Just self defence moves then." Kaiba acquiesces.
Joey picks the moves up almost instantly, learns tackles and deflects that will stop the attacker but not harm them seriously.
Joey pins Kaiba to the floor, grinning triumphantly and Kaiba feels his heart flutter oddly. He knows that isn't possible of course – for his heart to flutter but there's no other way to describe the blossoming warmth in his chest.
He rests a hand on Joey's hip. "You know I would, don't you. Get the lawyers to stop him if you wanted me to. I would kill him if you wanted me to." Kaiba admits and he knows he sounds crazy, sounds irrational but he needs Joey to know what he'd do for him.
Joey's eyes soften but there's a small frown between his brows. He runs his thumb over the seam of Kaiba's lips, bringing it to rest on the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah." Joey says. "Yeah I know you would."
/
They haven't had sex yet and Kaiba's not nervous. He's not. Well, maybe a little. It's just a big deal that's all. Him and Joey have done other stuff and technically that's classed as sex but he doesn't really consider it sex until there's some type of penetration.
It's hot in Kaiba's bedroom but Joey's weight on top of him feels welcoming. Joey runs his sweat slick nose over Kaiba's before pressing his mouth against Kaiba's neck and sucking, leaving tingling hickey's behind.
There's a curling warmth in his stomach, the type he gets before he orgasms but this time it feels bigger and more intense because he knows they're going to go further today. They've discussed it for days and Kaiba's ready, more than ready.
Joey presses a dry thumb at Kaiba's opening, pushes and watches as Kaiba's hole gives around the pressure of the digit.
Joey kneels on the mattress and lifts one of Kaiba's legs, getting him to plant his foot onto Joey's thigh. The new position gives Joey a whole new view. He presses a lube slick finger against Kaiba's entrance and pushes. It doesn't feel bad, just odd. There isn't a stretch until there's two fingers but Kaiba breathes through it, concentrates on the dipping movements of Joey's long nimble fingers. The way they move expertly, rotating in small circles.
When Joey adds three fingers he finds Kaiba's prostate and jabs against it. Kaiba's embarrassed by the sounds he makes. Garbled moans of pleasure, toes curling over Joey's thigh, his own hand fisted in his hair.
Joey grins before leaning down to lick across one of Kaiba's nipples. "Feels good doesn't it?" He mumbles, as he rubs the pads of his fingers up against Kaiba's prostate. Kaiba jerks, gasps and nods wordlessly. Good isn't the right word.
When Joey gets to turning him around onto all fours and pushing into him, it only takes a couple of well aimed thrusts and a hand around his cock to get him to come.
He's gasping through the rest of it, chest pressed down into the bedding, ass raised as Joey thrusts with a new vigour, knees bracketing the outside of Kaiba's.
Joey fucks him harder, pounds into him until Kaiba's almost whimpering from the oversensitivity until finally Joey thrusts all the way in and stops, gasps out Kaiba's name and comes. Good isn't the right word, perfection seems just about right.
/
Mokuba's growing up and Kaiba can feel this drift between them, this large gap that has never been there before. Mokuba's constantly out with his friends and Kaiba doesn't receive so much as an acknowledgement when he gets home from a long day at the office.
He misses his little brother, misses their walks, even when most of the time there were no words exchanged between them. It was just the thought that he had someone there, family, someone that he could constantly count on.
But now Mokuba goes out to parties and sleeps in until noon. He's grown stubble for Christ's sakes and not a little bit but loads. He's a man and Kaiba doesn't know where the years went. It's like he blinked and the little brother he knew is gone. He tells Joey as much over pizza. Their lying on the bed and Joey's holding the cheesy slice of pepperoni pizza over his mouth and once Kaiba would have found that disgusting but now all he wants to do is lick off that bit of tomato sauce on Joey's chin.
Joey scoffs out a laugh. "He's not gone Kaiba, he's just growing up, you know it's generally what human beings do."
Kaiba frowns, because it may be true but he doesn't have to like it.
"Look I know it's kinda scary thinking that you're drifting apart but trust me you're not. You're family and a bond like that doesn't just fade away. Look at me and Serenity, we were taken away from each other for years yet when we saw each other again it was as if we hadn't ever spent a day apart because were family and we love each other. "
It's scary how much Joey's words make sense sometimes.
"Trust me Mokuba's not going anywhere, you and him have survived through company takeovers and soul stealing I'm sure you can tackle adolescence."
Kaiba sighs. "I hate that you're right." He admits and can't help but to smile when Joey grins impishly.
He reaches out and thumbs away the sauce on Joey's chin, sucking his thumb into his mouth straight after.
/
Their playing Duel Monsters and Kaiba would like to think they've gotten past that point in their relationship that he doesn't care about the outcome of the duel, but he does and in a way he thinks he always will. He's always been a competitor, always wanted to be the best. So as him and Joey sit cross legged, opposite each other on the bed and play Duel Monsters without the fancy holograms he tries not to be too competitive but he can't help it.
He's got his Crush Card in play, therefore all of Joey's monsters with attack points over fifteen hundred are sent to the graveyard. He uses all the tricks he has, uses his virus cards to rid Joey of most of his deck. Joey only has ten cards left. Five in his hand and five in his deck. Kaiba doubts he has what he needs to take down two of Kaiba's Blue Eyes that are in play.
Kaiba feels adrenaline run through him as he smirks, heart beating just a tiny bit faster as he watches Joey and tries to anticipate the blonde's next move. He knows there's no way Joey could beat him but he's still expecting some type of banter between them, some back and forth. Instead Joey just stares at the cards then places them down onto the bed.
"Well I lost." He admits, barking out a laugh as he runs his fingers through the hair at the back of his head.
"You didn't even make a play." Kaiba says, confused because it's not like Joey not to make a move even if he knows it'll end in his demise.
"I folded the cards, in poker that means I don't have any valuable cards so I'm forfeiting." Joey says. And that definitely doesn't sound like Joey because he thinks all of his cards are valuable even the truly ridiculous ones.
"Stop frowning big guy, you won. You love winning. Now come bake cookies with me, I'm starving."
Kaiba rolls his eyes. "Fine." He concedes. "I'll be there in a minute."
Kaiba watches as Joey leaves the bedroom and waits until he can hear him moving things around in the kitchen before he picks up the five cards Joey discarded, the ones he deemed as unplayable. Kaiba looks at them shocked. Joey had everything he needed to beat Kaiba. His first card is Exchange Of The Spirit which means they would both have had to of swapped the cards in their decks for the cards in their graveyard, which would give Joey practically all his cards back and leave Kaiba with three.
The second card was a Dragon Capture Jar obviously intended for his Blue Eyes. Joey had everything covered, for any possible move Kaiba could have made Joey had a counter yet he didn't play, he surrendered. If it had been any other time Joey would have played, would have beat Kaiba and revelled in it and Kaiba wonders what it cost Joey to just surrender like that.
What Kaiba does know is he's willing to give up a little pride for Joey so he places the cards back down where they were and goes to the kitchen, finds Joey singing along terribly to the radio as he mixes the cookie ingredients together. He wraps his fingers around Joey's forearm and the other jumps slightly before turning around to face him, finger coated in the gooey cookie mix. He brings it to his mouth and licks. Kaiba frowns, because salmonella. Joey's constantly eating raw cake mix and Kaiba knows one of these days he's going to get sick from it. Joey grins guiltily around his finger as if he knows what Kaiba's thinking. He pecks Kaiba, making a loud mwahhh sound before tilting his head to the side.
"What's up?" He asks and for a minute Kaiba almost forgets why he came here, the sweet slightly salty taste of Joey's mouth is a good distraction.
He doesn't say anything just leads Joey back into the bedroom. The blonde pauses when he sees that the cards have moved slightly.
"You looked at them." He accuses sounding scolding but Kaiba just raises an eyebrow at him and points to the bed. "Sit." He orders and Joey huffs but complies.
Kaiba sits opposite him before picking up his deck. "Finish your move." He says and resists the urge to smile when Joey's mouth hangs open.
"Uh..what now?"
"Finish. Your. Move." Kaiba finalises and Joey reaches for his cards, hesitates, fingers hovering.
"Are you sure?" The blonde asks slowly.
Kaiba nods. "You deserve to win, you have all the cards, now play them before I change my mind."
Joey grins, wide and unabashedly happy before clumsily sitting up on the bed and throwing himself at Kaiba. He kisses him in succession, his mouth then his nose and cheek and forehead. "Thanks." He says placing one last kiss onto Kaiba's smiling lips before leaning back.
His face switches in an instant from Joey – his Joey – to this cheeky, almost rebellious face – a duellist who knows he's going to win.
"Hope you're ready rich boy." Joey says and Kaiba smirks. "Give me your best shot."
/
Joey's slick, movements fluid as he rides Kaiba, one of his hands wrapped around both of Kaiba's holding the other man's hands above his head and it's killing Kaiba because he wants to touch Joey. Their connected in the most intimate way yet Joey's so far away, pinning Kaiba down so the brunettes unable to caress him, to kiss him. All Kaiba can do is shove his hips up, it strains his pelvis every time but he doesn't give a damn because on the second shove upwards Joey freezes, his hold on Kaiba's wrists loosening. "There- god fuck there!" He cries out, attempting to grind down on Kaiba's cock whiles trying to hit his prostate.
Once he hits it again Joey's hold on him loosens completely so Kaiba uses the opportunity to sit up and pull Joey tight against him, Joey's cock pressed against his stomach as the blonde bounces up and down, jerks his hips in his haste to reach orgasm.
They reach it at about the same time which is a first but it feels euphoric and the only thing Kaiba can think as he's brushing Joey's sweaty blonde locks out of his eyes is – "I love you." Joey pauses, chest still rising and falling rapidly from exertion. He looks vulnerable for the first time in years and Kaiba's worried that maybe it's too soon that Joey doesn't feel the same way but then Joey kisses him, mouth soft and pliant, sweaty bodies sticking together.
"I love you too." He says.
/